A comparison of the factors affecting distance and face-to-face learning from a sociological perspective

Learning is a critical process for any individual and there exist a lot of different variables that affect this process. The factors that affect learning in face-to-face and distance learning environments are already revealed in the related literature and sociological factors stand out among many other factors. Technological developments in recent years, changes in the needs of learners, the emergence of different practices, and changes such as the COVID-19 pandemic have increased interest in distance learning processes. This has led to the need for a more in-depth examination of the factors affecting distance learning and determining their differences from the factors affecting face-to-face learning. This study was planned to address this need. In other words, it focuses on the systematic analysis of existing studies on the sociological differences between face-to-face and distance learning. In this context, the main problem of the research is to reveal whether there are sociological differences between face-to-face learning and distance learning, and if so, what these differences are according to the studies in the literature.Although there are various studies on the differences between face-to-face and distance learning in the literature, there is no systematic review of these studies that examines the sociological dimension of learning in a holistic manner. It can be argued that this situation makes it difficult to understand the nature and essence of distance learning and leads to the design of distance learning environments according to face-to-face learning principles. In this context, the proposed study aims to develop a deeper understanding of distance learning and to identify a set of principles that should be considered in the design of distance learning processes. Keywords: Distance Learning, Face-to-face Learning, Sociological Factors, Systematic Analysis, Systematic Literature Review.