RUNNING HEAD: K-12 ONLINE LEARNING

Best Practices in Research: K-12 Online Learning

Atara McGill
Regent University

Best Practices in Research: K-12 Online Learning

A Review of the Literature

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This review examines three journal articles related to K-12 online learning. Two of the
articles are in the same journal Distance Learning: For Educators, Trainers and Leaders, the last
article is in the Global Education Journal. Michael K. Barbours (2010), Researching K-12
Online Learning What Do We Know and What Should We Examine?, provides a summary of
the research conducted on K-12 online education, examines suggested areas for further research,
and offers other methods for conducting further research on K-12 online education. In the article,
K-12 Online Education is Increasingly Hybrid Leaning, Michael B. Horn examines the online
learning arrangement in the K-12 online learning environment. In the article, Effective Online
K-12 Course Design: Applying Instructional Design & Learning Theory, Chris Carnahan,
Ph.D., and Scott Mensch, Ph.D., examine effective approaches for designing K-12 online
curriculum using the ADDIE model and Gagnes nine events of instruction model. Based on an
analysis of these three articles this paper will examine the implications for further research in the
area of K-12 online learning.
Future Research
According to Barbour (2010), the procedural problems and the limited amount of
research published on K-12 online learning, what may be more important to future research into
K-12 online learning is not what is studied, but how it is studied (p. 10). The research method
Barbour (2010) proposes for future research in the area on K-12 online learning is a research
design method where researchers collaborate with experts in the field of K-12 online learning,
resolving issues with the design or the method the K-12 online learning is delivered. Unlike
traditional methodologies of educational research, where the goal is not to generalize the findings
to other contexts or attempt to reach beyond the scope of the researchers inquiry, but to report
findings related to problems research participants need resolved (Barbour, 2010, p. 11). The

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research conducted in the Virtual High School Global Consortium (VHS), is one example the
article provides to explain the process involved in design research. VHS has continued to flourish
and much of what is known about virtual schools comes from this refined approach to research
(Barbour, 2010, p. 11).
By comparison, all the articles concede the research in the area of K-12 online education
has been incapable of sustaining the rate of exponential growth in K-12 online learning. But,
Horn (2010), goes one step further, by characterizing online learning as a disruptive innovation, a
theory first investigated by Clayton M. Christensen (1995), because it has been transforming
education and the standard of education. One of the effects of the change, is online learning is
consistently improving as expected, conversely, the improvements are changing assumptions
and definitions for what online learning means (Horn, 2010, p. 19). Based on these observation
researchers will have to break away from the traditional research methodologies, and as Horn
(2010) suggest in the following:
Researchers will, not only, have to wrestle with how to define and categorize the new
types of blended-learning environments that emerge, they will also need to learn which
models work best for which circumstances and students. To advance research as well as
push education toward a student-centered future. (p. 20)
In the third article, Carnahan, Ph.D., and Mensch, Ph.D. (2014) research effective online
curriculum design models and practice. With permission from the Florida Virtual School (FLVS)
administrators, the researchers examined a course in economics at FLVS guided by the principles
of the ADDIE model and Gagnes nine events of instruction. FLVS was, essentially, selected
because the school is known for providing quality online education and academic performance.
According to Carnahan, Ph.D., and Mensch, Ph.D. (2014), having a course that is part of a

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curriculum that is receiving high marks in its field can help to establish a model of best practices
for others to follow (p. 62). In sum, the results from the research show the economics course at
FLVS prove to align with the ADDIE model and the Gagnes nine events of instruction.
However, the researchers suggested including informal assessments in the course, so students
can evaluate their knowledge of the content before a summative assessment. Further, the
curriculum designers and teachers base planned instruction on the cognitive learning theory.
Based on their findings, Carnahan, Ph.D., and Mensch, Ph.D., (2014) suggest, future research
should examine how a course created by individuals compares to ones created by teams and are
commercially available (p. 69).
Conclusion
All in all, each of these articles the recommendations were addressing the problems
researchers face in their research on K-12 online learning. Most helpful, especially for the
inexperienced readers, was Barbours (2010) article because he explains the essentials of
research, from the principles to the practices, which makes this a good source for practitioners to
reference, if they choose to pursue further studies in this area. All of the articles, imply
traditional research design for K-12 online education is not the most effective approach. With the
rise of K-12 online education, the research deserves significantly more attention and scrutiny
and needs more empirical research (Carnahan, C., Ph.D., & Mensch, S., Ph.D., 2014, p. 69).
The most effective method for future research based on the information in these articles, implied
and stated, is the research design approach because the approach is methodical as well as
adaptableable to change with every improvement to K-12 online education.
References

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Barbour, M. K. (2010). Researching K-12 Online Learning. Distance Learning, 7(2), 6-12. Retrieved
from http://0-eds.a.ebscohost.com.library.regent.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?
vid=6&sid=5bd980dc-7e55-42dd-ae2d-83468b052a16%40sessionmgr4002&hid=4110
Carnahan, C., Ph.D., & Mensch, S., Ph.D., (2014). Effective Online K-12 Course Design: Applying
Instructional Design & Learning Theory. Global Education Journal, 2014(2), 60-71. Retrieved
from http://0-eds.a.ebscohost.com.library.regent.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=fbb372754fe5-4664-9482-347e44195828%40sessionmgr4005&vid=0&hid=4110
Horn, M. B. (2010). K-12 Online Education is Increasingly Hybrid Learning. Distance Learning, 7(2),
18-20. Retrieved from http://0search.proquest.com.library.regent.edu/docview/853890164/fulltextPDF/EEAE8B2CDB8B4475
PQ/7?accountid=13479