It is not uncommon that researchers face difficulties when performing meaningful cross-study comparisons
for research. Research associated with the distance learning realm can be even more difficult to use as there
are different environments with a variety of characteristics. We implemented a mixed-method analysis of
research articles tofind out how they define the learning environment. In addition, we surveyed 43 persons
and discovered that there was inconsistent use of terminology for different types of delivery modes. The
results reveal that there are different expectations and perceptions of learning environment labels: distance
learning, e-Learning, and online learning.