ERIC Number: EJ1129888
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1479-4403
EISSN: N/A
A Roadmap to Cope with Common Problems in E-Learning Research Designs
Sarsa, Javier; Escudero, Tomás
Electronic Journal of e-Learning, v14 n5 p336-349 2016
E-learning research is plenty of difficulties, as also research in education is. Usually, the high number of features involved in e-learning processes complicates and masks the identification and isolation of the factors which cause the expected benefits, when they exist. At the same time, a bunch of threats are ready to weaken the validity of the research, for example, disregard of previous research, use of small samples, absence of randomization in the assignment to groups, ineffective designs, lack of objectivity in the measuring process, poor descriptions of the research in publications (which implies few possibilities of replication), wrong statistical procedures, inappropriate inference of results, etc. All of these obstacles accumulate and are carried along the whole research, resulting in low quality studies or irrelevant ones. This theoretical paper suggests a roadmap in order to face the most common problems in e-learning research. The roadmap informs about some cautions which must be considered at each stage of the research and recommendations to increase the validity and reproducibility of results. The roadmap and conclusions included in this paper have been obtained from our experience in educational and e-learning research, also from our long path as reviewers in key journals of these fields, and from readings of significant research handbooks. This is not a strict guide but a set of milestones on which it is necessary to stop and reflect.
Descriptors: Electronic Learning, Research Design, Educational Technology, Instructional Effectiveness, Methods, Validity, Educational Research, Technology Uses in Education, Teaching Methods, Statistical Analysis, Pretests Posttests, Qualitative Research, Online Courses, Experimental Groups, Control Groups, Comparative Analysis
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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Authoring Institution: N/A
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