A meta‐analysis of the effectiveness of telecourses in distance education

Abstract This study used meta‐analytic procedures to examine experimental research literature about the use of telecourses in adult and higher education. Weighted effect size analysis procedures were used. The study included experiments that used video and either one‐way or two‐way audio. The purpose of this study was to review evidence concerning the effectiveness of telecourses. The instructional features that impacted learner achievement were type of interaction during the broadcast, type of course, and type of remote site. Two‐way interaction was found to be the best method of interaction between learners and the instructor. Most of the studies failed to provide information about their learner attrition rate, thereby casting a shadow on the results.

[1]  Charles Schlosser,et al.  Distance Education: Review of the Literature , 1994 .

[2]  R. Rossing,et al.  Interactive Two-Way Television: Revisited , 1985 .

[3]  Burton A. Clark.  Comparison of Achievement of Students in On-Campus Classroom Instruction versus Satellite Teleconference Instruction. , 1989 .

[4]  W. Schramm,et al.  Learning from Instructional Television , 1962 .

[5]  B. Willis.  Distance Education: A Practical Guide , 1994 .

[6]  L. Hedges,et al.  The Handbook of Research Synthesis , 1995 .

[7]  T. Newby,et al.  Instruction: Classroom lecture/discussion vs. Live televised instruction: A comparison of effects on student performance, attitude, and interaction , 1989 .

[8]  R. Hanka.  The Handbook of Research Synthesis , 1994 .

[9]  C. R. Carpenter,et al.  COMPARATIVE RESEARCH ON METHODS AND MEDIA FOR PRESENTING PROGRAMED COURSES IN MATHEMATICS AND ENGLISH. , 1963 .

[10]  Nil Whittington,et al.  Is instructional television educationally effective? A research review , 1987 .

[11]  Mark H. Mortensen,et al.  An assessment of learning outcomes of students taught a competency-based computer course in an electronically expanded classroom , 1995 .

[12]  E. Hayes.  Adult education: Context and challenge for distance educators , 1990 .

[13]  Christina Goulding,et al.  A Critical Review of the Methodology , 2002 .

[14]  Phyllis P. Cordover.  A comparison of a distance education and locally based course in an urban university setting , 1996 .

[15]  G. Glass.  Primary, Secondary, and Meta-Analysis of Research1 , 1976 .

[16]  S. Elliot.  Distance Education Systems , 1990 .

[17]  Ellen D. Wagner.  Variables Affecting Distance Educational Program Success. , 1993 .

[18]  Larry V. Hedges,et al.  Cooper, Harris, and Larry V. Hedges, eds., The Handbook of Research Synthesis. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1994. , 1994 .

[19]  William E. Souder.  The effectiveness of traditional vs. satellite delivery in three management of technology master's degree programs , 1993 .

[20]  G. Glass,et al.  Meta-analysis in social research , 1981 .

[21]  Mike Moore,et al.  The Effects of Distance Learning: A Summary of Literature. Research Monograph Number 2. , 1990 .

[22]  Robert Dubin,et al.  The Medium May be Related to the Message; College Instruction by TV. , 1970 .

[23]  P. A. Cohen,et al.  A meta-analysis of outcome studies of visual-based instruction , 1981 .

[24]  R. Clark.  Reconsidering Research on Learning from Media , 1983 .

[25]  Frank T. Magiera.  Teaching Managerial Finance Through Compressed Video: An Alternative for Distance Education , 1994 .

[26]  James Zigerell,et al.  The uses of television in American higher education , 1990 .

[27]  M. Knowles.  The adult learner : a neglected species , 1979 .

[28]  W. Schramm.  Chapter IV: Learning from Instructional Television , 1962 .

[29]  David B. Pillemer,et al.  Summing Up: The Science of Reviewing Research , 1984 .