News: The Evidence on Online Education - Inside Higher Ed

WASHINGTON -- Online learning has definite advantages over face-to-face instruction when it comes to teaching and learning, according to a new meta-analysis released Friday by the U.S. Department of Education.

The study found that students who took all or part of their instruction online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through face-to-face instruction. Further, those who took "blended" courses -- those that combine elements of online learning and face-to-face instruction -- appeared to do best of all. That finding could be significant as many colleges report that blended instruction is among the fastest-growing types of enrollment.

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The study found that students who took all or part of their instruction online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through face-to-face instruction. Further, those who took "blended" courses -- those that combine elements of online learning and face-to-face instruction -- appeared to do best of all.

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The study found that students who took all or part of their instruction online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through face-to-face instruction

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The study found that students who took all or part of their instruction online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through face-to-face instruction

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The study found that students who took all or part of their instruction online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through face-to-face instruction. Further, those who took "blended" courses -- those that combine elements of online learning and face-to-face instruction -- appeared to do best of all.

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Further, those who took "blended" courses -- those that combine elements of online learning and face-to-face instruction -- appeared to do best of all.

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Further, those who took "blended" courses -- those that combine elements of online learning and face-to-face instruction -- appeared to do best of all

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hose who took "blended" courses -- those that combine elements of online learning and face-to-face instruction -- appeared to do best of all

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The Education Department examined all kinds of instruction, and found that the number of valid analyses of elementary and secondary education was too small to have much confidence in the results. But the positive results appeared consistent (and statistically significant) for all types of higher education, undergraduate and graduate, across a range of disciplines, the study said.

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But the positive results appeared consistent (and statistically significant) for all types of higher education, undergraduate and graduate,

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the positive results appeared consistent (and statistically significant) for all types of higher education, undergraduate and graduate, across a range of disciplines, the study said.

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the positive results appeared consistent

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On the topic of online learning, there is a steady stream of studies, but many of them focus on limited issues or lack control groups. The Education Department report said that it had identified more than 1,000 empirical studies of online learning that were published from 1996 through July 2008. For its conclusions, however, the Education Department considered only a small number (51) of independent studies that met strict criteria. They had to contrast an online teaching experience to a face-to-face situation, measure student learning outcomes, use a "rigorous research design," and provide adequate information to calculate the differences.

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The Education Department report said that it had identified more than 1,000 empirical studies of online learning that were published from 1996 through July 2008. For its conclusions, however, the Education Department considered only a small number (51) of independent studies that met strict criteria.

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For its conclusions, however, the Education Department considered only a small number (51) of independent studies that met strict criteria.

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While the new study provides a strong endorsement of online learning, it also notes findings about the relative success (or lack thereof) of various teaching techniques used in online courses. The use of video or online quizzes -- frequently encouraged for online education -- "does not appear to enhance learning," the report says.

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notes findings about the relative success (or lack thereof) of various teaching techniques

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The use of video or online quizzes -- frequently encouraged for online education -- "does not appear to enhance learning,"

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The use of video or online quizzes -- frequently encouraged for online education -- "does not appear to enhance learning," the report says.

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The use of video or online quizzes -- frequently encouraged for online education -- "does not appear to enhance learning," the report says

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The use of video or online quizzes -- frequently encouraged for online education -- "does not appear to enhance learning,"

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Using technology to give students "control of their interactions" has a positive effect on student learning, however. "Studies indicate that manipulations that trigger learner activity or learner reflection and self-monitoring of understanding are effective when students pursue online learning as individuals," the report says.

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Using technology to give students "control of their interactions" has a positive effect on student learning, however. "Studies indicate that manipulations that trigger learner activity or learner reflection and self-monitoring of understanding are effective when students pursue online learning as individuals,"

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Using technology to give students "control of their interactions" has a positive effect on student learning, however. "Studies indicate that manipulations that trigger learner activity or learner reflection and self-monitoring of understanding are effective when students pursue online learning as individuals," the report says.

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Using technology to give students "control of their interactions" has a positive effect on student learning, however

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Using technology to give students "control of their interactions" has a positive effect on student learning, however. "Studies indicate that manipulations that trigger learner activity or learner reflection and self-monitoring of understanding are effective when students pursue online learning as individuals," the report says.

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learner activity or learner reflection and self-monitoring of understanding are effective

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Notably, the report attributes much of the success in learning online (blended or entirely) not to technology but to time.

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"Studies in which learners in the online condition spent more time on task than students in the face-to-face condition found a greater benefit for online learning,

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"Studies in which learners in the online condition spent more time on task than students in the face-to-face condition found a greater benefit for online learning

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In noting caveats about the findings, the study returns to the issue of time.

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n noting caveats about the findings, the study returns to the issue of time.

"Despite what appears to be strong support for online learning applications, the studies in this meta-analysis do not demonstrate that online learning is superior as a medium," the report says. "In many of the studies showing an advantage for online learning, the online and classroom conditions differed in terms of time spent, curriculum and pedagogy. It was the combination of elements in the treatment conditions (which was likely to have included additional learning time and materials as well as additional opportunities for collaboration) that produced the observed learning advantages. At the same time, one should note that online learning is much more conducive to the expansion of learning time than is face-to-face instruction."

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In many of the studies showing an advantage for online learning, the online and classroom conditions differed in terms of time spent, curriculum and pedagogy. It was the combination of elements in the treatment conditions (which was likely to have included additional learning time and materials as well as additional opportunities for collaboration) that produced the observed learning advantages

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the online and classroom conditions differed in terms of time spent, curriculum and pedagogy.

