I wonder if this is really unexpected

From a current article in
Online Journal of Distance Learning

An Interesting Profile-University Students who Take Distance Education Courses Show Weaker Motivation Than On-Campus Students

This finding supports the notion that motivational goals of DE and traditional students differ significantly. However, what is interesting is that DE students are less motivated than on-campus students. This effect might be related to the fact that on-campus students were willing to invest more effort and time in their studies. It is also possible that a personality variable is implicated here. For example, on-campus students may be more gregarious and sociable whereas DE students may be more introverted, aloof, and independent. If on-campus students are social-types in terms of personality they may be benefiting from social motivators. It is a commonplace that often people perform better when someone else is watching. At the very least, it raises a potentially important and interesting question for future research.

I've suspected that when we push DE as 'convenient' those who are less motivated are more likely to take DE course offerings over face to face.

But what's significant in finding that DE learners tend to have different learning profiles is that we have to design the course to allow the student to make the most of it: again, an argument for a difference between DE and f2f courses.

Jonah Brucker-Cohen is goofing with the pretentiousness of CMC/digital art at coin-operated.com. One of my faves is internet radio:

Overview
Current interfaces to access online radio stations are clunky and confusing. This InternetRadio allows for easy access to streaming audio streams through a reconfigured vintage radio.

Shown at Cybersonica in London, and Darklight Film Festival in Dublin.