Distance Education Students
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2008), 65% of college and universities offered distance education classes. Keegan (1986) "believes that a defining characteristic of distance education is the quasi-permanent absence of the learning group throughout the learning process so that people are usually taught as individuals and not in groups, with the possibility of occasional meetings for both didactic and socialization purposes". The overall nature of education can result in these students remaining invisible because of geographic dispersal and the private manner in which the students often study and learn course material (Grace, 1994). As a result, successful completion of courses or programs results in the students' ability to maintain their motivation over the time required to complete assignments, courses, and programs (Grace, 1994).
There has been no research that specifically addresses suicide among distance education students. The literature that is present deals with drop-out and retention for distance education programs. These models may be applicable in addressing suicide prevention since some of the models that have been developed related to distance education retention have been based on Emile Durkheim's model of suicide (Kember, 1989). Durkheim's model states that individuals are more likely to attempt suicide or have suicidal thoughts when they are not integrated into the "fabric of society" (Kember, 1989).
One of the best known models is that of Vincent Tinto which has been modified to apply to distance education. In this model, drop-out is equated to suicide and society is equated to the learning institution (Kember, 1989). This is due to the lack of integration of distance education students into the fabric of the college and university life and culture in most instances. This is similar to what Durkheim equated to moral/value integration and collective affiliation (Kember, 1989). Collective affiliation refers to the quantity and quality of contact between the student and the organization (Kemper, 1989). If a student is lacking this contact or the contact is poor or substandard, then the student is likely to feel isolated and not fit in to the learning environment. This can be achieved wither through chat, telephone contact, or email. It is also important to keep in mind the importance of the administrative support that students receive as well as the academic support. The issue of moral/value congruence relates to whether there is "congruence between the curriculum and the student's interests and career needs "(Kember, 1989, p. 206). The content, instructional design, and media utilized must all meet the needs of the students enrolled in the course. In Durkheim's model, "suicide is most likely to occur if at least one of the two forms of integration is lacking" (Kember, 1989). Distance education students not only face many of the risk and protective factors of other students, but they must also add the need to negotiate the realities of remaining motivated, being self-disciplined, and often work and family life.
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
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