RESEARCH PAPER TEMPLATE

North American University

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

Date: 6 / 17 / 2016

Topic Selected: What are some of the innovative tools that research says is
suitable and works great for distance education? Choose one or highlight several
tools that works in distance education according to research.
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:

Distance education is a new and vital force in higher

education. Distance education is also called distance learning, e-learning or online

learning. Unlike conventional classroom learning, it is not bounded by space and time. In
fact, teachers and students are commonly separated by space and time, although they may
choose to interact synchronously or meet periodically over the length of the course. The
second component of the definition of distance education is the concept of separation of
the teacher and student. Most often, separation is thought of in geographic terms
teachers are in one location and students are in another. Also implied by the definition is
the separation of teachers and students in time. Distance learning also needs to use
technology. In the early days of distance education, radio and television were the media
used to conduct educational activities. For distance education, online learning utilizes the
Internet and computer-mediated communications (CMC) technologies to deliver
instruction and interaction among learners and instructors. For traditional classrooms,
online learning provides more learning resources and more opportunities for interaction

in different ways, which complements learners individual differences (Hobbs, 2002).

Online learning allows learners and instructors to communicate, collaborate, and interact
with and among each other without regard to temporal or physical location (Hobbs,
2002, p.2).
Currently, the methods have extended to the internet, email, software, video, tapes,
cameras, etc. In comparison, instructors and students may choose to use technology in a
conventional classroom teaching but it is optional. Sahoo (2001), in his review of the
literature conducted in the area of distance teacher education in India, discovered gaps
between the needs and priorities of distance education research, and actual attempts made
so far in that direction. Sahoo further found that the major emphasis of research on
distance education technology in particular, has focused almost exclusively on evaluation
of different components of the distance learning system in terms of different criteria;
while research studies on other aspects most particularly process aspects remain
isolated. Kaul (1997), for example, found that most research conducted in India to date
tends to focus on descriptive surveys confined to comparisons of enrolment trends and
academic achievement. The methodology used for these studies relied mostly on
descriptive survey approaches, experimentation for testing the efficacy of various
approaches/ models, and qualitative data analysis techniques. Similarly, Sesharatnam
(1996) in reviewing research activities in distance education in the Indian province of
Andhra Pradesh, found that research efforts have been fragmentary and isolated from any
established theoretical perspective. According to Sesharatnam, most studies conducted to
date in India have typically focused on issues at the micro-level and were evaluative in
nature. Most studies in India are of a descriptive type highlighting the status and
functioning of a component of the system. This approach, however, shows the lack of
research on "process-issues" aspects of distance education. It also reveals the dominance
of quantitative research, often at the expense of the more qualitative aspects of research.
From the foregoing discussion, it is important to understand the process-issues for
selecting research areas in distance education, and research design and related
methodological approaches used to underpin such research. Research on the relationship
between what goes on while organizing research, and the product outcomes of research
itself, is clearly an important task in formulating a research design. Understanding the
nuts and bolts of this relationship can improve the quality of research, and ultimately the
whole process of distance education itself.

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:

Distance education is the popular option for nontraditional learners.

Distance education seems a new idea to most educators of today. However, the concepts
that form the basis of distance education are more than a century old. Certainly, distance
education has experienced growth and change recently, but the long traditions of the field
continue to give it direction for the future. I think distance education has become a major
topic in education. As an educator I believe that all education subjects have to be
designed and developed very well before instruction begins. There are very essential
challenges and in some points problems coming with distance education in the teaching
and learning process. In the United States, advances in electronic communications
technology helped determine the dominant medium of distance education. Distance
education opportunities are quickly growing through the use of computer mediated
communications. Tens of thousands of networks are connected to the Internet, with
millions of people using the Internet worldwide. Both credit and noncredit courses have
been offered over computer networks since the mid-1980s. In most cases, a teacher
organizes the course materials, readings, and assignments. All students read the material,
complete assignments, and participate in online discussions with other classmate. I
would love to use computer such as the internet and instructional software such as
blackboard for distance education and also used such technologies had an impact on the
quality of my teaching because use of computer technology can be very helpful in
distance education. The computer is a very useful tool which is necessarily require the
use of a computer for distance education. For example, Skype provides for a face-to-face
virtual coordination to resolve. Blackboard offers a resource to organize coursework
instruction, classroom discussions and group interaction to improve collaboration and
also smartphone provide an immediate access to classmates to collaborate on projects
either one-on-one or in small groups. There are so many programs to make class review
much easier to follow by teachers and fun for the students, such as Kahoot, Quizlett,
Storybirdetc. The smartphone allows students to text and they are more available than

Allen, E. and Seaman,

(2003). Sizing
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Holmberg, B. (1995).
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Molnar, A. (1997).base
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Husmann, D., & Miller,
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Hao, Y. (2004). Students'
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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: