This student has had bad experiences with the internet in the past, and is sceptical of virtual learning environments. However, to pursue the subject she was interested in, this virtual course was the only real option.
Although Amy eventually found her course online, she may have preferred to choose using a traditional prospectus rather than the web; universities which don't have one available may have lost a student already. The paper prospectus must be prepared to put across encouraging ideas about the virtual environment and about the fact that traditional support is still available. It must also be clear how much of the course is virtual: for some of the university websites Amy visited, she was very annoyed that they just 'dropped in' the VLE part at the end.
While in the future there will usually be an expectation to apply online, particularly for online courses, allowances must be made for students who opt not to, or cannot do this. A fallback mechanism, or at very least a 'guiding hand' through the online application, must be provided. Amy applied online for this course, and unusually didn't come across any notable problems. She was only frustrated at the fact that the guide and questions/answers section wasn't on the same page, so she had to keep flicking between browser windows. In the end she just printed off the whole guide, even though she only used 10% of the material.
A nightmare. Amy didn't post at all in the informal forums, and felt frustrated and annoyed by "idiots" and experienced users who immediately - and subconsciously - take charge of the chat rooms and attempt to exert influence. Perhaps even at this stage some moderation will be necessary to coax lurkers out and to calm the excited. At a point where a student might be expected to be excited and enthusiastic about the course and fellow students, Amy just wanted to get her head down and do things on her own.
Amy didn't have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, and the VLE didn't warn here that some of the links were PDF files. Instead of getting in touch with tutors or computing support, she concluded that the system was broken and the files didn't exist, so gave up and did some independent reading elsewhere on the web instead. As a result she wasn't able to participate in the discussions fully and felt alienated by the fact that other students seemed to have managed to download the articles. Already disheartened, she didn't post or email anyone to try to obtain a remedy until the last week when it all got too much.
It met all my expectations - half the students seemed to rocket off and really engage with the course, and the other half said nothing and seemed to flounder in the dark. The tutor made a couple of posts generally encouraging people to talk more, but nothing personal came through and I couldn't be bothered with some of the stupid things that were being said and done. By the time I had problems downloading files I was disillusioned with the learning experience and didn't really care how I got on or what I scored.
Surprisingly, Amy's experience was by far the most affected and interrupted of the group. It would be easy to assume that a blind student would have more difficulty, but clearly there is a dependence on the emotional and enthusiastic state of the individual as to whether they are prepared to accept certain barriers, and work ways around them. Amy's experiences in the past were not disproved - once again she found the environment to be challenging, clinical, and unfriendly. The difficulties in isolation are the most significant disadvantage, and would have a serious academic impact.
Amy's problems are clearly related to both the concept and delivery of the virtual environment. The simple remedy would be to deliver the course in a traditional style, but as noted in her description, the course wasn't available at any other institution in a non-virtual setting. If the course must have virtual elements, then it is crucial that clear and accessible guidance, and readily available in-person or telephone contact information (possibly 24-hour) is given to all students at the earliest opportunity. Tutor encouragement and the opening of a friendly dialogue early on may have softened Amy's frustration, but clearly the student also has a role to play in deciding whether they are up to the challenges of online learning.