RESEARCH PAPER TEMPLATE

North American University

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

Date: 6/20/2016

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:

Distance Learning Advantages :Lots of flexibility. With distance learning courses,
students can complete their course work from just about anywhere, provided theres
a computer and internet connection. This allows students to work when and where it
is more convenient for them without having to squeeze in scheduled classes to an
already busy life.
No commuting. Taking a course online can be one way to cut down on costly
gas or public transportation. Since students can often work from home to
complete their class assignments, both time and money are saved in cutting
out the trips to and from class.
Numerous choices for schools. Even if you live in a community with few or no
colleges distance learning allows you to choose from a wide variety of schools
to complete your education. You may find online schools that specialize in
your particular field or one that can provide a great general education. Either
way, your options for education will be greatly expanded.
Lowered costs. Prices for online courses are generally cheaper than their oncampus counterparts and you wont have to worry about commuting, moving
or getting meal plans on campus, some additional benefits to learning from
home.
Learn while working. As distance learning can usually be completed on your
own schedule, it is much easier to complete distance learning courses while
working than more traditional educational programs. Keeping your job gives

you more income, experience and stability while completing your degree
giving you less to worry about and more time to focus on your studies.

Centralized resources can produce higher quality materials for distribution .

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.
Distance Learning Disadvantages:

Lack of social interaction. If the classroom environment is what you love

most about learning you may want to take a step back and reconsider
distance learning. Youll likely get some interaction on chat rooms, discussion
boards and through email, but the experience will be quite different than
traditional courses.
Format isnt ideal for all learners. Not everyone is an ideal candidate for
online learning. If you know you have problems with motivation,
procrastination and needs lots of individual attention from an instructor you
may want to think long and hard before enrolling in an online learning
program.
Some employers dont accept online degrees. While a majority of employers
will, there are some who still see a stigma attached to distance learning.
Realize that your online degree may not be the ideal tool for some job fields
or for future learning. Although most employers do acknowledge distance
learning, certain employers do not. Students who want to work for a specific
employer upon graduation should be sure of that employer's perspective
about online education.
Requires adaptability to new technologies. If youve never been one to love
working with technology you will probably get a lot less out of an online
course than your more tech-savvy counterparts. Make sure you feel
comfortable working with computers and with online programs before you
sign up for a class.
Not all courses required to complete the degree may be offered online. It
makes sense that more practical majors like nursing arent offered entirely
online, after all, part of the degree is learning to work directly with patients.
Find out all the requirements of your degree to see what may need to be
completed offline.

Distance learning does not give students the opportunity to work on oral
communication skills. Students in distance learning courses do not get the
practice of verbal interaction with professors and other students.

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:
According to researches, there are plenty of advantages and disadvantages. I
already faced some of advantages and disadvantages. For example, learning while
working and low costs, choosing variety of schools are the advantages for me.
Lack of social interaction and not offering as many courses as regular colleges
offer are the some disadvantages I already faced with. In addition I guess I will
experience another disadvantage which is some employers do not accept online
degrees. Hopefully I can find a job with my online degree.

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:

The International Association for Distance Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved

June 20, 2016, from http://www.iadl.org.uk/Article20.html
Bibliography. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2016, from
http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/SocialSciences/ppecorino/China-QCCDE/Advantages-Disadvantages-DE.html
Top 10 Distance Learning Disadvantages. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20,
2016, from
http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/20432/education/top_10_distance_learning_
disadvantages.html

Advantages and Disadvantages of Distance Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved

June 20, 2016, from http://www.fb06.unimainz.de/user/kiraly/English/gruppe3/vonach.html

2015. (2005). Advantages and disadvantages of distance learning.

Retrieved June 21, 2016, from http://www.distance-learning-collegeguide.com/advantage-and-disadvantage-of-distance-learning.html