Learner Autonomy as a Factor of the Learning Process in Distance Education

The present study aims to empirically examine the relation between learner autonomy and specific aspects of the learning process, such as student-student interaction and tutor-student interaction, in a distance learning environment in Greece. An empirical study was conducted at the Hellenic Open University (HOU) using data gathered via a four-section questionnaire, completed by 100 postgraduate students. The correlation analysis yielded a positive correlation between learner autonomy and both student-student and tutor-student interaction. In particular, the results revealed the existence of a positive correlation between all three subscales of autonomy, namely sensibility to others, ability to manage new situations and self-awareness, and student-student interaction. A significant positive correlation was also observed between selfawareness and tutor-student interaction. Moreover, the results suggested that there are no statistically significant differences of the above parameters in relation to demographic features, such as gender, age and the number of Counselling Group Sessions (CGS) in which students had participated. Yet, results suggested that there is an effect of the number of course modules attended by students on the levels of student-student interaction.