Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training

Can I study without attending the TAFE or university campus?

Most people associate studying at TAFE or university with coming to the campus and going to lectures. However, you can study some courses/programs or some subjects within courses/programs without attending at all. These courses/programs and subjects are taught through a learning package which is either posted to you or maybe available online.

Internal study

Studying by attendance is known as internal, on-campus or face-to-face study.

External study

Studying through a learning package is known as external, flexible, off-campus, online or distance study.

Whether you study externally the degree or diploma achieved is exactly the same because the courses have the same content and standard. You can find out from the individual TAFESA institutes, universities, the SATAC TAFE Course and Admissions Guide or the SATAC University Guide which courses/programs are taught internally or externally.

As part of finding out which options are available to you, you may wish to investigate the possibility of studying externally.

Why study externally?

 

Students enrol in the external mode for a variety of reasons including:

• distance from the TAFE or university
• family and employment responsibilities
• health and disability.

 

Can I study some subjects externally and some internally?

Mixed mode study

Where subjects are available by both internal and external mode, you could choose to take all, some or none externally. Your decision should include consideration of the way in which your disability affects your lifestyle as well as your other responsibilities.

Though the content and standards of external study are the same as internal study, the experience is different.

On-campus teaching relies mainly on group-based teaching activities. Students are taught as groups in lectures, tutorials, practicals and workshops.

Even though you spend much of your time in groups with others, you will also spend a lot of time alone reading, thinking about and writing assignments on the topics you are studying.

Online study

Increasingly the Higher Education sector is offering a range of courses/programs or individual subjects online. Online study can be part of an external course/program as well as being an integral component of an internal course/program.

Online study means that you are able to access all or part of a subject via a computer. If you do not have access to a computer in your own home, each TAFESA institute or university has computers available for students to use on campus. Alternatively, you may like to contact your local library to see if they have computers available with internet access.

How does external study work?

Study packages

In external study the teaching is done through study materials which are focused on individuals studying alone. The packages consist of:

• specially written study guides
• collections of readings which are central to the subject
• often audio and video tapes and experiment kits
• and increasingly packages are available online.

These packages guide you through the ideas in the subject, direct you to other learning resources and tell you about the assessment.

You work through the study materials and complete assignments which you complete online or send to the TAFE or university where they are marked by the lecturers responsible, and then they are mailed back to you.

Library services

The library of each TAFESA or university provides a range of special services to students who live outside the Adelaide metropolitan area. For details contact the library at the TAFE or university at which you intend to study. Examples of the services may include:

ordering of books by telephone, fax and electronic mail (email)
a photocopying service
postal delivery of items on loan.
There may be a small fee. Students within the Adelaide metropolitan area may also be eligible for these services provided they can demonstrate a need for the services.

Interaction with the lecturer

Usually there are opportunities to interact with the lecturer and other students from time to time.

This is done through telephone linkups (audioconferences) or computer-based communication (chat rooms, online discussions, electronic conferences etc)

Individual contact with a lecturer can be made in various ways including fact-to-face visits, telephone, letters or electronic mail (email).

Individualised experience

You may find this individualised experience is just what you need. Because you are not tied to a particular time or place, you can more easily incorporate study into the other aspects of your life.

Furthermore, unlike lectures and tutorials, external materials enable you to spend as much or as little time as you like going over the topics of study.

Social aspects

On the other hand, you may choose to study all or some subjects internally even though they are available by distance. You may see the social aspects of interacting with others as an important component of your education, or you may feel you learn better when you have others around you. Where external materials are available for subjects you are enrolled in internally, you may be able to negotiate access to this material. This is usually negotiated with the academic in charge of the subject.

Who decides whether I study externally or internally?

Provided that the courses/subjects you wish to study are available in both the distance and internal modes of study, the mode of study is your choice. The TAFE or university will negotiate with you to accommodate your needs.