RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT 2

North American University

Education Department
M.Ed. in EDLE & CUIN
EDUC 5324: INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY INTO EDUCATION
Name:Meral Duran

Date: 10/23/2016

Topic Selected:
Topic 3: What does the research say about advantages and disadvantages of distance
education?
1. LITERATURE REVIEW:
What does the literature/research say about this issue/topic? By using NAU
Library or Online Search engines, conduct a literature review.

You need to include 5 different sources (book, journal article, web article
etc.) in your review. Try to use current sources as much as possible.

You need to summarize and synthesize your sources by discussing a

common theme or issue.

You don't need to critique your sources

You don't need to evaluate your sources (if the sources are trustworthy,
weather the author has a bias or not)

You need to provide background information such as history and

definitions

Brief Literature Review:

Teaching and learning are no longer confined to the classroom or the school day.
There are many technologies that can offer a great deal of flexibility in when,
where, and how education is distributed. There are many synonyms used for
Distance Learning, such as Distance Education, Distributed Learning, or Remote
Education. For the purposes of this guide, Distance Learning will be defined by
the following criteria:
1.
The teacher and students are separated by distance (this distance could
mean different classrooms in the same school or different locations thousands of
miles apart).
2.
The instruction is delivered via print, voice, video, or computer
technologies
3.
The communication is interactive in that the student receives support and
feedback from the teacher. The feedback may be immediate or delayed.
Distance Learning can be roughly divided into synchronous or asynchronous
delivery types. Synchronous means that the teacher and the student interact with
each other in "real time." For example, with two-way videoconferences, students
interact with "live" video of an instructor. Less complex technologies, such as
telephone conversations, are also synchronous.
Asynchronous delivery does not take place simultaneously. In this case, the
teacher may deliver the instruction via video, computer, or other means, and the
students respond at a later time. For example, instruction may be delivered via

the Web or videotapes, and the feedback could be sent via e-mail messages.
Advantages: Distance learning technologies offer a myriad of benefits for K-12
education, including convenience, flexibility, and effectiveness, and efficiency,
access to additional courses from other schools, affordability, interactivity and
equality. Familiarizing students with the Distance Learning technologies in
preparation for college Distance Learning courses and lifelong learning when
entering the workforce. Giving students the opportunity to practice discipline.
Teaching students to take initiatives for their learning.
For rural schools, however, the benefits of distance education outweigh
any potential disadvantages. For instance, in a survey of 126 students enrolled in
an online distance education course, the most common response when asked
about the benefits of distance education was that the students enjoyed the
autonomy and freedom in assignment schedules given by the course. Distance
education actually does achieve student satisfaction, and this can lead to
retention. Perhaps the biggest advantage of all is being able to provide more
choices in coursework to enrich the lives of a schools students. Cavanaugh, et
al.s meta-analysis found that being able to offer a better variety of courses
results in broader educational opportunity for students, access to resources and
instructors not locally available, and increases in student-teacher communication.
If students do not receive the coursework which could have showcased their
talents and broadened their knowledge, then they are obviously worse off than
without such coursework, and this is more apparent in rural areas where
teachers who are certified to teach certain courses, such as foreign languages,
are more difficult to recruit and retain. In response to loss of control from the local
community, schools have the ability to work out agreements with surrounding
schools to ensure that they have a say in what teachers teach. Without distance
education, some rural students may never have the opportunity to take a foreign
language course, and this is while learning another language is becoming
increasingly important.
Providing access to an alternative route for education is perhaps the most
important aspect of distance education. It has been argued that distance
education environments may offer the advantage of a more personalized and
instructionally diverse educational experience. Virtual schools and programs in
particular may also offer increased educational options for students who lack
access to highly qualified teachers or courses that would not otherwise be
available, or who are simply unsuccessful in traditional learning environments.
K12 distance education programs have the potential for impacting traditional
educational purposes and processes in substantial ways. They provide access to
educational opportunities where they would not otherwise exist, in an
environment conducive to the development of important skills for the 21st
century. Furthermore, beyond access, distance education gives a greater degree
of control to the learner in relation to the teaching institution, with effects on what
the institution offers to teach and the way it teaches. We are in the middle of a
Copernican revolution as it becomes ever more apparent that the learner
constitutes the center of the universe, and that teaching no longer drives
learning; instead, teaching responds to and supports learning.
Distance learning affords educational opportunities to individuals unable to attend
conventional classroom settings also such individuals include the disabled, those
living in rural communities where commuting daily to university or college would

