BlogTrack
Emerging Trends in the Research on Online Learning Environments
This blog, from March through October, 2006, is part of a BlogTracks research presentation for the AECT convention in Dallas, Texas.
Research Abstract
In this BlogTracks, seven members of an online learning research group at the University of Georgia are researching and discussing trends in the online learning literature in the context of K-12, higher education, corporate, and informal learning settings. In October, 2006, we will relate our findings to the presentations given at the AECT convention, and conclude with a summary presentation at the end of the conference where we will give recommendations for the future of effective online learning research.
Description of Proposal
Online distance learning is a hotly discussed topic in current educational research. A quick pass through six major databases of journal/periodical articles in our field found 7,502 articles that mention the term “distance learning” in the abstract—260 published in the year 2005 alone. Many more articles discuss concepts associated with distance or online learning that are called by other names. With educational institutions quickly developing policies about online learning, it is important that we as researchers have a firm grasp on the research about online education and what major trends and findings are supported by empirical data.
Who We Are
We are members of a online learning interest group at the University of Georgia, and for this presentation we will each research one of the following subsections related to online learning (OL):
• OL in K-12 settings (Michael Barbour - http://mkbvs.edublogs.org/)
• OL in higher education (Ernise Singleton - http://ernisesingleton.edublogs.org/)
• OL and informal learning (Denise Domizi - http://denisedomizi.edublogs.org/)
• OL in corporate settings (Frankie Jones - http://frankiejones.edublogs.org/)
• The history of OL research (Rick West - http://rickwest.edublogs.org)
• Emerging trends and issues in current OL research and applications (Janette Hill - http://janettehill.edublogs.org/; Myung Hwa Koh - http://myunghwa.edublogs.org/)
To read the entire BlogTracks visit http://ugaonlinelearning.suprglu.com/, which is a site aggregating the feeds from all of our individual blogs, using SuprGlu technology.
