Exploring Distance Education Research

Abstract

This presentation summarizes a series of three studies to explore the field of distance education research. The aim of the first study was to develop a validated classification of research areas to organize the body of knowledge in distance education. The Delphi method was used to develop a consensus among a group of distance education experts and a set of 15 research areas was derived from a literature review and the expert's responses. In order to identify gaps and priority areas, 695 articles published in five prominent distance education journals between 2000 and 2008 were reviewed in the second study. Based on the same sample, an analysis of gender, methods and collaboration patterns among researchers in distance education was carried out in the third study.