Distance Education
 

“What’s the Difference?  A Review of Contemporary Research on the Effectiveness of Distance Learning in Higher Education” a study commissioned by the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, released in April, 1999 by the Institute for Higher Education Policy.  A PDF version is available on the web at http://www.ihep.com/PUB.htm
 

What does the original research say about the effectiveness of distance learning?

There is a relative paucity of true, original research dedicated to explaining or predicting phenomena related to distance learning.

 

The overall quality of the original research is questionable and thereby renders many of the findings inconclusive.

 

Much of the research does not control for extraneous variables and therefore cannot show cause and effect.

 

Most of the studies do not use randomly selected subjects.

 

The validity and reliability of the instruments used to measure student outcomes and attitudes are questionable.

 

Many studies do not adequately control for the feelings and attitudes of the students and faculty—what the educational research refers to as “reactive effects.”

What are the gaps in the research that require further investigation and information?

The research has tended to emphasize student outcomes for individual courses rather than for a total academic program.

 

The research does not take into account differences among students.

 

The research does not adequately explain why the drop-out rates of distance learners are higher.

 

The research does not take into consideration how the different learning styles of students relate to the use of particular technologies.

 

The research focuses mostly on the impact of individual technologies rather than on the interaction of multiple technologies.

 

The research does not include a theoretical or conceptual framework.

 

The research does not adequately address the effectiveness of digital “libraries.”