Action research in continuing professional distance education

In order to support the persistent evolution of Continuing Professional Distance Education (CPDE), an action research approach must be taken. For action research to be successful, explicit research models must be formulated and used. This paper presents such a model that conjugates pedagogical thinking, curriculum design and organisational context: the Educational Management Action Research (EMAR) model. However, the complexities and precise specifications required by Educational Systems Design (ESD) call for better support through development frameworks that incorporate educational and systems development philosophies. This paper presents and discusses an ESD framework that has been extensively used in the development of eLearning.