The Effects of Distance Education on K-12 Student Outcomes: A ...
The Effects of Distance Education on K-12 Student Outcomes: A ...
The Effects of Distance Education on K-12 Student Outcomes: A ...
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Cavanaugh, 2001. Academic<br />
achievement <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> K-<strong>12</strong><br />
students<br />
19 +0.015<br />
Machtmes, Asher,<br />
2000.<br />
Adult telecourses 30 -0.0093<br />
Shachar, Neumann, <strong>Student</strong> achievement 86 +0.37<br />
2003.<br />
Ungerleider, Burns,<br />
2003.<br />
Networked and <strong>on</strong>line<br />
learning<br />
6 <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 32<br />
<strong>12</strong> for achievement<br />
4 for satisfacti<strong>on</strong><br />
0 for achievement<br />
-0.509 for satisfacti<strong>on</strong><br />
Only <strong>on</strong>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the recent meta-analyses in distance educati<strong>on</strong> focused <strong>on</strong> K-<strong>12</strong> learners, and it<br />
included web-based programs al<strong>on</strong>g with the analog c<strong>on</strong>ference and broadcast programs no<br />
l<strong>on</strong>ger in comm<strong>on</strong> use in today’s virtual schools. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> explosi<strong>on</strong> in virtual schools, especially<br />
virtual charter schools in the United States, has necessitated a fresh look at the knowledge base.<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> need is for research that guides practiti<strong>on</strong>ers in refining practice so the most effective<br />
methods are used.<br />
Purpose <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Study<br />
A synthesis <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> studies <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the effectiveness <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> distance educati<strong>on</strong> programs for K-<strong>12</strong> learners has a<br />
number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> advantages. Because all <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the studies included in this review drew data from schoolbased<br />
classes, the review can provide valuable insight into the practical effectiveness <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> K-<strong>12</strong><br />
distance educati<strong>on</strong>. C<strong>on</strong>trolled experimental research may <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fer findings <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> theoretical interest<br />
but may not be generalizable to complex learning settings such as virtual schools or classes. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
unc<strong>on</strong>trollable cultural and social variables naturally present in a school or class, whether <strong>on</strong>line<br />
or <strong>on</strong>-ground, make a statistical synthesis a more exact test <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the strength <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> K-<strong>12</strong> distance<br />
educati<strong>on</strong>. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> effects <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> virtual learning would have to be str<strong>on</strong>g and c<strong>on</strong>sistent to be<br />
measurable across a range <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> natural milieus.<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> purpose <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this meta-analysis is to provide a quantitative synthesis <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the research literature<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> web-based K-<strong>12</strong> distance educati<strong>on</strong> from 1999 to the present, across c<strong>on</strong>tent areas, grade<br />
levels, and outcome measures. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> first goal was to determine the effects <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> distance educati<strong>on</strong><br />
<strong>on</strong> K-<strong>12</strong> student outcomes, specifically academic achievement. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> sec<strong>on</strong>d goal was to identify<br />
the effects <strong>on</strong> student outcomes <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the features <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> distance educati<strong>on</strong>, including c<strong>on</strong>tent area,<br />
durati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> use, frequency <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> use, grade level <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> students, role <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the instructor, type <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> school,<br />
timing <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> interacti<strong>on</strong>s, and pacing <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the learning.<br />
From the literature, the meta-analysis seeks to answer the following questi<strong>on</strong>s:<br />
1. Is distance educati<strong>on</strong> as effective, in terms <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> student achievement, as classroom-based<br />
instructi<strong>on</strong>?<br />
2. To what extent are student outcomes related to the features <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a distance educati<strong>on</strong> system<br />
(durati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> use, frequency <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> use, role <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the instructor, timing <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> interacti<strong>on</strong>s, and pacing <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />
learning)?<br />
3. To what extent are student outcomes related to features <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the educati<strong>on</strong>al c<strong>on</strong>text (c<strong>on</strong>tent<br />
area, school type, and grade level)?