Title of Study: Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies

Author(s): Barbara Means, Yukie Toyama, Robert Murphy, Marianne Bakia, Karla Jones

Summary:

This meta-analysis of published research comparing online and face-to-face learning found improved student performance in online learning conditions compared to face-to-face instruction.  Practices and conditions that influence the effectiveness of online learning were also analyzed.  Students receiving instruction that blended elements of online and face-to-face instruction performed better than either method alone.  The majority of the studies analyzed were from higher education and professional or career education; few studies focused on K-12 education.

Sponsoring entity(s): U.S. Department of Education

Date conducted: 2009

Location of the study: This study can be accessed at the Get Educated website.

Setting(s) addressed:

• Online vs. face-to-face instruction

Targeted population(s):

• Studies analyzed focused on higher education, medical training, corporate and military training.
• Analysis includes implications for K-12 education

Primary sources of evidence used in the study or report:

• Summary and analysis of research studies from 1996 through July 2008

Primary Technology Application(s) Addressed:

• Online learning

Major education topic(s) addressed:

• Online learning

Major findings/conclusions:

• On average, students performed better in online classes than in the same course taught through traditional face-to-face instruction.
  
  
• Instruction blending elements of online and face-to-face classes resulted in better performance than either alone.
  
  
• One advantage of online learning is that it allows students more time on task, if desired, which correlates with better performance.
  
  
• Online learning that promotes learner control of the media, reflection and self-monitoring of understanding improves learning outcomes, whereas practices such as online quizzes and guiding questions for online groups do not.

Practical implications of the findings:

• The authors point out that pure online learning only needs to be equally effective as face-to-face learning to make it attractive in an economic sense.  Blended, or hybrid learning needs to be more effective to justify the additional time and costs required by having both an online and local teacher.
  
  
• Blended learning conditions often provided additional learning time and instructional elements not received in regular face-to-face instruction.  While the authors caution that the improvement in learning may not be attributable to the media used, the results suggest areas for future research on improving student achievement in any environment.

Reviewer Comments:

• The meta-analysis includes only studies that used random-assignment or controlled quasi-experimental designs and objective measures of student learning to compare online learning with face-to-face instruction.
  
  
• The authors point out that a very small number of the studies used addressed K-12 populations, and the conclusions are based mostly from studies in higher education and professional training.