prove difficult or even impossible, and finally those with various time restrictions
that prevent them from attending scheduled classes.
Disadvantages: The majority of research on disadvantages of distance
education has to do with online education. Watson writes that one of the biggest
problems with online education is that the judgment of quality assurance rests
with state-led programs. This takes decisions away from local schools that know
what works in their communities better than state governments, and this is
especially true for rural schools which are typically located in more isolated
communities that are not on the periphery of state agendas. Also learners might
feel isolated. Another disadvantage is that online courses result in a lack of social
interaction with peers, which may be particularly harmful to younger students. In
addition to the disadvantages of online education, ITV also comes with its own
disadvantages. It is the method of distance education that mostly resembles a
traditional course, allowing students and teachers to talk with one another as if
they are in the same room, but one of its biggest disadvantages is that it ignores
a students need for face-to-face interactions with his or her teachers and fellow
students. Such interactions and relationships are key components in achieving
student retention and satisfaction. It is harder for students to ask questions in a
distance learning class. In contrast to a traditional classroom where a student
simply needs to raise his/her hand to ask a question, it is harder for students to
ask questions to clarify their confusions in a distance learning class.

2. REFLECTION:

What is your personal opinion on this issue? Do you agree with the
research? If you agree or disagree, please explain why?

Provide examples/experiences regarding this issue from school

perspective or If you are not working in a school, from your profession. Be
specific with your examples. You can mention software/hardware names,
specific methods that you plan to use, etc.

How would you implement this research in your career? (At least 1
paragraph)

Reflection:

According to the recent statistics, there is a remarkable increase in the number of

the students who selects distance education instead of face-to-face. Distance
Learning is rapidly becoming an alternative to traditional classrooms. I think distance
learning has many advantages that help parents and students to access many resources
for their education. Some of the benefits are flexibility, equality, efficiency, effectiveness
and use more than one resource for practice and extend the knowledge. I can give an
example from my own life which is being in an online master program. Having online
classes give me a chance to save time and money. With distance education, I can
arrange my schedule by myself and spend more time with my little kids. Also there are
some expenses such as parking lot, facilities, materials and resources for on site
education, so distance learning will be beneficial for all stakeholders.
I think the only disadvantages of distance education is that having technological

problems and trying find some backup plans to reduce the problems.
I am already using distance education and I am pretty happy to do so. I can do my
assignments or I can study on my subject when I am available, of course, without
ignoring due dates. Being a computer teacher also gives me a chance to overcome the
technological disadvantages.
3. REFERENCES:

Cite at least 5 References in APA.

You may use http://www.citationmachine.net/apa/cite-a-journal for citing

your sources in APA style.

References:
1) Marson, S., & Nursing, M. (1992). Teachers' guide to open/distance
learning. Sheffield: ENB Learning Resources Unit.
2) Rice, K. (2009). Priorities in K-12 Distance Education: A Delphi Study
Examining Multiple Perspectives on Policy, Practice, and Research.
Educational Technology & Society, 12 (3), 163177.
3) Rice, K. (n.d.). A Comprehensive Look at Distance Education in the K12
Context. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 425-448.
4) Chang, I.-H. (2012). The Effect of Principals' Technological Leadership
on Teachers' Technological Literacy and Teaching Effectiveness in
Taiwanese Elementary Schools. Educational Technology & Society, 15
(2), 328340.
5) Fender, D. L. (1999). Distance Education. Professional Safety, 44(10), 26.