Being a long-distance student: Experiences within the open university system and long distance education in Oaxaca

Abstract

The following research was carried out based on a qualitative methodological approach from which interviews were conducted with students who are studying their Bachelor's Degree in Pedagogy within the Open University System and Distance Education (OUSaDE), of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), based in Oaxaca. The objective of the study was to make an approximation of the implications for students of developing their university education through a complete long-distance learning method. In a way, the obtained results show that the system has allowed the interviewed subjects to combine their family and work responsibilities with their professional training. Paradoxically, the same academic conditions that led them to apply for admission to the OUSaDE, have led to the emergence of situations that make it difficult for some students to adapt to a study modality that they consider equally demanding as the traditional school system. However, this premise is not shared by all the surveyed, their positioning being affected according to the expectations they have regarding long-distance education.