Research trends on distance learning: a text mining-based literature review from 2008 to 2018

ABSTRACT

Today’s dynamic distance learning environments offer a flexible, comfortable, and lifelong learning experience, independent of space and time. In this way, it also supports and develops existing traditional training programs. The increasing importance of knowledge, skills and learning in today’s technological life cycle has led to an increase and diversification of research and applications in distance learning. Accordingly, distance learning literature has a rich content supported by a multidisciplinary background. From this point of view, it is crucial to perceive the research landscape reflecting the general themes and trends studied in the field of distance learning. This study aims at revealing the distance learning research themes and trends by analyzing the 27,735 articles of journal conducted in the last decade. The methodology of the study is based on semantic content analysis implemented by N-gram-based text categorization technique. As a result, 10 main themes are discovered, namely, “System establishment”, “Media”, “Assessment”, “Method”, “Content”, “Education levels”, “Learner”, “Research methods”, “Interaction-Communication”, and “Resource-Material-Tool”. In this context, the findings of the study are expected to provide significant insights to guide prospective research and practice in the field and to develop continuous improvements and standards for distance education communities.

KEYWORDS:

• Distance learning
• distance education
• research themes and trends
• text mining
• n-grams

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Fatih Gurcan

Fatih Gurcan received the B.S. degree in statistics and computer science from Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey, in 2001 and the M.S. degree in computer engineering from the same university, in 2009. He received the Ph.D. degree in computer engineering from the same university, in 2017. He worked as an instructor in Department of Informatics, Karadeniz Technical University, from 2001 to 2014. He has been with the Center for Research and Application in Distance Education, Karadeniz Technical University, since 2015 as an instructor. His research interests include trend analysis, sentiment analysis, statistical topic modeling, engineering education, data mining, machine learning, big data analytics, and text mining.

Nergiz Ercil Cagiltay

Nergiz Ercil Cagiltay received the degree in computer engineering from the Middle East Technical University, Turkey. She received the Ph.D. degree in instructional technologies from the same university. She worked for commercial and government organizations as a project manager for more than eight years in Turkey. She also worked for the Indiana University Digital Library Program as a system analysis and programmer for four years. She has been with the Software Engineering Department, Atilim University, Turkey, since 2003 as an Associated Professor. Her main research interests are in information systems, medical information systems, engineering education, instructional systems technologies, distance education, e-learning, and medical education.