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At the same time, one should note that online learning is much more conducive to the expansion of learning time than is face-to-face instruction."

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online learning is much more conducive to the expansion of learning time than is face-to-face instruction."

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Education Secretary Arne Duncan urged educators to consider the report's findings. “This new report reinforces that effective teachers need to incorporate digital content into everyday classes and consider open-source learning management systems, which have proven cost effective in school districts and colleges nationwide,”

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This new report reinforces that effective teachers need to incorporate digital content into everyday classes and consider open-source learning management systems, which have proven cost effective in school districts and colleges nationwide

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effective teachers need to incorporate digital content into everyday classes

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This new report reinforces that effective teachers need to incorporate digital content into everyday classes and consider open-source learning management systems, which have proven cost effective in school districts and colleges nationwide

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"It gives people greater opportunity for flexibility, for experiential learning, for illustrating things in multiple ways such as visualization." What the study demonstrates, she said, is that colleges need to think broadly about using online education,

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"It gives people greater opportunity for flexibility, for experiential learning, for illustrating things in multiple ways such as visualization."

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" What the study demonstrates, she said, is that colleges need to think broadly about using online education, and not be "artificially limited" to face-to-face instruction.

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report correctly recognizes that online learning and blended learning are growing components of higher education and, employed properly, can play a significant role in promoting student learning.

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"This report correctly recognizes that online learning and blended learning are growing components of higher education and, employed properly, can play a significant role in promoting student learning.

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These results demonstrate why more research is needed

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Successful education has always been about engaging students whether it is in an online environment, face to face or in a blended setting. And fundamental to that is having faculty who are fully supported and engaged in that process as well."

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Successful education has always been about engaging students whether it is in an online environment, face to face or in a blended setting. And fundamental to that is having faculty who are fully supported and engaged in that process as well."

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Successful education has always been about engaging students whether it is in an online environment, face to face or in a blended setting. And fundamental to that is having faculty who are fully supported and engaged in that process as well."

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Successful education has always been about engaging students whether it is in an online environment, face to face or in a blended setting. And fundamental to that is having faculty who are fully supported and engaged in that process as well."

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Successful education has always been about engaging students whether it is in an online environment, face to face or in a blended setting. And fundamental to that is having faculty who are fully supported and engaged in that process as well.

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I've taken several distance and blended courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Some have been excellent learning experiences, and others have been absolutely agonizing, exhausting, and virtually unfinishable.

SL is correct in that this type of course is better adapted to the undergrad or applied level than, say, a graduate course in humanities. What makes the difference is the instructor's ability to accurately plan the time in the online environment.

Most of these courses-- even the blended ones-- feature compulsory online discussions among small groups of students, which I invariably found time-consuming and worthless as a learning method. Everyone is just putting in their blah-blah-blah in order to get the participation mark.

Yes, it's convenient for the instructor to park all the course materials on the online site-- but it is damned inconvenient and time-consuming for the students to have to download and read online or print documents that are literally hundreds of pages long.

These courses are also often overplanned, with learners forced down the tunnel of the instructor's objectives without much flexibility or consideration for the needs of the actual (not hypothetical) learners, and without any opportunity for sidetracks or serenipitous learning. For students with a more discursive learning style, this can be extremely frustrating.

I am concerned that too many decision-makers will take this study as the latest whiz-bang, ain't distance ed great proof without looking more deeply at the caveats. I would still take a well-taught F2F course over a distance or blended course any time

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There are some professors, however, who seem to think that students in online courses have absolutely nothing else to do but work on their own course all day, every day. Sometimes, that is exactly what it takes to get all of the readings and assignments done. These online courses are not easy by any means, but they do allow me to work on them when I can, at my own pace, and in my pajamas if I want to wear them. The do not give me an easy, free ride to an unearned Masters degree. I now have only two assignments left to finish the course I am currently taking. Not only do I have to figure out how and what I'm supposed to do, since the instructions are very unclear and no amount of questions posed to the professor by many students will get him to budge on giving us a more detailed and understandable explanation, we are also expected to create and answer the questions for the final exam ourselves. What???!!! Okay, I think this is getting out of hand. I don't mind answering your questions at all, dear professor, and I never mind writing how ever many papers you want me to write. I even understand exactly why I'm writing them and what I'm writing about. But, now you want me to make up the questions for my own version of my final exam, and then answer them? Either this exam is going to be much easier than I ever imagined, or I am way off base and have no clue what is really expected here. I do hope it's the former, rather than the latter. There are too many points resting on this final exam for me to mess up now. How sad it would be to see a student work diligently over the course of an entire, but much condensed summer semester, doing very well the entire time, and then misunderstand the incredibly bizarre directions for the final exam and end up failing the entire course because the professor likes to play games. Too bad I don't know or understand the rules of this one last game. I do hope I'm playing correctly.

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The Master's degree program I recently finished included traditional on-campus, blended and online courses. One of the main benefits is that online learning can encourage communication among classmates. In all of my online classes, when the professor posted a discussion topic, we had to submit a primary post, directly answering the question, and at least two secondary posts, commenting on other students' answers

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The disadvantage of online learning is that if an instructor is not really involved with the class, he/she may post all the questions at the beginning of the semester (in a software application such as Blackboard) and never really guide the class through their discussion. A class like this can turn out to be an ongoing dialogue among the students regarding the course materials, but they may not find out until the final project if their submissions were good, and what they need to improve.

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