Jeffrey,
this is interesting and important work. It is, however, a little unclear to me whether the particular struggle for distance students is defined as trouble within the subject matter, or if it has to do with being a distance student. In other words, it is difficult for me, from what you describe, to define what sort of trouble you are talking about.

If it is more difficult to understand or gain knowledge or insight BECAUSE there is a distance, it might not be correct to call it technology ENHANCED learning? But if this is your underlying assumption, it should be made clearer. And if this is your assumption, I would suggest that you alter your focus from what is difficult to what, in the experience of your informants or research participants, actually enhances learning. It seems as if this is actually what you are after, but that there is this underlying assumption that technology mediated learning is not as good as f2f-learning. If I am wrong, I am sorry. If I am right, you should easily be able to fix it 🙂

Get in touch if I am making myself unclear or if you have questions. Good luck, with this study, with the review, and then – the thesis!

Vigdis