A meta-summary study to determine design variables affecting learning outcomes in distance education

This meta-summary study was conducted to determine the effects of media and instructional method design variables utilized in distance education on learning outcomes including achievement, motivation and satisfaction. "Web of Science" and "ERIC" databases were used to identify quantitative, qualitative and mixed studies published between 2011 and 2020, including design variables that have an effect on achievement, motivation and satisfaction in distance education. The keywords ("achievement" OR "success" OR "motivation" OR "satisfaction") AND ("distance education", "distance learning" OR "distance teaching" OR "online teaching" OR "online education" OR "online learning" OR "online instruction" OR "web based education" OR "web based teaching" OR "web based instruction" OR "e-learning") were used in the comprehensive literature review. Two independent researchers conducted a systematic search in databases using the keywords specified and assessed the suitability of the downloaded papers using the criteria determined in both the abstract and full text sections. The design variables were limited to the "media" and "instructional method" variables in order to respond to Clark (1994) and Kozma (1991; 1994)'s discussion of "Media" or "Instructional Method." This meta-summary analysis comprised 318 studies that met the inclusion criteria. The meta-summary method, one of the mixed method research synthesis approaches in which the differences between quantitative and qualitative results are reconciled through transforming each other, was used in the data analysis. When the number of positive and non-positive themes produced in the research results are examined, the findings related to student achievement, motivation, and satisfaction support each other in terms of the effects of distance education design variables, including the use of media and instruction methods. Because the number of positive themes affecting the three dependent variables in the study is higher than the non-positive themes. Accordingly, the studies included in the meta-summary support the conclusion that the media and instruction method design variables have an effect on student achievement, motivation and satisfaction. Furthermore, some recommendations were offered for researchers, practitioners, and distant education designers.