Distance learning and online learning have become the new educational paradigm. Based on synchronicity, online learning environments can be classified into synchronous and asynchronous online learning. However, previous evidence demonstrating the effects of these two online learning modalities on students' academic achievement has been…

With the growth of online courses, moderators can play a significant role in engaging and supporting learners in asynchronous online discussions (AODs). However, a synthesis of the research on moderators has not been performed in the 40 years since the term was first used in reference to online learning. We examined 76 studies to determine key…

This systematic literature review examines the use of networked learning strategies and tools in supporting active learning in fully online higher education classrooms since the COVID-19 pandemic. With the increasing adoption of online and blended learning, there is a growing need to understand how networked learning can facilitate engagement,…

This systematic review examined research on moderators in asynchronous online discussions (AODs) through a review of 52 sources published over the past four decades. Areas of interest included conceptual frameworks cited in research, publication trends, instructional contexts, research methods and characteristics, and descriptions of the role of…

The rapid shift to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic introduced both challenges and opportunities for effective classroom management. This review explores 20 empirical studies published between 2021 and 2025, examining how educators have adapted to the virtual learning environment. The findings highlight key strategies that contribute…

This is a qualitative research article; a systematic review of more than 15 texts was carried out. Its objective is to identify the findings related to educational strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic in studies published since 2020. The research is based on the subjective knowledge of the strategies that were implemented in the educational…

This rapid evidence assessment aims to summarise the efficacy of remote professional development (PD) approaches to support school leaders and PD providers with decisions they are making about PD provision given social distancing requirements caused by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. The review systematically searched for meta-analyses and systematic…

Synchronous online learning (SOL) provides an opportunity for instructors to connect in real-time with their students though separated by geographical distance. This meta-analysis examines the overall effect of SOL on cognitive and affective educational outcomes, while using asynchronous online learning or face-to-face learning as control groups.…

This study reviewed evolving research trends in online, distance, and blended learning over the past ten years through co-citation analysis. Related peer-reviewed research articles in the Web of Science were obtained and the references in the articles were analyzed. The result showed that literature review and meta-analysis studies on distance…

This article reviews the scientific literature that depicts the influence of the COVID-19 on higher education. Fourteen studies examined pandemic coronavirus's effect on the human respiratory system and its impact on higher education. Nine studies reviewed related to UNESCO and WHO reports, and thirty studies relating to the staff readiness,…

Online learning as a concept and as a keyword has consistently been a focus of education research for over two decades. In this paper, we present results from a systematic literature review for the definitions of online learning because the concept of online learning, though often defined, has a range of meanings attached to it. Authors and…

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world of education has had to abruptly pivot to relying heavily on digital methods of delivery. For teachers, much of their professional learning has gone digital as well. To help those in charge of developing and delivering teacher professional learning online, this knowledge brief produced by the Region 15…

Distance education in the 21st century often relies on educational technology as the primary delivery of teaching to learners. In distance education, the source of the information and the learner do not share the same physical setting; therefore, the information is delivered by a variety of methods. The new emerging tools that are used in online…

This article maps out trends in distance education research and scholarship from 35 years of publications in the "Distance Education" journal. Titles and abstracts of 515 full papers were analyzed using the text-mining tool Leximancer™ to identify and describe themes in distance education research covered by these publications in the…

Distance learning is commonplace in higher education, with increasing numbers of students enjoying the flexibility e-learning provides. Keeping students connected with peers and instructors has been a challenge with e-learning, but as technology has advanced, the methods by which educators keep students engaged, synchronously and asynchronously,…