Steps to Writing a Synthesis

A Synthesis

- A synthesis: a discussion that forges connections between the arguments of two or more
authors.
- A synthesis requires:
 to understand the key claims of each author’s argument, including his or her use of
supporting examples and evidence.
 to present a central idea, a gist, to your readers.
- A synthesis creates a context for your own argument. That is, when you write a synthesis
comparing two or more sources, you demonstrate that you are aware of the larger conversation
about the issue and begin to claim your own place in that conversation.

Steps to Writing a synthesis

1. Make connections between and among different texts. Annotate the texts you are working
with, with an eye to comparing them. As you would for a summary, note major points in the
texts, choose relevant examples, and formulate the gist of each text.

2. Decide what those connections mean. Fill out a worksheet to compare your notes on the
different texts, track counterarguments, and record your thoughts. Decide what the similarities
and differences mean to you and what they might mean to your readers.

3. Formulate the gist of what you’ve read. Identify an overarching idea that brings together the
ideas you’ve noted and write a syn-thesis that forges connections and makes use of the examples
you’ve noted. use transitions to signal the direction of your syn- thesis
 Example of Literature review (using summary & synthesis)

Definition of Online Learning

Online learning is not a completely new method of lesson delivery, but the unprecedented
outbreak of COVID-19 has drawn more attention from scholars and educational institutions to it
than ever. Tracing back, Evan and Haase (2001) * described online learning as "the fastest-
growing sector of distance education" in recent years (p. 247). Distance education or distance
learning can be understood as "any approach to education delivery that replaces the same-time,
same-place, face- to-face environment of a traditional classroom" (Volery and Lord, 2000, p.
217) - an attempt to provide access to learning for geographically distant students (Moore,
Dickson-Deane and Galyen, 2011). In history, other researchers have also defined the term
online learning in relation to the concept distance learning. Benson (2002) considered online
learning to be a more current and developed version of distance learning. Sharing the same point
of view but Conrad (2002) further mentioned the increasing educational chances that online
learning could bring for nontraditional and previously disenfranchised learners. Those
viewpoints highlight the prominence and fast growth of online learning among many types of
distance learning, and the very two features of it: accessibility from a distance and increased
learning opportunities for learners. Following that, later on, other researchers also discussed the
concept of online learning in terms of its flexibility, connectivity, and the capacity to enhance
diverse interactions (Ally, 2004; Hiltz and Turoff, 2005).

Viewing online learning under the technological aspect, researchers agree that …..
Carliner (2004) defined it simply as educational resources that are accessible via a computer.
Thanji and Vasantha (2016) specified that online learning incorporates the use of technological
advances to guide, produce and distribute learning content, as well as support the communication
between the educators and the learners. Also, Keis et al. (2017) described that the online learning
system concludes web-based software used to deliver, track and monitor courses over the
Internet. Obviously, succeeding researchers, along with the development of society, have been
developing and completing the definition of online learning so that it becomes more well-
rounded.

Lately, in 2019, Singh and Thurman (2019) carried out a thorough systematic review of
the last 3 decades (1988- 2018) to find out the definition of online learning under a number of
viewpoints from different scholars. Next, they used qualitative and quantitative measures to
analyze, make comparisons and summary from the collected definitions. Their inclusive study
aims to give a better understanding of the online learning concept, realize the core elements
needed to define it as well as the development of the term’s definitions over time. It indeed gives
the readers a comprehensive review of online learning’s definition under a wide range of nuances
and perspectives. It is interesting to notice that temporary scholars had different ways to define
online learning, and many have overlapped the term with other terms and synonyms such as e-
learning, blended learning, computer-based learning, distributed learning, web- based learning,
online course, etc (Singh and Thurman, 2019). But after careful analysis and comparisons, Singh
and Thurman (2019) were still able to explore similarities in these definitions. Three core
elements for defining the concept are the use of technology, time (synchronous/asynchronous)
and synonymous terms (Singh and Thurman, 2019). About the confusion and the use of
overlapping terms to define online learning, they explained, “The confusion surrounding
definitions of online learning is understandable when we study the evolution of these definitions
and juxtapose that with the growth of technology” (Singh and Thurman, 2019, pp. 302- 303).
They then came up with suggested definitions for online learning, after having considered
various elements carefully. This definition below is an example:

Online education is defined as education being delivered in an online environment

through the use of the internet for teaching and learning. This includes online learning on
the part of the students that is not dependent on their physical or virtual co-location. The
teaching content is delivered online and the instructors develop teaching modules that
enhance learning and interactivity in the synchronous or asynchronous environment. (p.
XXX)

In this paper, I use this comprehensive, updated definition suggested by Singh and
Thurman to define the term online learning. Take a closer look into the definition, in terms of
time, online learning can be synchronous or asynchronous, or a combination of both.
Synchronous and asynchronous learning environment could be very different. This has been
mentioned in many previous articles. In synchronous learning, learners attend live lectures,
requiring that both learners and instructor be online simultaneously to interact and engage in
online classroom activities, and the learners will have the chance to receive instant feedback
from the instructor, while in asynchronous learning, learners and the instructor can be online at
separate hours, or even learners can learn through the course at their own pace without
instructor’s presence (Littlefield, 2018; Salmon, 2004).

(Cited from Thesis of Nguyen Thi Thu Huong)