HDR Coursework at a Distance: Lessons from Literature and Experience

Online learning has become an accepted part of the higher education landscape and increasing participation in online, formal education has been accelerated by COVID and by the increasing demands for formal learning to be offered in flexible ways. It can be defined as ‘…the use of software programs to instruct students in content and skills and to facilitate learning in and out of the traditional classroom setting’. This article focuses on one small segment of learners: those doing research degrees. While the experience of online MBA candidates has been researched, less attention has been paid to PhD and DBA candidates, especially those who are also working full-time.