In what appears to be the mother of all reports synthesizing the results of several studies conducted over the past dozen or so years, this US Department of Education publication concludes what we at SmartBean have long believed to be true – that online education has come to present a very real and compelling alternative to traditional face-to-face teaching and learning.

According to the linked New York Times article, “The study’s major significance lies in demonstrating that online learning today is not just better than nothing — it actually tends to be better than conventional instruction,” said Barbara Means, the study’s lead author and an educational psychologist at SRI International.”

The meta-analysis conducted by SRI Interaction addressed the following 4 research questions:

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?

The following were among the key findings:

• Students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course 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.
• 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.
• 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.

The following conclusion in the report, is, in our view, a key point to note–

“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. 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.”

The SmartBean take for parents: Don’t balk at the idea of enrolling your children for an online program if it gives them more flexibility with their schedules and exposure to subjects that they’re interested in, but don’t have opportunities to study otherwise. Be guided, however, by recommendations for quality programs such as those here on SmartBean, or those recommended by local school districts, and opt for programs offered by pedigree organizations.