... in Flexible, Open and Distance Learning:

Workshop

Dr. Marina Stock McIsaacProfessor Emerita, ASU, USA

IODL 2006September 11,2006,

Eskisehir, Turkey

Background

• Arizona State University 1980-• Fulbright (Anadolu ‘85-86, 91-92)• International Council for

Educational Media (ICEM) President, 2002-2006

• University of Aveiro, Portugal 2006

Handbook of Research

Gunawardena, C.N. and McIsaac, M.S. (2003). Distance Education. In D.H. Jonassen (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology, 2nd Edition (pp. 113-142). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Workshop Outline

1. Development of distance education

2. Research trends3. Theoretical development4. What do you want to know?5. Selecting your research topic

Workshop Process

1. Small group list research topics2. Large group share research topics3. New small groups to select

research topic and develop research plan

4. Share research plans5. Getting your research published 6. Conclusions

Development of ODL

• Distance Education• Online Learning Environments• Integration of ICTs in classrooms• Distributed Learning• Blended Learning• Communities of knowledge

Early Research Studies

• Media comparison studies (NSD)• Descriptive studies (not transferable)• Cost effectiveness studies (not

complete costs)• Primarily quantitative analysis, some

statistically flawed (not random assignment, etc.)

Later Research Studies

• Learner needs• Instructional process• Issues of access• Socio-cultural aspects of instruction• Roles of teachers, students online• Strategies for mediated environments• Knowledge construction in mediated

environments

Theoretical Developments 1

• Industrial Model (Otto Peters)• Guided Didactic Conversation

(Holmberg)• Independence and Autonomy

(Wedemeyer)• Transactional Distance (Moore)

Theoretical Developments 2

• Control (Garrison)• Interaction (Garrison & Shale)• Socio-cultural Context of Education

(Evans, Nation, McIsaac, Gunawardena)

• Social Presence (Gunawardena, McIsaac, Tu)

What do you want to know?

• Cognitive Process• Learner Control• Motivation• Retention• Instructional Interaction

• Instructor-learner• Learner-learner• Learner-content• Learner interface

What do you want to know?

Socio-cultural context of learning• Social learning preference (individual

vs. group)• Interaction in mediated environments• Transactional analysis• Social presence

• Creating online learning communities• Autonomous learning vs. guided learning• Alpha student• Cultural considerations needed for distance delivery

Socio-cultural Considerations

“Culture embodies the attitudes, values, and history that are shared by a group of people through their language, history and music.” (Dyson, 1997)

Examples of Culture

• Japanese direction of gaze vs. direct eye contact

• Colors as symbols; red in China• Conventions of politeness (asking 3

times)• Humility vs. assertiveness• Cultural import of external values

Why Research Importance of Culture

on Learning?

Culture influences;• Pedagogy (lecture or discovery)• Independence of learner• Language of instruction• Mode of communication (written,

oral)• Personality (assertive, passive)• Social preference (group or

individual)

Working Groups

1. Small group list research topics2. Large group share research topics3. New small groups to select research

topic and develop research plan4. Share research plans

Getting Published

• Select the right journal• Use appropriate writing style (APA)• Submit only when writing is correct• Use journal guidelines• Use research structure (introduction,

methods, results, discussion)• Resubmit

Conclusion

• Read the research• Use theoretical foundation• Ask the question• Develop the method• Write up the study• Submit for publication

... in Flexible, Open and Distance

Learning: Workshop

Dr. Marina Stock McIsaac

mmcisaac@asu.edu

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