The present article describes the results of an exploratory research in which the students' attitudes regarding education at the distance was investigated. The subjects of the study were 22 students enrolled in a discipline at the distance in the Computer Science undergraduate course. The course was offered in the first semester of 2003 in a college institution located in the South of Brazil. The research was of descriptive and applied nature, accomplished under a predominantly quantitative perspective. The results revealed the students' negative attitudes, especially towards the categories of performance, flexibility and convenience, preparation to the education at the distance, instructor-generated learning material, and group dynamics in the discussion list. These results suggest that the expected positive impact of the education at the distance may not be accomplished when the educational institution does not take into consideration the complexity of the process and the variables involved in the process of adoption and acceptance of educational innovations by the students.
Attitude; education at the distance; educational innovations
