From: mjmahony@templar.une.edu.au
Subject: BANRES - Summary of Themes
Originator: banres-m@udevdiv.unibase.sk.ca
Reply-To: <banres-m@udevdiv.unibase.sk.ca>
Organization: Unibase Telecom Ltd.
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 08:03:34 GMT

Bangkok Project - 1992 
Global Computer Conference on Distance Education
RESEARCH IN DISTANCE EDUCATION - Summary of Themes

At the onset of this conference Dr. Gene Rubin posed seven questions to
start the conference.  The ensuing discussion ranged across some of the
questions, drew in themes started in parallel sessions and suggested new
concerns.  The outline below draws together the themes without rank or
weighting.

The Research Literature
-----------------------
- problems of relevance of the DE literature (or other education
literature?) to practice
- distance education literature seems to feed on itself
- what other literatures are, or should be, used to inform distance
education research (the general educational literature and beyond it, 
computing, linguistics, and?)

Critical Issues for Distance Education Research
-----------------------------------------------
- the motivation for DE research (how much is confirmatory, that is,
legitimising;  how much investigatory, that is curiosity driven?)
- DE researchers seem often to set themselves apart from other educators
rather than act as aa subset of all educators
- is the context of most DE research so far limited (primarily
institutional?)
-why does the medium rather than the message often drive DE practice?; what
could be done about this?
- value statements about DE being lower status or second best
- more research on learning processes and philosophies of education within
the DE context desirable
- little research is being done (or at least promulgated) about distance
education at the K-12 level

Some Research Questions Discussed/Posed
---------------------------------------
- analysis of communication (text, verbal and non-verbal) - methodologies
and use of research results
- learning and learning styles with relation to gender
- systematic exploration of critical variables affecting efficiency and
effectivenss
- nature of 'distance' at the end of the 20th century, including defining
the dimensions of access particularly within changing cultural and social
contexts not normally addressed by educationists  (e.g. safety and
security, cost of transport, environmental concerns)
- future behaviours of DE students (do they repeat the experience?  why or
why not?)
-role of and change in power positions of students, teachers, experts,
administrators, etc. in the information society
- what ideologies have/are informing DE practice and research (not to
mention traditional/conventional) in higher education?
- what motivates DE students - extension of existing studies

Promotion
---------
Prof. Rubin flagged this topic area but it received little attention.  A US
participant pointed out that to lobby government agencies one needed
appropriate research and

Standards of Research
---------------------
Dr. Rubin also flagged this topic but it appears to have received little
direct attention.


In reviewing what has been contributed over the past fortnight, my personal
feeling is that the discussion has only just begun.  May it continue and
expand in whatever electronic venue is available.  DEOS-List appears to be
one of the most universally accessible.

Mary Jane Mahony

Mary Jane Mahony 	       	       	             mjmahony@templar.une.edu.au
UNE-Orange Agricultural College 	       	      tel (063) 63.5526
P.O. Box 883    	       	       	       	       fax (063) 63.5590
Orange, NSW Australia 2800

Newsgroups: alt.education.bangkok.research