A study compared students' perceptions about the quality and cost-effectiveness of and satisfaction with feedback they get through: written correspondence; face-to-face sessions; and non-contiguous interaction on electronic media. The survey received responses from 529 of 2,500 active students of the German FernUniversitat (FeU) and 653 of 2,500 active students of the Indian Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Comparative analysis revealed a number of significant differences that supported the hypothesis that material development of a society results in better support to students in distance education. In general, FeU was found to provide its students better feedback than IGNOU. FeU students found feedback from all forms of noncontiguous communication to be significantly more cost effective than IGNOU students. Feedback through computer-marked assignments was better than tutor-marked assignments at FeU and it was least qualitative and cost effective at IGNOU, reflecting the impact of industrialization in Germany on distance education. Another support for this contention was that, although qualitatively the two universities did not differ significantly in tutor-marked assignments to students, FeU students perceived it to be more cost effective. Distance students in both universities viewed face-to-face sessions very positively. (Appendixes include 44 references and the student questionnaire.) (YLB)