Abstract

This paper is based on the outcomes of a research project “Learning Science at a Distance: Students’ Perspective of Practical Work”, funded by the President’s Advisory Committee on Research and Development (PACRD) at the Open University of Hong Kong. Two foundation science courses offered by the School of Science and Technology at the Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) were selected for the study. This paper focuses on students’ perspectives on various aspects of learning science via online distance learning mode, such as expectations, learning outcomes, and satisfaction. A series of in-depth interviews was carried out with students enrolled in these courses, followed by questionnaire surveys and field observations in order to validate and triangulate the interview data. The findings revealed that students placed a high value on practical work in science courses. Moreover, the more familiar with the course subject, the less difficulty they anticipate in learning science via online distance education. Two significant correlations were also found. The first one was between the perception of practical work and satisfaction, while the second one was between the attendance rate and the perception of practical work with online distance learning at OUHK.