Educational Research as nothing but cleansing of educational Research is nothing but cleansing of educational process. Many experts think Educational Research as under. According to Mouly, ―Educational Research is the systematic application of scientific method for solving for solving educational problem.‖ Travers thinks, ―Educational Research is the activity for developing science of behavior in educational situations. It allows the educator to achieve his goals effectively. According to Whitney, ―Educational Research aims at finding out solution of educational problems by using scientific philosophical method.‖
Thus, Educational Research is to solve educational problem in systematic and scientific manner, it is to understand, explain, predict and control human behavior.
Educational Research Characterizes as follows:

• It is highly purposeful.
• It deals with educational problems regarding students and teachers as well.
• It is precise, objective, scientific and systematic process of investigation.
• It attempts to organize data quantitatively and qualitatively to arrive at statistical inferences.
• It discovers new facts in new perspective. i. e. It generates new knowledge.
•  It is based on some philosophic theory.
• It depends on the researchers ability, ingenuity and experience for its interpretation and conclusions.
•  It needs interdisciplinary approach for solving educational problem.
• It demands subjective interpretation and deductive reasoning in some cases.

It uses classrooms, schools, colleges department of education as the laboratory for conducting researches.
Education at all levels in India is getting continued by means of traditional/ conventional methods and significant progress is attained in use of new media by means of progressive technological innovations

The following gaps are consolidated by Tele Learning Network Inc () as the researchable issues in educational technology from information technology point of view.
Trend 1: Higher levels of control by learners are called for as classrooms are getting more online.
Trend 2: Learning situations become more realistic and authentic as classrooms are getting online.
Trend 3: Online resources boost student interest and motivation in the classroom through a greater diversity of learning goals, projects, and outcomes.
Trend 4: The successful online classroom combines information technology with appropriate pedagogy.
Trend 5: The classroom is extended to online learning communities with the potential to support or even challenge the locally-established curriculum.
Trend 6: The education of educators is broadened to include just-in-time and/or collaborative learning.
Trend 7: Educators use online technology as a driving element of an educational reform.
In view of the above findings, the researchers recommend that policy and research initiatives should be guided by the following approaches:

a reflective approach to teaching (teachers-as-researchers). The use of online resources and tools by teachers should be informed by reflective practice that takes into account empirical evidence, rather than personal theories-in-use. The teaching profession must aim in this direction. The significance of this change is that it almost certainly entails a revised approach to teaching that puts less emphasis on teacher-centered activities. The learner is to be envisioned as capable of engaging in a variety of learning projects. New pedagogical strategies that support him or her in the acquisition of intellectual autonomy will need to be developed.

the collaborative learning/research approach. Online technology is evolving rapidly. The traditional knowledge transfer model of research followed by dissemination, may not be a-flexible-or-fast-enough a process to respond to the emerging needs, as is well-exemplified in the following paragraph.

a design experiment approach. Issues of “design” are prevalent today and could be supported by more direct “design experiment” frameworks for vigorous discussions of the contexts, contents, and processes that ensure the attainment of proper conditions for online learning. For such conditions to be established, it is recommended that the following research procedures be adopted:

• the visioning of a wired classroom, institution, or educational system emphasizing content and pedagogy;
• the planning of an incremental process of change;
• the implementation of the above approaches with a high level of coordination among stakeholders responsible for education;
• the initiation of a renewal process with respect to all of the four constituents that must be combined to form models of use with built-in professional development activities;
• the endowment of research settings (meaning primary and secondary schools as well as colleges and universities) willing and capable of initiating and conducting:
• innovative reflective action with respect to the learners’ access to online resources and tools, teaching practices, and contextual factors;
• relevant surveys, case studies, and longitudinal studies;
• assessment and performance reviews.

Ross et al. opined, four issues for consideration in the filed of educational technology after reviewing the past and present research. They include:

• Distance learning, including Web-based courses, teleconferencing, blended (hybrid) courses, etc.
• Social networking with a global community of learners
• Integrating technology as a learning tool in classroom instruction
• Teaching students to become skilled and confident users of technology

They felt as technology continues to rapidly gain increased usage and importance in education, the next decade will undoubtedly offer unprecedented opportunities for research findings to inform practices for enhancing teaching and learning. To achieve that goal, we encourage researchers to reduce efforts to prove the “effectiveness” of technology, while focusing on conducting rigorous and relevant mixed-methods studies to explicate which technology applications work to facilitate learning, in what ways, in which contexts, for whom, and why.

References

The emerging contribution ofonline resources and tools to classroom learning and teaching. http://www.tact.fse.ulaval.ca/ang/html/review98.html
Steven M. Ross United States Gary R. Morrison Deborah L. Lowther , Educational Technology Research Past and Present: Balancing Rigor and Relevance to Impact School Learning CONTEMPORARY EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, 2010, 1(1), 17-35

Assignment

1. Propose topics for research in educational technology