Abstract: This research study explores theoretical framework guidelines for students engaged in distance education through collaborative learning. Distance education has played an important role in the provision of educational equity for distance learners who live in remote Australian communities. Engaging students and academic staff will always enhance student-learning outcomes to ensure a positive experience in distance education. It can be effectively achieved through collaborative learning for off-campus learners. In distance education, academic staff and students encounters a number of challenges such as lack of student motivation, high student attrition rates, and a sense of solation from a university community. Collaborative learning experiences will enhance learner-staff and learner-learner interactions in distance learning, which can be achieved through developing a learning process. The learning process for distance learners involves student-learning strategy, Staff interactive sessions, peer-to-peer support, e-assessment, and self-realization of graduate learning outcomes. This distance learning process and framework guidelines are confined for Deakin University learning environment, however the expectations is that the distance learning will be more mainstream in future of learning and teaching in Australian institutions. The focus of this research is to develop framework guidelines by analyzing collaborative learning experience of distance learners (off-campus) in a particular unit. It helps to analyze the barriers in distance education and finding ways to initiate collaborative programs in future. It also helps to fulfill the distance learners’ expectations on program delivery.

 

Key words: framework guidelines, student learning experience, distance education, collaborative learning.