‘I felt like I was the only person in the world studying’: place and affect in the constitution of online higher education study for rural Australian students

Abstract Higher education study has become more accessible to rural places through the development of stronger technologies, interfaces and pedagogy for online study. However, while these have made higher education more accessible, they also overlook the substantial impact that social circumstances and resources have on the means to meaningfully participate in higher education. Our study, conducted with 38 online higher education students, demonstrates how broader conditions in place shape study experience and possibilities. We consider how place makes certain practices and identities possible or realisable. In particular, we explore how place and affect shape the possibility of online study in rural areas. This includes how relationships in place also shape how higher education is perceived—both through what to study, how and where to study, or whether higher education is deemed to be valuable. Subsequently, the personal resources available to each student—be it social, cultural, educational or economic, have an exaggerated effect on the experiences and outcome of study. We suggest equitable higher education needs to take account of more than just the offering of online study narrowly conceived of a student identity only as a learner, recognising that personal, ‘placial’ and affective resources are critical in developing a meaningful sense of belonging in higher education.