research and distance education

Angel Jones

Research and Distance Education

James Finn: Attempted to encourage those in the audiovisual field to take a more professional view of themselves and their discipline by basing decisions on theory supported by research.

Campbell and Stanley: Formalized the rigorous application of the scientific method to the study of education.

Richard Clark: Showed how researchers had violated basic guidelines for rigorous research.

Setting a Foundation

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Hirumi found that there are significant differences in how industry and education view quality and approaches for e-learning. Education guidelines focus on the quality of e-learning coursed and program; however industry develops standards in order to promote reusability and interoperability of learning objects. 1.

– Weaknesses

Distance Education Research

1. The Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions

2. The Institute for Higher Education Policy

3. The American Council of Education

4. The American Distance Education Consortium

5. The American Federation of Teachers

6. Open and Distance Learning Quality Council

Hirumi 6 Sets of Guidelines

“ There is consistent and reliable evidence that undergraduate students achieved equally, whether they learned at the remote site or the host site.”

“ In synchronous instructor-directed undergraduate DE, when media are used to deliver the same instruction simultaneously by the same instructor and with the same course activities and materials, there is little reason to expect undergraduate students to learn differently in the remote sites than at the host site.”

Lou, Bernard and Arbrami


Using factor analysis, the researchers identified students DE satisfaction with seven factors:

1. Instructor/instruction

2. Technology

3. Course management

4. At-sit personnel

5. Promptness of material delivery

6. Support Services

7. Out of class communication with the instructor

Dean Biner and Mellinger

Students’ concerns related to content, finance, and readiness were higher at the beginning of the class that at the end, while concerns related to time and employment increased toward the end of the class

Jegede and Kirkwood

Completers entered the program with higher levels of eduction

Completers had greater expectation of earning higher grades/degree

Non Completers are more concrete learners

Completers preferred a content that involved interviewing and counseling people.

Completers vrs Non Completers


Increased time commitment

Lack of money to implement DE programs

Organizational resistance of change

Lack of shared vision for DE in the organization

Lack of strategic planning for DE

Slow pace of implementation

Faculty compensation/incentives

Difficulty keeping up with technological changes

Lack of technology-enhanced classrooms, lab, or ingrastructure

Barriers to Distance Education

The more interaction there is in a DE class the better.

Instructor training is required for anyone planning to teach at a distance.

Using instructional technology in teaching is e-learning, and this is the same as DE

Distance Education Research Myths