Task Definition
The primary task of the article presented by Crowley et al. (2018) was to create and implement a tangible and efficient framework of distance learning on the matter of forestry, sustainable forest management, and global forest restoration initiatives. The researchers were mainly interested in analyzing relevant data on transnational online education and developing a blueprint for remote educational courses. To meet the team-based project objectives, the research team engaged in both literature review and on-hand communication with an expert course design team that coordinated and supervised the project. Hence, the study by Crowley et al. (2018) has a clearly stated goal and topic for research, assisting in the further organization and quality of the article.
Information Seeking Strategies
Considering that the goal of the research was to analyze the results and implications of a practical approach to the forest management course engagement and e-learning development, most information was derived from the expert team from the University of British Columbia support group rather than secondary sources such as scholarly articles and web sources (Crowley et al., 2018). Moreover, the collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation (APFNet), along with various universities, encouraged the partnerships to be the main source of information about both course design and forestry curriculum (Crowley et al., 2018). Such an approach resulted in quality insights into the present and future of online education in forestry.
Location and Access
The present article contains both primary and secondary sources, including the pilot project and the literature used to assess the success of the experiment. As far as the secondary sources are concerned, the two main subtopics could be outlined: the design and development of web-based learning tools and transnational forestry management techniques (Crowley et al., 2018). However, the majority of sources are dedicated to the specifics of online learning, including web-design techniques, psychology, and course structure. Another subtopic of forest management education is not explicitly addressed in the paper, as the quality of study materials was handled by the university staff and expert team.
Use of Information and Synthesis
All the sources used for the paper were described and cited accordingly. Since most data throughout the research were empirical, the authors thoroughly calculated and systematized the findings, presenting evidence in tables and figures. Moreover, secondary sources were relevant to the study and contributed to the authors’ assumptions on online learning platform development (Crowley et al., 2018). The article did not include direct citations from secondary sources, as the information was paraphrased and integrated into the context of the paper. The information was presented in the form of a scholarly paper, so in order to be comprehensive, the authors followed a rigid structure. The paper sections included an abstract, introduction, methodology and design, results, discussion, limitations, and future implications (Crowley et al., 2018). The information was outlined in an organized and comprehensive manner to appeal to larger audiences.
Evaluation
The present article provides high value to the audience as it synthesizes theoretical knowledge of online courses, their practical application to forest management, and potential challenges related to the industry. The objectives of the paper, concerning both the exploration of a team-based approach to creating an online course and the quality enhancement strategies for the project, were met throughout the study. Both work and presentation of the findings were concise, accurate, and engaging for the readers regardless of their professional background. Hence, it can be concluded that the article in question is a quality piece of scholarly research in the context of the Big 6 framework.
Reference
Crowley, C., Chen, H., & Cerver, M. G. (2018). A team-based collaboration used for the development of transnational online distance education courses. International Journal of E-Learning & Distance Education, 33(2), 1-22.