What does distance learning involve?
- Study materials
- Interaction with lecturers and students
- Online learning environment
- Library
- On-campus courses
- Assessments
- Examinations
- The University year (semesters)
Study materials
Once you have enrolled your study materials will be made available to you. This normally happens at least one week prior to the start of the semester.
The study materials are produced by the subject expert who will be teaching you, in conjunction with a team of learning and presentation experts. If you are unfamiliar with the type of material you will have access to view our sample study materials.
There are usually two components:
- The Administration Guide - explains the way the paper is organised, what you will be required to do and what you can expect in return from your lecturer and Massey University.
- The Study Guide - takes you through the themes of your paper and usually combines a set of lessons with a collection of recommended readings.
How these materials are delivered to you will depend on the paper you have enrolled in. The materials will either be posted to you or made available through our online learning environment (known as Stream) in electronic form.
For information about when you should receive your study materials see dispatch of study materials.
Back to topInteraction with lecturers and students
One of the major differences of distance learning is the level and type of interaction you have with your lecturer and fellow students. Unlike campus-based courses you do not have the same opportunity to meet fact to face with your lecturers and students on a regular basis.
However, our staff can be contacted at times that may be more convenient to you. We also encourage students to take full advantage of the online communication tools available to interact with both students and lecturers. On-campus courses are also an opportunity to meet with people and share experiences, and EXMSS (Extramural Students' Society) have a number of area representatives who can assist with setting up study groups within your region.
It is important to remember that you are not alone in your study experience and lecturers are still available should you need to seek help or ask advice.
Online learning environment
Stream is your online learning community. We want distance students to feel part of a real class. The online learning environment allows you to share and exchange ideas with fellow students and lecturers. Depending on the paper you are enrolled in, you can also access the latest news in your subject, study notes, recent articles, online presentations, assignments, activities, and tests.
Each paper has an online component category and this is your guide to the type of activities you might be expected to participate in. For more details on these activities see Online Learning at Massey University.
Library
Massey University has a world-class Distance Library Service which has been recognised through a number of awards. We have over 870,000 books and countless journals and articles. You can browse the catalogue online and download the latest publications relevant to your area of study. In addition, you can have an online consultation with a librarian and request books via our overnight delivery service which are delivered free of charge to your mailbox.
On-campus courses
On-campus courses can take two different forms depending on the course you are studying.
Contact courses
Contact courses are an opportunity for you to interact with other students taking the same paper and to receive face-to-face tuition. They usually last from one to five days. They are designed as an integral part of your study programme and you should plan to attend if possible. You are advised to check the contact course requirements for papers before enrolling as some courses are compulsory.
Block courses
Some papers are offered in "block mode". This means students are required to attend one or more periods of intensive study. These are usually on the Manawatu, Albany or Wellington campuses.
In many ways these papers have more in common with internal offerings than they do with Distance Learning papers. However, most of the support systems needed to offer these papers are the same as they are for Distance Learning papers and they are often of interest to Distance Learning students.
Check the dates and study requirements for any paper listed as block. Accommodation is not available in the University Halls for students attending block courses located in Palmerston North which fall outside the normal study break and holiday periods.
Please also check the locations listed as well. While some block courses will be located on the main campuses, others may be located at a regional centre. Many block course papers will supply study material at the beginning of the semester, but others may supply it at or shortly before the block course itself. Check the date listed for any examination: some block course papers schedule examinations before the end of the semester while others complete all assessment within the block course. Please also be aware that some block courses may incur higher fees.
You can find this information in the paper details pages within the Programmes and papers web pages. If you are not sure how to find this information view our short demonstration on locating paper information.
Assessments
The specific requirements of assessment will be detailed in the Administrative Guide you receive in your study materials. Assessment may take a number of different forms including assignments, laboratories, field trips, or on-campus courses. For more information please see our main Assessment web page.
As a distance student you will have to think about how these different types of assessments fit into your schedule in order to complete all compulsory elements. For example, if you know you cannot attend a compulsory contact course, it is best not to enrol in that paper.
For the majority of papers, you will be able to electronically submit your assignments for marking. However, there may be times when you will need to use the postal system. If this is the case, you should allow for the time it will take to reach your paper co-ordinator for marking. We have a 15 working day turnaround time for returning marked assignments (starting from due date, and only if you submitted your assignment on time). Assignments for off shore students will be returned by airmail or electronically.
Examinations
When enrolling in papers you nominate the venue where you would like to sit the examination. A list of centres is available within MyEnrolment. For students studying off shore, venues are also available outside of New Zealand (except Summer School).
It is important to take note of the dates and times for any papers you are thinking of enrolling in and ensure that you can commit to sitting the examination on this date. We are also able to cater for some special requirement such as students with disability. For more information see the Examinations web pages.
The University year (semesters)
The Massey University academic year is divided into three main teaching periods: Semester One, Semester Two and Summer School. Semesters One and Two each consist of 12 teaching weeks, and conclude with an exam period. Summer School has 10 teaching weeks. In addition, a longer teaching period, the Double Semester, parallels Semesters One and Two with an exam period at the end of Semester Two.
A winter break of three weeks is held between the Semester One exam period and the start of Semester Two. Within Semester One is a two-week mid-Semester break, which is normally linked with the Easter holiday break. Within Semester Two, there is a two-week mid-Semester break which coincides with breaks at most other universities.
Most programmes of study and papers fit in to these standard semester periods.
A single semester paper normally covers the same amount of work as a double semester paper, the only difference is that the workload is compressed into 12 weeks. You must plan your study carefully, particularly for single semester and Summer School papers where the timeframe is even shorter.
