This paper presents a research study investigating factors related to student satisfaction and academic motivation in the area of distance science learning. By means of a questionnaire survey, data were garnered from students enrolled in the foundation course in Biology and Earth Science at the Open University of Hong Kong. An analysis of the data showed that (1) student's perceptions of practical work (lab work and field work), (2) student's perceptions of teachers' presence, and (3) student's chronological age, among other demographic background variables, were significantly correlated with the subject students' satisfaction with overall distance learning experiences at the institution as well as the level of their motivation towards the course subject. The implications of these findings are discussed in order to better understand the contribution of practical work to the learning of science by distance education.