RESEARCH PAPER TEMPLATE

North American University

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

Date: 11/01/2015

Topic Selected:
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

Believed people chose the distance education because they thing that structure of
traditional learning is still present, and there is a lot of flexibility with how family
organize their day, because you only need devices which connected internet.
Distance learning comes as a permission to students who want to study further while
continuing with jobs or who might not be able to attend a full-time course for various
reasons for college students. This research assignment will include public and college
students. The reason for their choice of this mode of instruction has more to do with the
inability to make a commitment to a fixed time and place. It does not matter in part of
the country you are living you can join the course and start learning. These classes are
accessible from anywhere and at any time, but, for most enrolled, it is the convenience of
the temporal availability that has them select the fully online classes. They require
flexible learning schedules. They request professional development opportunities and
classes to help them keep up with today's ever-changing work environment. Most
distance education chosen students come to college for various reasons. They could be
interested in changing careers, or they might simply want to expand their knowledge base
for work or personal reasons. Another majority of distance learning students are female
and many are single parents who want to stay close to home for various reasons. They
might not be able to afford child care or must care for a confined relative at home. Other
students are physically disabled and cannot easily travel to campus.
For international students advantages is if their have visa problems for different
countries.
College cost is also lower than in campus.

However, with advantages there are some serious shortcomings of distance

education. Here are the disadvantages of distance education. Disadvantage about distance
education is you cannot interact with your college professor or teachers. In fact, you
cannot even talk to friends and other colleagues that you do in a normal college course.
You seriously miss the human aspect because you are only engaging with the technology
and machines. You will not be able to socially with your friends and enjoy a normal
college life. Moreover, if you have any doubt then you have to clear yourself without
taking help from your teacher or friends.
In distance education you lack a seriousness that is present in a classroom when
lecture given is by the professor. Without any competition you tend to learn less.
Therefore the overall learning environment in a distance education is lot different than a
regular college or schools. This is could be quite dangerous if you are totally relying on
distance education for a degree. You might get a degree but that is not going to be
recognized by privates companies in the job market and the same problem in government
jobs. Still employers prefer a degree from a regular college over online or distance
education. They think that distance education is still not a serious form of education.
Therefore, if you think you will get a job with an online degree then you might be wrong.
Moreover, online courses or distance education has some serious limitations when it
comes to offering courses. You want to do specialization or major in a particular subject
then it might not be available for you. Format of online courses are not suitable for
everyone. Sometimes you will not understand anything what is taught through an online
video. Certain students could never understand what they are trying to teach you. So this
is another limitation of distance education. Finally, this is sad reality that everyone cannot
afford a computer and an Internet connection because you need these things for distant
learning. All the lectures and conferences that would be given would through a webinar
and you need a high speed internet connection.

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:

A big advantage of distance learning via Internet is that this type of instruction can
be used by several groups of people who need instruction: pupils, university students,
employed persons as well as those who want to re-enter their jobs after time away. A
student who cannot go to school due to an illness has the chance of following the
instruction at home and therefore has no disadvantages with respect to his fellow
students. The same principle applies to a university student who spends a semester or one
year abroad distance learning enables them to attend the courses at his home university.
Also employees are able to increase and update their specific knowledge at their place of
employment.
The fact that the courses are available at almost any time and in almost any place means
that far more people can make use of them. The computers used for distance learning

increase flexibility and interaction. Distance learning provides a new challenge for the
teacher: Their teaching method has to meet the needs and expectations of many different
participants. The teacher also has to develop an understanding for the capabilities and
needs of the students without personal contact and direct working experience with the
participants of the course.
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. A.Allen, M. Stucky, J.Thiele (1999). Effects of web-based instruction on
learning behaviors of undergraduate and graduate students. Nursing and Health
Care Perspectives, 20(4), 199-203.
2. J. ODonoghue (10.2014) A comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of
IT based education and the implications upon students (63-76)
3. Editorial Staff, (04.15.2014) Study Magazine Education Matters, Distance
Learning Pros and Cons, http://studymagazine.com/2014/04/15/distance-learning.
4. R. Clarke (1999). Going the distance. Black Enterprise, 29(9), 113-114.
5. B. Ahmad (5/2014) Advantages & Disadvantages Distance Learning.
http://www.slideshare.net/faisalsurahio/distance-learning-41120652.