Online Learning Efficacy Research Database

Do students learn as effectively in an online accounting program as they do in a traditional on-campus classroom? This question is becoming increasingly relevant as more working adults opt for the flexibility of taking courses online. The study described in this article is based on data from 61 face-to-face sections and 70 online sections of accounting classes. Although the results show a lower level of achievement in the online sections, an analysis of the used four metrics provides clues to opportunities for making student learning in online accounting classes no less effective than in a traditional classroom environment. 
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With the growth of the world-wide web and e-learning some programs are now fully online but blended learning has also become popular, offering various combinations of internal classes and online content. This paper reports the results of delivering an introductory first-year property course using both online and blended learning. The paper investigates the effectiveness of blended and online learning based on the thesis that blended learning is more effective as students have the advantages of both face-to-face learning and the online environment. A case study approach was adopted that involved two recent cohorts of students. Course statistics from the newly introduced Moodle software were used to analyse how these two groups of students used the online material and how these activities were correlated with their learning outcomes. This paper contributes to higher education pedagogy in online learning by providing insights into the use of a project-based learning approach in engaging students. 
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Numerous studies have compared student outcomes in online classes and traditional classes, but with mixed results. This paper adds to the existing body of evidence through an examination of students in Personal Finance courses. Primary results indicate that the delivery method made little difference in student performance. Secondary results identify pre-course GPAs, and to a lesser extent ACT scores, as predictors of student success in Personal Finance. 
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Community colleges are increasing their enrollment faster than four-year universities and have also had the highest growth rate in online learning enrollments in higher education. This increase in community college enrollment and specifically in online and developmental courses, leads to a need for research with this population; sadly, very little research focuses on online students in community colleges. The purpose of this paper is to present a research study which compared student success in a Developmental Math course offered in three different learning environments (online, blended, and face-to-face). Using quantitative instruments, data from 167 participants was collected including, demographic information, unit test grades and standardized Intermediate Algebra Competency Exam scores. Results of a one way ANOVA showed that there were significant differences between learning environments with the students in the blended courses having the least success. Additional analysis was done to address issues of attrition since attrition rates are high for community college students and online students. Data analysis with the attrition adjusted sample showed that the face-to-face students performed most poorly. The findings of this study contradict the current research findings of no significant difference in success based on learning environment. 
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This paper presents the results of a study assessing the comparative effectiveness of teaching an undergraduate intermediate accounting course in the online classroom format. Students in a large state university were offered an opportunity to complete the first course in intermediate accounting either online or on-campus. Students were required to complete several objective homework assignments and write an essay on what is means to be a professional. In addition, students were asked to report their progress in achieving seven stated objectives of the course. Students in the online course performed as well as students in the on-campus course. 
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Online courses offer a number of obvious advantages to students in terms of scheduling and flexibility. Interactions between the instructor and student in an online course though tend to be more limited and strictly defined than they would be in the traditional classroom. Hybrid formats offer greater flexibility and variety for student-instructor interactions and learning exercises than the online format while still retaining some scheduling flexibility. This discussion assesses differences in student performance and outcomes across a sample of 7 sections of a Sports Economics course that over the last five academic years has been offered online, in the traditional classroom, and as a hybrid course. The analysis finds that students in an online course were likely to have scored 16 percent higher than students that took the same course in the traditional classroom. Students in the hybrid format were likely to have scored 4 percent lower than the students in the traditional classroom. 
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This article presents a longitudinal comparison of online versus traditional instructional delivery methods. Significant research had been conducted comparing online and traditional courses. However, there is no consensus regarding student performance considering the two instructional methods. Additionally, previous studies have focused on a limited number of courses or a short time period. This research study involves a single introductory business application software course, delivered as a traditional course and as an online course, offered over a period of ten years. The course was taught by the same instructor using the same criteria and standards across all classes, however, new versions of the software were utilized. Student performance was analyzed across 30 sections of the course from the years 2001 to 2010. Results indicate that there was no significant difference in student performance between the two modes of course delivery. 
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Are students setting themselves up for failure by taking online courses? Should students be restricted from taking online courses if they have not reached a certain GPA? Should students who fail or withdraw from an online course be required to take to traditional courses for at least one semester? At one Historically Black College or University (HBCU) there seemed to be a marked difference in the success of students taking online courses versus students taking face-to-face courses. Online students seemed to have a higher withdrawal rate, failure rate and seemed to have more trouble completing assignments by the deadline, if at all. Therefore, in the spring 2010 semester data were gathered from four management courses, two online and two face-to-face, across two different subjects, with different professors and different students to see if there was any notable difference in online achievement versus face-to-face achievement and if there was a difference in achievement why were online students performing so poorly as compared to face-to-face students. 
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Although online learning is rapidly expanding in the community college setting, there is little evidence regarding its effectiveness among community college students. In the current study, the authors used a statewide administrative data set to estimate the effects of taking one's first college-level math or English course online rather than face to face, in terms of both course retention and course performance. Several empirical strategies were used to minimize the effects of student self-selection, including multilevel propensity score. The findings indicate a robust negative impact of online course taking for both subjects. Furthermore, by comparing the results of two matching methods, the authors conclude that within-school matching on the basis of a multilevel model addresses concerns regarding selection issues more effectively than does traditional propensity score matching across schools. 
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A research project was conducted to analyze student achievement using submitted assignments for two sections of a graduate course in human development and learning, taught both online and face-to-face, as well as three sections of undergraduate educational psychology, two of which were taught face-to-face, and one taught online. Results suggest there were no significant differences between the work submitted by students from the online sections and from the face-to-face students, and that the methods of instruction are more important than the delivery platform. 
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