Using this article:
Park, J., & Choi, H. J. (2009). Factors influencing adult learners’ decision to drop out or persist in online learning. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 12(4), 207-n/a. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1287038599?accountid=28844
Your task is to identify and summarize the main points of the research study according to the directions below. This is different than a typical essay. Read the whole assignment and ALL instructiions before beginning your paper.
Organize your paper using these headings, in this order. Your paper should look like the following list/outline, with these same subheadings listed in the same order. Just provide the information for each section.
I already know that the authors of the article can identify their purpose, hypothesis, etc. so you will not earn credit for copying the information from the article. Show me what you understand after reading the article. Explain each section very briefly so I can see what you learned from reading the article. Your summary of each section must be written in your own words. Do not copy or simply paraphrase.
Reference: This should be so accurate that the reader can go directly from your abstract to the original article. Give a complete APA style reference. (Hint: the reference above is in APA style, so your reference should like like that)
Purpose of the study: Sometimes the purpose is stated as an aim, an objective, or a goal. At other times, it is incorporated in a statement of a problem, leaving the reader to infer the purpose has a stated problem, a purpose, or both. If the purpose is inferred, you may state it in your own words.
Participants: The term ?participant? refers to the sample studied. Under this heading, you should include a description of ages, sexes, socio-economic status, school grade, mental level, number, and/or any other demographic characteristics given in the article to describe the particular sample used in the study.
Type of Study: Was it a quantitative or a qualitative study? Or were both types of data used? Please explain why you think so.
Hypothesis: What is the hypothesis of the study? If the hypothesis is inferred, you may state it in your own words.
Procedure: Sometimes the procedure is referred to as the ?method? and includes a description of control techniques, measuring devices, materials used and ways of proceeding, in attempting to achieve the purpose or purposes of the study.
Statistical Tests: Identify the statistical tests used in the article; examples might be chi square (x2), t-test, f-test, Mann-Whitney, etc.
Results or Findings: What actual data was reported by the author of the study? Explain the results — don’t just copy them.
Conclusions: What does the author of the research article believe the results or findings mean?
Critique: In each of the previous sections, you have been reporting what the article said. Now, I want you to think critically about what you’ve learned, and give me your own thoughts. Briefly describe your reaction to the article. For example, was it well-organized? Easy or difficult to understand (please explain why)? Did it present diverse perspectives about the topic? Don’t limit yourself to just these questions — be reflective about what you read.