Developing Ontology for Research in

Distance, Open and Online Learning

Sanjaya Mishra

Objectives of this Session

• After the session, it is expected that we will have a shared understanding of research areas in Distance, Open and Online Learning (DOOL); and you will articulate a research problem in DOOL.

What is Research?

Think and write down what you understand by the term ‘Research’.

It is a systematic investigation of a problem by collecting, organizing and analyzing data to increase our understanding of a given problem.

What is Evaluation?

It is systematic investigation of the worth or merit of some object.

Evaluation can be a form of research…

Why Research?

• To solve problems faced in practice

• To develop/ innovate new ways of doing

• To develop theories, models

• To add to new knowledge

KNOWLEDGE

Practice Research

Theory

Why Research in DOOL?

• To support decision-making

• To improve exiting practice

• To provide better learning experiences

• To understand learners' need and market demand

• Others?

What Research to Do?

ACTIVITY: Write a topic of your research interest in distance and online learning.

What Research has been done?

SOURCES:• Distance Education• Open Learning• American Journal of Distance Education• Journal of Distance Education• International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning• Indian Journal of Open Learning• Asian Journal of Distance Education• British Journal of Educational Technology• Educational Technology Research and Development• Quarterly Review of Distance Education• And many others …

Research in Distance Education

• Started in late 1950s in Germany• First systematic attempt to analyze:

Holmberg• German scholars dominated initially• Holmberg attempted to categorize

research in distance education into 13 groups but later reduced it to 8

Holmberg’s Taxonomy (1986)

• Philosophy and theory • Distance learners and their contexts• Subject matter presentation• Communication and interaction• Administration and organization• Economics• Systems (comparative studies, evaluations, etc)• History of distance education

Scriven’s Ananyis (1991)

• Analysis of 10 years of Distance Education

• 109 articles published

109Total

11Unclassified

2Tutors and staff development

3Counselling and student support

6Economics and management

7Course design and development

11Theory

12Specific countries – practices and procedures

13Telecommunications and media

20Specific programmes and courses

23Students and their characteristics

NumberTopics

Panda’s Stock-taking in Indian Context (1992)

• Published in Distance Education (also in Journal of Higher Education (1995))

• Analyzed 142 research reports covering Master’s, MPhil and PhD dissertations, institutional and private projects

142Total

4Staff development

25Evaluation/Programme evaluation

13Economics

4Institutional policy and management

31Learners and learning

4Media and technology

14Instruction/Teaching

3Curriculum/Course planning and development

44Concept, growth and development

NumberAreas

Shive and Jegede (1999)

• Pan-Commonwealth Forum presentation

• Reviewed papers presented at AAOU conferences in 1995,1997, 1998 with a total of 205 papers

205Total

11Research/meta-reflections on ODE

21Quality assurance/ evaluation

12Collaboration and international partnership

17Delivering support services

29Institutional roles and functions

25Characteristics of student population

14Curriculum/ materials development

29Teaching/learning processes at a distance

47Technology adoptions for ODE

NumberCategory

Priority Areas Identified by Jegede

3Design and development of study materials

5PD of distance educators

5Management and planning

4Interactive multimedia

3Role of DE in national dev

3Equity and Access

3Student support services

2Industrial and business training context

2Evaluation

1Instructional & communication technology

RankAreas

10Cost-benefit analysis

9Student support services

8Feedback to learners

7Role of DE in national dev

6Management and planning

5Instructional & communication technology

4Design and development of study materials

3PD of distance educators

2Students’ study skill dev

1Evaluation

RankAreas

Australian Priority (1994) Asian Priority (1999)

Koble & Bunker’s Analysis (1997)

• Analyzed AJDE papers from 1987-1995

• 129 articles published

129Total

3Student administration and Support

13Course Design and Development

14Faculty participation and instructional processes

19Student, psychology, Motivation and characteristics

20Institution, Staff, and Management

27Media and Delivery Systems

33Theory, Policy, and Development

NumberCategory

Mishra’s Analysis (1997)

• Analyzed paper published in American Journal of Distance Education, Distance Education, Open Learning and Indian Journal of Open Learning from 1991-1996

• Covered 49 issues with 361 papers

361Total

33Management issues

34Learning materials and related issues

42DE: Theory, Research and Training

51Technology issues

57Distance Education in practice

65Distance education in perspectives

79Students and their learning

NumberGroups

34 Subject headings were identified

Berge & Mrozowski Analysis (2001)

• Covered 890 research articles in American Journal of Distance Education, Distance Education, Journal of Distance Education, Open Learning, and Dissertation Abstract from 1990-1999.

