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Best Research Papers

Since 2008, EDEN has bestowed the Best Research Paper Award at its Annual Conferences and the bi-annual Research Workshops.

A robust selection process guarantees the high-standing of these awards for contributions to the field of open, distance and e-learning. The selection process takes place in collaboration with the Ulrich Bernath Foundation for Research in Open and Distance Learning, with the support of a distinguished Jury.

Papers are evaluated against the following criteria:

  • contributes convincingly to the theme(s) of the conference;
  • deals with a research question of relevance for conference participants;
  • rigorous examination/research methods are applied;
  • findings, results and outcomes are convincingly presented and critically examined;
  • conclusions are thoroughly discussed (including aspects like applicability, transferability, and/or further research);
  • literature is reviewed against the state of art.

In addition, authors need to confirm that at least 30% of their paper is originated for the actual conference.

2013

Annual Conference, Oslo

Maria Fernandez-Toro, Concha Furnborough, The Open University, United Kingdom: Eliciting Students’ Voices through Screencast-assisted ‘Feedback on Feedback'

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2012

Research Workshop, Leuven

Iolanda Garcia Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Anna Escofet Roig, Begonea Gros, University of Barcelona - DOE, Spain: Students' Attitude towards ICT Learning Uses: A Comparison between Digital Learners in Blended and Virtual Universities

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Annual Conference, Porto

Emanuele Rapetti, Lorenzo Cantoni, Universita della Svizzera Italiana, Switzerland: Reconsidering “Gen Y” & Co: From Minding the Gap to Overcoming it

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Laudatio:

The Jury members unanimously voted for  
Reconsidering “Gen Y” & Co: From Minding the Gap to Overcoming it by Emanuele Rapetti and Lorenzo Cantoni, Universita della Svizzera Italiana, Switzerland
as the winner of the EDEN Best Research Paper Award to be granted at the 2012 Annual Conference in Porto. In the Jury's judgement this paper is an excellent  contribution to the theme of the conference on „Open Learning Generations - Closing the Gap from Generation 'Y' to the Mature Lifelong Learners“ and it is best  in  presenting applicable and transferable results based on a solid methodological approach. The findings are critically discussed with references to the relevant literature and with creative ideas for further research.

2011

Annual Conference, Dublin

Dale Kirby, Dennis B. Sharpe, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada & Michael K. Barbour, Wayne State University,  United States of America: Student Perceptions and Preferences for Tertiary Online Courses: Does Prior High School Distance Learning Make a Difference?

Torstein Rekkedal, NKI Distance Education and Norwegian School of Information Technology, Norway: Local Support for Online Learners with Possible Learning Disabilities

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Laudatio:

In the Jury's judgement it is noteworthy to see the very strong response from participants to the themes of "Learning and Sustainability. The New Ecosystem of Innovation and Knowledge" as a focus for this year's conference but also one of enduring interest for the future. Both papers represent thematically and methodologically very different approaches.

The Rekkedal paper addresses a critical area and often-neglected target group of students with disability. Applying qualitative methodologies it validates a new and transferable delivery model for vocational rehabilitation training.

The Kirby, Sharpe & Barbour paper impresses with its methodological rigor and presents robust, detailed and relevant results based on their quantitative empirical study on technology-enhanced learning environments in the educational sector, focusing on the transition from school to the tertiary level.

2010

Research Workshop, Budapest

Lisa Maria Blaschke & Jane Brindley, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg: "Establishing a Foundational Framework for Development of Reflective Thinking: Learning Journals in the MDE"

Annual Conference, Valencia

Oana Radu and Tim Seifert, Memorial University, Canada, authors of the paper "Mathematical Intimacy within Blended and Face-to-Face Learning Environments”

2009

Annual Conference, Gdansk

Alda Pereira, Isolina Oliveira, Luis Tinoca, ucia Amante, Maria de Jesus Relvas, Maria do  Carmo Teixeira Pinto, Darlinda Moreira, Universidade Aberta, Portugal: Evaluating Continuous Assessment Quality in Competence-Based Education Online: The Case of the e-Folio

2008

Research Workshop, Paris

Fanny Salane, Universite Paris-Descartes, "L’enseignement a Distance en Milieu Carcéral: Droit a l'Éducation ou Privilege?" Kay MacKeogh and Seamus Fox, Dublin City University "Opening Access to Higher Education to All? What Motivates Academic Staff in Traditional Universities to Adopt E-Learning?"

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Rationale of the Jury:

The jury came to the decision that both papers were the best of all competing papers and equal in quality, further they perfectly related to the overall conference theme.

Kay MacKeogh and Seamus Fox examine in their case study an on-campus e-learning strategy and reflect on how such a strategy qualifies their academic staff for adopting innovative approaches to reaching students at a distance.

Fanny Salane reflects on the unique role of distance education to providing access to education for prisoners and discusses thoroughly and critically her case.

Both papers apply suitable research methodologies and underpin their arguments convincingly.

As case studies, both papers are somewhat limited; however Fanny Salane brings back to our attention the enduring strength of the traditional distance education model, whereas Kay MacKeogh and Seamus Fox are seeking its compelling power in an e-learning strategy for higher education.

Annual Conference, Lisbon

Tim Seifert, Bruce Sheppard and Ann Marie Vaughn, all from Memorial University, Canada: "Examinig the Effectiveness of Distance Education: Results from Multi-Level Modelling"

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In the jury’s judgment:

Whereas for many years researchers have focused on effectiveness of distance education in comparison with conventional education, the focus has been on the average effectiveness of learning in the one method compared with the other. The result has invariably been, as we all know, that there are no significant differences. The question addressed in this research is what are the differences among the learners within each group. This is a question that has been addressed to some extent in conventional education, and by introducing it to the distance education community the authors of this paper have made a valuable contribution. The jury considered the question to be creative and important, the methodology to be sound. With this as with all other papers, the jury felt that research papers submitted to the EDEN conferences should give more attention to explaining the rationale for their research question in the references to the literature in the field of distance education.

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