Online Learning Efficacy Research Database

The purpose of the research was to compare student performance in an online or face-to-face (F2F) required Psychology course on three distinct sets of variables (i.e., pre-course, course, and post-course variables). Analyses revealed mixed significant and nonsignificant results. Students did not differ in terms of such variables as hours transferred to the university from prior schools, total hours earned toward their degrees, and number of hours currently attempted. However, online students had significantly lower grade point averages, missed significantly more grade opportunities, and were significantly more likely to fail the course compared to their F2F counterparts. These and other results are discussed in relation to potentially developing a different lens through which to view student performance in online courses. 
[less]

Online learning is on the rise, but research on outcomes and student satisfaction has produced conflicting results, and systematic, targeted research on underprepared college students is generally lacking. This study compared three sections (traditional, online, and 50% hybrid) of the same upper-level psychology course, taught with identical materials by the same instructor. Although exam scores were marginally higher in the traditional course, final grades and written assignments did not differ across sections, nor did student satisfaction. Student engagement predicted outcomes online. Taken together, these results suggest that outcomes and satisfaction are equivalent in online, hybrid, and traditional courses, and that a student's own diligence and drive might better predict success in online learning. 
[less]

This study examines the effect of blended coursework on student learning outcomes in introductory economics courses. The effect of blending on learning is determined by comparing scores on quizzes and exams between students in a blended course (the treatment) and students in a traditional face-to-face course (the control). This study accounts for the potential bias due to non-random selection into treatment by using propensity score matching. The results indicate no significant effects of blending on student learning. 
[less]

Online education has become increasingly popular for providing learning experiences in all disciplines. Despite continued evidence that online learning is at least equivalent to traditional methods, some educators are reluctant to embrace online educational offerings. This study evaluated whether an online class provided within an otherwise traditional face-to-face (F2F) nurse anesthesia curriculum would produce comparable learning outcomes and be accepted by students as an alternative learning format. A F2F lecture format for teaching 12 lead EKG interpretation was compared with similar course materials provided in an asynchronous, self-paced, online narrated video format. A pretest/posttest design was used to evaluate concept knowledge change and an analytical skills examination (ASE) determined student ability to accurately interpret EKG readings. The variables of satisfaction, attitude toward online learning, and student time were also evaluated. Knowledge and analytical skill acquisition were comparable in both groups and satisfaction was equally good with both delivery methods. The student's attitudes concerning online instruction improved after exposure to the online method of teaching. These findings indicate that similar online activities can be successfully incorporated into a Nurse Anesthesia curriculum while maintaining learning outcomes and satisfaction. 
[less]

Objective. To compare performance and preferences of students who were randomly allocated to classroom or online sections of an elective course on immunization. Methods. Students were randomly assigned to either the classroom or online section. All course activities (lectures, quizzes, case discussions, vaccine administration, and final examination) were the same for both sections, except for the delivery of lecture material. Assessment. Students were surveyed on their preferences at the beginning and end of the semester. At the end of the semester, the majority of students in the classroom group preferred classroom or blended delivery while the majority of students in the online group preferred blended or online delivery (p,0.01). Student performance was compared at the end of the semester. There was no significant difference for any of the grades in the course between the 2 sections. Conclusion. There was no difference in student performance between the classroom and online sections, suggesting that online delivery is an effective way to teach students about immunization. 
[less]

Using a nationally representative sample (The Beginning Postsecondary Student Survey, BPS 04/09), this study examined the associations between enrollment in credit-bearing distance education courses and degree attainment. We sought to determine whether US students enrolled in distance education courses during their first year of study at a community college tend to complete a degree (certificate, associate, or bachelor's) at significantly lower rates than those who were not enrolled in such courses or programs. Consistent with previous large-scale research at the State level in Virginia and Washington (Smith Jaggars & Xu, 2010; Xu & Smith Jaggars, 2011), we hypothesized that community college students who participate in distance education in early semesters graduate at lower rates than students who do not. Contrary to expectations, the study found that controlling for relevant background characteristics; students who take some of their early = courses online or at a distance have a significantly better chance of attaining a community college credential than do their classroom only counterparts. These results imply that a new model of student retention in the age of the internet, one that assumes transactional adaptation, may be warranted. 
[less]

Objectives
The objective of this study was to evaluate student pharmacist experience and academic performance in the first offering of a drug information and literature evaluation course utilizing a blended learning approach.

Methods
An anonymous online survey, course grades, and evaluations were compared with the traditional offering (composed of live lectures and occasional recitations).

Results
The blended learning strategy doubled the time spent in recitation; 96% of students reported them as “helpful.” Students preferred viewing lectures online and viewed most lectures on time. Students reported that online lectures in this course provided an equal educational value compared with “live” lectures. Compared to the traditional course, there was no difference in examination scores or course evaluations. Course grades and student perception of achieving course objectives were improved with the blended learning course.

Implications
The blended learning strategy allowed for an increase in active learning sessions, higher course grades, and improvement in components of the course evaluations. 
[less]

With the practice of offering college courses and degrees through distance education in order to increase college enrollments, the question arises, “are there unintended consequences for students taking these courses?” The purpose of the research reported on in this article was to compare student outcomes for online versus face-to-face sections of courses matched by course number and instructor for a ten-year period following the introduction of online courses at a small-sized, southeastern regional state university. Results indicated a +12 percent difference in the percent of students receiving credit for the course and +.15 higher average course GPA (on a 4.0 scale) favoring the face-to-face format. Longitudinal analyses indicated that as online sections of courses were offered in more disciplines by more instructors to more students, the differences in GPA became apparent. These results are discussed in terms of the potential unintended effects of taking an online version of a course on the hour and GPA continuation requirements for keeping state scholarships. 
[less]

Using a dataset containing nearly 500,000 courses taken by over 40,000 community and technical college students in Washington State, this study examines the performance gap between online and face-to-face courses and how the size of that gap differs across student subgroups and academic subject areas. While all types of students in the study suffered decrements in performance in online courses, those with the strongest declines were males, younger students, Black students, and students with lower grade point averages. Online performance gaps were also wider in some academic subject areas than others. After controlling for individual and peer effects, the social sciences and the applied professions (e.g., business, law, and nursing) showed the strongest online performance gaps. 
[less]