At UTHSC we have several programs and courses that are offered either fully online or offered in a hybrid format. Note: Hybrid = a blend of in-class and online activities.

A key question that repeatedly arises is whether the fully online and/or hybrid courses are “as good as” general face-to-face courses. This translates to a question of effectiveness of instruction, with the need to compare various forms of learning.

For those of you with questions, have a look at the report entitled “Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies” that was published in Sept. 2010 by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development Policy and Program Studies Service.

The bottom line of the report:

The meta-analysis found that, on average, students in online learning conditions performed modestly better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.

Four research questions guided the research:

1. How does the effectiveness of online learning compare with that of face-to-face instruction?
2. Does supplementing face-to-face instruction with online instruction enhance learning?
3. What practices are associated with more effective online learning?
4. What conditions influence the effectiveness of online learning?

What did they do to get to the bottom line?Researchers systematically searched the research literature from 1996 through July 2008 to identify relevant and usable studies for a meta-analysis. From the more than 1,000 empirical studies of online learning identified, researchers found 45 usable studies and a total of 50 independent effects that could be subjected to meta-analysis.

Their key findings included:

• Students in online conditions performed modestly better, on average, than those learning the same material through traditional face-to-face instruction
• Instruction combining online and face-to-face elements had a larger advantage relative to purely face-to-face instruction than did purely online instruction
• Effect sizes were larger for studies in which the online instruction was collaborative or instructor-directed than in those studies where online learners worked independently
• Most of the variations in the way in which different studies implemented online learning did not affect student learning outcomes significantly
• The effectiveness of online learning approaches appears quite broad across different content and learner types
• Effect sizes were larger for studies in which the online and face-to-face conditions varied in terms of curriculum materials and aspects of instructional approach in addition to the medium of instruction

When the researchers conducted a narrative review of experimental and quasi-experimental studies that contrasted different online learning practices, the majority of studies suggested:

• Blended and purely online learning conditions implemented within a single study generally result in similar student learning outcomes
• Elements such as video or online quizzes do not appear to influence the amount that students learn in online classes
• Online learning can be enhanced by giving learners control of their interactions with media and prompting learner reflection
• Providing guidance for learning for groups of students appears less successful than does using such mechanisms with individual learners

The researchers offered caveats to their findings that included:

• Despite what appears to be strong support for blended learning applications, the studies in this meta-analysis do not demonstrate that online learning is superior as a medium.
• Although the types of research designs used by the studies in the meta-analysis were strong (i.e., experimental or controlled quasi-experimental), many of the studies suffered from weaknesses such as small sample sizes; failure to report retention rates for students in the conditions being contrasted; and, in many cases, potential bias stemming from the authors’ dual roles as experimenters and instructors.
• Although this meta-analysis did not find a significant effect by learner type, when learners’ age groups are considered separately, the mean effect size is significantly positive for undergraduate and other older learners but not for K–12 students.

What have your experiences been as instructor or student in online/hybrid courses? When you access a copy of the report, do the findings ring true to you?

Image attribution: Image copied by C Russell 20120105 // Photo of 7.365_todd_takes_a_class // Photo provided by Todd Morris http://www.flickr.com/photos/alohateam/4253713645/   // Some rights reserved by Todd Morris http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en