For example, if an instructor is boring, confusing, or irrelevant students will engage one another about the subject matter at hand while ignoring the instructor. At some point they are brought back into the instructional stream by the behavior of the instructor or some other event. Learners form partnerships and groups on their own. The basis for these groups is either instrumental need or prior associations. For example, students will consistently ask certain students questions about how to perform certain tasks or questions about when materials are due.
Some students form friendships that last over a term and into succeeding terms of study.
The implication of this research demonstrates that the distant education learning environment is a dynamic one which differs substantially from the traditional face to face environment. It creates an environment where the characteristics of adult learners can and do exhibit themselves in powerful ways. This has direct implications for the design of instruction. Teachers must acknowledge that they have less control in distance education settings than they do in a face to face setting. Perhaps scheduled queries and directive tasks can help keep students involved in the stream of instruction.