Journal of Online Learning Research (JOLR)

About JOLR

ISSN# 2374-1473

Journal of Online Learning Research (JOLR)

The Journal of Online Learning Research (JOLR) is a peer-reviewed journal devoted to the theoretical, empirical, and pragmatic understanding of technologies and their impact on pedagogy and policy in primary and secondary (K-12) online and blended environments.  

Three issues are published annually. Each submitted manuscript goes through a rigorous blind peer review process. If accepted, article is then published in either the general research or international section. Additional information for each section is found below. 

JOLR is Open Access, free-of-charge and distributed by LearnTechLib-The Learning and Technology Library. It is the official journal of the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).  All have free, online access to all back issues via LearnTechLib–The Learning & Technology Library.

Types of Articles

Research Section

Articles focus on research related to K-12 online and blended learning. Research articles can:

  • Address online learning, catering particularly to the educators who research, practice, design, and/or administer in primary and secondary schooling in online settings. However, the journal also serves those educators who have chosen to blend online learning tools and strategies in their face-to-face classroom.
  • Include qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research from multiple fields and disciplines that have a shared goal of improving primary and secondary education worldwide.

Research should be both theoretical and practical with implications for research, policy, and practice. Each research article is critically-reviewed by the editors and then undergoes a double blind-peer review process to ensure publication of rigorous and thoughtful research. 

International Section

Articles focus on research related to online and blended learning with primary and secondary students in international contexts. Articles can include: 

  • State-of-a-nation reports that shares trends related to policy, growth, pedagogy, promises, and challenges in areas related to primary and secondary (K-12) distance, online and blended environments.
  • Original, empirical research using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods research that features participants from outside the United States.   

Research should focus discussion on cross cultural connections and that may have implications for global educational settings. Each article is critically reviewed by the editors. It then undergoes a double blind-peer review process with reviewers who have international experience or background to ensure publication of rigorous and thoughtful research.

Practitioner Corner

Practitioner’s personal experiences with teaching and learning can provide valuable information about the contexts to which some researchers expect their findings to apply. Articles in the Practitioner Corner section should present detailed explanations and reflections on educational innovations. Ideally, these articles document problems posed in specific contexts, strategies tried, outcomes, and reflections on learning. Taken together, these articles should reveal trends in educational needs and everyday factors that influence K-12 distance, online, and blended learning. Articles in the Practitioner Corner section should go beyond “Did it work?” to explore how interventions function and the boundaries of their scalability (i.e., how could it be or what is stopping it from being implemented elsewhere?).

Articles in the Practitioner Corner section should contain a structured abstract using the format presented below. The body of the manuscript need not conform to the structure of the abstract.

  • Context. Briefly summarize the context in which the intervention was implemented.
  • Problem. Briefly state the practical learning or performance gap addressed by the intervention or other strategy and how the present intervention addresses the problem in a novel way
  • Intervention. Briefly describe the strategy or intervention, specifying why it addresses the practical problem and was thought to improve upon previous approaches
  • Outcomes. Briefly describe what happened to BOTH educational process AND outcomes when the intervention was implemented
  • Lessons Learned. Briefly summarize lessons learned that other educators could use when attempting to address a similar practical problem – note this is not a summary of impact, but a reflection on what was learned about implementing the strategy

Articles in the Practitioner Corner section must be at least 1000 words but should be no more than 3500 words. Articles submitted to the Practitioner Corner section will not be sent through a traditional blind review process but will undergo an editorial review or a review by a topical expert.

Inquiries should be sent to Mary Rice.

Book Reviews

JOLR reserves a section for the scholarly review of current books that contribute to the literature related to K-12 online and blended learning. The aim of our Book Reviews is to engage distance educators in sharing their perspectives about new publications that contribute to the field. Book reviews should be composed in the following manner:

  • Heading and Signature – Book title, author name, location, publisher, date of publication, book edition, number of pages, and ISBN. Ensure that the name of reviewer and their institutional affiliation is included.
  • Introduction – The review should begin with an introduction to the topic and an overview of the content of the book. Describe the background and qualifications of the author. Who is the author’s intended audience? What is the author’s purpose and/or main thesis?
  • Organization/Structure – What is the organization/structure of the book? How accurate and current is the information presented? Does the evidence support the conclusions?
  • Significance to the Field and Overall Impression – How current is the information presented? How effective is the author’s method of developing the information? What is your assessment of the book’s major strengths and weaknesses? How does it compare with other works on the same subject? Does the book make a meaningful contribution to the literature? What are your overall comments and conclusions about the book?

Authors should aim for 1000-1500 words.


Indexed in leading indices including: ERIC, LearnTechLib-The Learning and Technology Library, Index Copernicus, GetCited, Google Scholar, and several others.