RESEARCH PAPER TEMPLATE

North American University

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

Date: 11/15/2015

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

Brief Literature Review:

The study design is aiming to identify aspects of e-learning which can improve time
management for university students enrolled in online courses. This article also discusses
the advantages and disadvantages of e-learning on time management. They started from
the main hypothesis that the use of Moodle e-learning platform has efficient effects on
time management strategies. There were 228 students at Transylvania University of
Brasov participated to this study. Out of these, 96.1 %( 219) were female and 3.9 %( 9)
male. Two questionnaires were administrated. They are the use of E-Learning Platform
Questionnaire contained 17 questions and Time Management Questionnaire contained 20
items, with answers on a scale from 1 to 5(1 never, 2 sometimes, 3 often, 4 most
times, 5 always).
The main advantage of distance learning is that it allows you to fit your learning around
your work and home life.

You can usually also set your own pace of study.

It is your decision as to when and where you study.

It doesn't matter where you live you can gain a degree from anywhere in the

world.
As with a full-time degree, students may find that they gain useful, transferable

skills, such as planning and research.

A distance learning course often costs less than a full-time degree.

The downside is that you will not enjoy the conviviality of being on a campus and
rubbing shoulders with fellow students on a daily basis.

Loneliness and feelings of isolation should be avoided however by frequent

online contact with tutors and taking part in virtual forums, virtual help groups

and discussion rooms.

Distance learning providers usually offer dedicated support to their online or
distance learning students.

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 him to attend the courses at his home university.
Employees are able to increase and update their specific knowledge at their place of
employment. Perhaps they even have the opportunity to graduate from a university,
without being constrained by schedules.
Disadvantages of Studying through Distance Learning
1. No Direct Contact with faculty: There isnt any fun if you dont have a teacher you
can make fun of! On a serious note, lack of personal interaction with teachers often
affects the learning curve for some students. This is one major disadvantage of distance
learning. Flipping through voluminous books with no mentor to guide you can be
overwhelming for some students.
2. Overdependence on Technology: Some distance learning programmes especially
online courses require access to internet. Unless you are comfortable with this medium,

you will find studying and interacting with your faculty online difficult.
3. Lack of Discipline: Since you dont have a teacher standing on top of your head,
reminding you of deadlines, asking for your assignments, there are chances that you will
not take a distance learning program seriously. You need to be mature and disciplined to
take full advantage of a distance learning program.
4. It can get Lonely: Even if youre in a virtual classroom that is full of students, the lack
of personal interaction might make you feel detached and lonely. This can be solved as
you get more comfortable with using the internet.
5. Not All Courses are Available/ Taught: Another major disadvantage of distance
learning is that not all courses can be taught online. For example, subjects like Medicine
and Engineering cant be taught online or through distance learning since practical
classes, experiments etc. cant possibly be conducted over the internet! Some things,
youve got to do yourself!
6. Not Valued by all Employers: No matter how good the university/college from where
you pursued your distance learning program, some employers will always prefer a
candidate who has pursued a regular program over you.
There are two sides to every coin and here the advantages certainly outweigh the
disadvantages:
Advantages of Studying through Distance Learning:
1. Its Flexible: You can earn and study at the same time! Flexibility is the biggest
advantage of distance learning courses. This stands true especially if you are a working
professional. Not everyone has the luxury of taking their own time to finish their studies.
For those who had to take a break from studies to start working, such courses are a boon
and provide the opportunity to pursue higher education.
2. Saves Time & Energy: You save up a lot of time and energy on commuting. You can
stay in Pune and pursue a course that is available in Bangalore. Or you might be based
out of a remote village or town which does not have enough options for higher studies.
Distance learning courses eliminate these obstacles.
3. Study at your own Pace: Not everyone has the same pace of learning. Some students
pick up things fast, others need time to grasp a concept. One of the biggest advantages of
distance learning is that you can study at a pace that is comfortable for you.
4. Saves Money: These courses are almost always cheaper as compared to their oncampus counter-parts. You also cut down on the costs incurred while commuting etc.

5. Convenient: You can submit your assignment with the click of a button or simply drop
it off at a post-office! Its sometimes as simple as that!
6. 24X7 Access to Study Material & fellow Students: This is the best way to study if
you are comfortable with internet and technology. You can access your study material
online whenever you want and also clear doubts, exchange views and discuss with your
virtual class-mates!
7. Study any Topic You Want: Since youd already have all your books/online study
material with you, you can pick up any topic/chapter that interests you and tackle that
first! This way your interest in the subject is sustained.
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:
I think that if anybody wants to learn, there is no reason that they wont be successful. I
mean if people are really motivated they understand things easily. However, I clearly see
that the distance educations advantages are more than disadvantages. One of the biggest
advantages of distance education is to have a chance for better time management. The
results showed that students enrolled in online learning have a more efficient time
management than those not enrolled. Another advantage of distance learning is having a
better learning environment. Some people can easily get distracted if their classmates
does not focus and do something is not related to class. However, in distance education,
students arrange their environment according to their needs.

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.http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/20432/education/top_10_distance_learning
_disadvantages.html
2. Idrecia, E-S., Cazan, A-M., Truta, C. (2011). Effects of learning styles and time
management on academic achievement. Proceedings of 2 nd World Conference on
Psychology, Counseling and Guidance , 25 30 Mai 2011 p. 267- 271
3.http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/distance-learning/advantages-anddisadvantages-%E2%80%93-why-choose-distance-learning/
4.http://www.fb06.uni-mainz.de/user/kiraly/English/gruppe3/vonach.html
5.http://www.htcampus.com/article/advantages-disadvantages-distance-learning-612/