A recent conversation with Dirk Burruss, JSRCC Program Head for Network Engineering, led me to a comprehensive report issued in September 2010. Produced by the US Department of Education, the Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies examined more than a 1000 empirical studies of online learning conducted over a 12-year period from 1996 – 2008.
Significant findings that emerged from this meta-analysis point to evidence that online learning is not only comparable to the traditional model of face-to-face learner engagement, but that online learning has a small but still measureable rate of student achievement higher than that of the classroom.
According to the report, these six significant findings are evident:
Students in online classes “performed modestly better, on average than those learning the same material through traditional face-to-face instruction.”
Hybrid classes achieved even better results than purely online classes when student learning outcomes were compared to face-to-face classes.
Students demonstrated higher rates of achievement in learning when they participated in online classes that were “collaborative or instructor-directed” rather than those that required independent learning.
The hybrid format and the instructor-directed or collaborative learning formats were the only online delivery practices to affect student learning in significant ways. This finding may be viewed with caution in that most of the examined research studies did not clearly examine variables with “online instructional practices that affect learning outcomes.”
Online learning appears to be effective for several learner types and for varied discipline content.
Curriculum materials and instructional approaches had measureable impact on student achievement. Classes in which these variables closely matched demonstrated comparable rates of achievement; variations in materials and approaches impacted student achievement.
In addition to these findings, the meta-analysis also suggests the following:
Studies that contrasted hybrid and online courses generally found comparable rates of student learning.
Inclusion of elements such as videos or online quizzes did not typically impact student learning.
Student self-control over “interactions with media” and opportunities for learner reflection enhance student achievement.
Guidance for learning is not as successful for groups of learners as it is for individual learners. That is, “when groups . . . are learning together online, support mechanisms such as guiding questions generally influence the way students interact, but not the amount they learn” (emphasis mine).
The full report paints quite an interesting picture of online learning and its significant impact on issues of teaching and learning.
--Ghazala Hashmi
Professor of English; QEP Coordinator
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