Trends and Patterns in Distance Education (2014-2019): A Synthesis of Scholarly Publications and a Visualization of the Intellectual Landscape

Autor/inn/en	Bozkurt, Aras; Zawacki-Richter, Olaf
Titel	Trends and Patterns in Distance Education (2014-2019): A Synthesis of Scholarly Publications and a Visualization of the Intellectual Landscape
Quelle	In: International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 22 (2021) 2, S.19-45 (27 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1492-3831
Schlagwörter	Distance Education; Trend Analysis; Quality Assurance; Educational Quality; Bibliometrics; Social Networks; Network Analysis; Open Education; Educational Trends; Online Courses; Research Reports; Visualization; Socialization; Educational Change; Educational Technology + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Distance study; Distance learning; Fernunterricht; Trendanalyse; Qualitätssicherung; Quality of education; Bildungsqualität; Bibliometrie; Social network; Soziales Netzwerk; Netzplantechnik; Offene Erziehung; Offener Unterricht; Bildungsentwicklung; Online course; Online-Kurs; Research report; Forschungsbericht; Visualisation; Visualisierung; Socialisation; Sozialisation; Bildungsreform; Unterrichtsmedien
Abstract	The field of distance education (DE) is dynamic and constantly evolving; it reflects and adapts according to changes in socio-cultural, demographic, political, and technological domains. Thus, there is a need to understand past and present activities in the field, in order to better inform future research. The main purpose of this study was to examine DE research through data mining and analytics approaches, using social network analysis (SNA) and text mining to conduct a bibliographic analysis. The findings highlighted three main strands of DE research: (1) issues related to open education; (2) the design, support, and quality assurance of online DE; and (3) the implementation and use of educational technology, media, and digital tools. SNA of the bibliometric data identified pivotal theoretical contributions, including that the fields of distance education and educational technology converge. The article concludes with recommendations for future research directions. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Athabasca University Press. 1200, 10011-109 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 3S8, Canada. Tel: 780-497-3412; Fax: 780-421-3298; e-mail: irrodl@athabascau.ca; Web site: http://www.irrodl.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01