Learning relationships in online contexts : an educational response to declining rates of participation and a means of support for undergraduate students

There is current concern about declining rates of participation in higher education in regional and remote areas of Australia. The potential of online education as a means of enhancing the learning opportunities of those living in regional, rural and remote areas is recognised by Government and educational institutions; however, it is also acknowledged that access without support does not equal opportunity. Despite significant financial investment, the adoption of online delivery and online learning within the higher education sector is variable and under-represented in undergraduate programs. This article builds upon extant knowledge and draws from the findings of a research study which examined the processes of, and the relationship between, learner-learner interaction and knowledge construction in online learning contexts within a single cohort of undergraduate students. Based on the results of the analyses a substantive theory explaining the conditions, actions, interactions and consequences of learning relationships in online contexts was constructed. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to demonstrate the capacity of learning relationships to promote student participation in learning activities and facilitate the achievement of learning outcomes in an online course; and to draw attention to the potential of learning relationships to provide a local, educational response to the institutional challenge of offering an integrative, collaborative, enabling environment for diverse students and support for undergraduate learners.