890Total

8Cost/benefit trade-offs

14Equity and access

95Policy and management

68Operational issues

49Learner support

151Learner characteristics

139Strategies to increase interactivity and active learning

192Design issues

97Technology selection and adoption

77Redefining the roles of key participants

NumberCategories

Mishra’s Analysis (2002)

• Review of 10 years of Indian Journal of Open learning

• Covered 203 papers

203Total

12Learning materials and related issues

22Management issues

23DE: Theory, Research and Training

30Distance Education in practice

32Distance education in perspectives

38Students and their learning

46Technology issues

NumberGroups

Rourke & Szabo’s Analysis (2002)

• Reviewed Journal of Distance Education from 1986-2000 covering more than 200 papers and 15 volumes

Others

1.3Student support services

4.3Evaluation

4.7Faculty characteristics

6International perspectives

9.8Learner characteristics

10.6Instructional design

12.3Administration

13.2Media/Technology

13.6Foundations

%Categories

Lee et al Analysis (2004)

• Analyzed paper published in American Journal of Distance Education, Distance Education, Open Learning and Journal of Distance Education from 2002

• Covered 383 papers383Total

33Development

38Institution and operation

45Management

47Evaluation

102Design

118Theory and research

NumberCategories

What these reviews and analyses say?

• Number of research papers has increased over the years• Research rigour is becoming evident through the use of

exiting literature and research methods• Major journals are not publishing descriptive papers• Trends towards qualitative research is also seen• More papers related to technology application, and

particularly on web-based learning in the last 10 years• Large number of media comparison studies to establish

‘no significant difference’• DE research is of low quality, particularly for not

controlling extraneous variables, and therefore cannot show cause and effect

• Most studies do not use randomly selected subjects• Validity and reliability of instruments used are

questionable

For a latest discussion on status of research in ODL, see Gaba (2007) published in University News.

Simplified Ontology

Learning

Face to face

- Counseling - Self-help Groups

Stand Alone Technology

Network &Satellite Technology

- Audio- Video-Computer (CAI)- Multimedia

Traditionalprint based media

- Self-Instructional Materials- Assignments

- Teleconference- Internet- Interactive Radio

Distance Learning Environment

Teacher

Content Learner

A D

M I

N I

S T

R A

T I

O N

A D

M I N

I S T R A

T I O N

A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

SOCIETY

SOCIETY

Important Areas for Research

Students• Why some students dropout, while others complete a

programme successfully?

• Learning outcomes through use of different media and technologies

• Learning styles of distance learners

• Self-directed learning and distance learning

• Learner access to technology and decision making

• Others

Important Areas for Research

Teachers• Faculty motivation to teach at a distance in dual mode institutes

• Faculty preparedness to use new technology

• What is optimum faculty workload in distance education?

• Faculty attitude towards distance education

• Any other?

Important Areas for Research

Content and Instruction• Which educational design is suitable to which subject?

• Models of course design, unit design and learning design

• How interactive is learning through distance education?

• Is counselling necessary?

• Is there any teaching in evaluated TMAs?

• Others?

Important Areas for Research

Management• Cost issues and economics

• Leadership styles in distance education

• Access, equity and social impact

• Copyright

• Programme evaluation

• Others?

Identify a Topic for Research

• Read more, and look for research issues

• Have a problem, articulate it in terms of research issue

• Do not re-invent the wheel• If you ask the right question, you get

the right answer• Clarify what you expect at the end of

the research

Characteristics of a Good Research Topic

• There is a significant need for research (high/low)

• Contribution to knowledge (high/low)• Feasibility on account of data access and

research methods required (high/low)• Topic can be justified according to availability

of time (high/low)• It has scope for professional development

(high/low)• It can attract funding (high/low)• Outcomes are visible (high/low)

A Good Research is...

• Based on already existing work (neither duplicated nor copied)

• Replicable• Doable• Generalizable• Apolitical• Scientific (follows the method of

science/ scientific method)• Intellectually challenging and

interrelated

Thank U

Your comments/ questions are welcome.• My contact e-mail: s-mishra@ignou.ac.in• My Blog:

http://teachknowlogist.blogspot.com• My Website:

http://www.learningindia.net/sm/CV.htm• My Online Learning Platform:

http://teachknowlogist.net