However, it has become increasingly clear that technological resources on their own are not sufficient to provide positive online education experiences. More attention should be given to induction processes for online students to allow their effective integration and adjustment to the university environment. Nevertheless, a systematic programme of interactive sessions that supports the induction of DL students is not always a formal university-wide practice. Introducing students to their virtual learning environment during the first week of teaching may result in increased dropout rates, difficulty in addressing the educational objectives of the programme and in a high volume of technical questions that overwhelm students and staff in the first weeks. DL Postgraduate (PG) students, in particular, may be quite a vulnerable learner group when it comes to online education, as it can be easily assumed that they are already confident and independent learners and their transition from an undergraduate campus-based education to postgraduate online study would be a straightforward experience. However, DL PG students are often mature students who have taken a longer break in education and this may make them feel less confident in relation to their academic and IT skills. Additionally, they often juggle studies with complex family and work commitments, which means that their adaptation period may be more complicated and take longer. Although these challenges merit a unique focus, limited studies have been conducted into the induction experiences of PG DL students (Harrison 2010). Studies that examine the perspectives of students beyond a simple analysis of the provision of programmes and their content are also scarce and this presents a limited understanding of challenges and opportunities. The aims and objectives of this research project were therefore as follows: a) to identify existing gaps in the provision of support in students’ transition to postgraduate online DL education and identify needs and expectations via an examination of DL students’ experiences (content, process and methods) and b) to offer recommendations for the effective design of an online induction programme for postgraduate online DL students.