Final answer:
Method overloading distinguishes methods by their argument count, argument types, and order. The correct answer to the given question is 'c. argument count only', although overloading considers more aspects beyond just the count.
Step-by-step explanation:
In programming, method overloading distinguishes between methods based on argument count, types of arguments, and order of arguments. The correct answer to the student's question is c. argument count only. However, it's important to note that not just the count but also the types and order of arguments play a role in method overloading.
Method overloading enables a class to have more than one method with the same name, as long as their parameter lists are different. This is a common practice in object-oriented programming languages like Java, where you can have multiple methods with the same name but with different parameters to perform similar but nuanced tasks.