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The learning situations of external students in remote areas differ from those in mainstream universities throughout Australia. For many students there are no alternatives for study other than the external mode due to isolation, ties to the family, community and land and the sheer expense of relocating. For many Indigenous students the difficulties of interpreting external course work is compounded by the lack of culturally appropriate materials and little acknowledgment that standard Australian English is not their first language.

This paper describes how computer technology was used to enhance an external (distance education) unit at a remote campus of Edith Cowan University. Authentic instruction principles and technology were used to enhance the learning experiences and accommodate the learning styles of a group of Aboriginal students completing an external mainstream course in a remote situation.