Online Learning Efficacy Research Database

This study examined performance of Master’s-level students in an online course in Cognition, Learning and Assessment and compared it with the performance of students in a face-to-face classroom setting of the same course (N = 70). Data were collected from six sections of the course over a two-year period. The same professor taught all sections. Identical final exams plus two common assignments were used to determine whether there were differences in performance. An analysis of covariance, with graduate record exam scores as the covariate, was applied using each of the dependent variables. Students in the face-to-face class scored significantly higher on two out of the three measures. 
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The purpose of this research was to perform a three way comparison of delivery modes for an introductory Management Information Systems course to determine if there existed a difference in student success among the delivery modes. The research compares student exam and final grade results in this class that was taught by the same instructor using face-to-face, blended and online delivery modes. An Analysis of Variance test was used on the exam and final grade data to determine if a significant difference existed. Additionally, a discussion of this class in relation to student satisfaction, learning effectiveness and faculty satisfaction is presented. This research demonstrates that there is no significant difference among delivery modes. Additionally, blended and online modes for this class do very well when measuring student satisfaction, learning effectiveness and faculty satisfaction. 
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This study compares learning success of online and on-campus students in a general education soil science course with lab and field components. Two terms of students completed standardized pre- and postassessments designed to test knowledge and skills from the lecture and lab content of the course. There was no difference in overall grade or lab assignment grades between course formats. Online students outperformed on-campus students on the preassessment in the first term and on the post-assessment in the second term; the two populations scored the similarly for the other assessments. Online students showed a 42% grade improvement from pre- to post-assessment; on-campus students had a 21% improvement. Online students also showed better learning success in lab-related knowledge and skills based on individual assessment questions. The students in both populations successfully met the learning objectives for this lab- and field-based science course. 
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Few previous studies comparing online and traditional courses have focused on undergraduate management courses. Our results complement previous analyses finding that, when we control for factors such as class, major, and GPA, students in online courses do as well in objective measures of performance, but not better than students in traditional courses. We also found that in the online sections, females performed at least as well as males. We discuss these results in relation to some changes in online education and the persistent perception by some that online education is somewhat problematic because students need more discipline in online courses. 
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Objective. Determine whether lectures by national experts and a publicly available online program with similar educational objectives can improve knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs (KAB) important to chronic pain management.

Design. A pretest–posttest randomized design with two active educational interventions in two different physician groups and a third physician group that received live education on a different topic to control for outside influences, including retesting effects, on our evaluation.

Participants. A total of 136 community-based primary care physicians met eligibility criteria. All physicians attended the educational program to which they were assigned. Ninety-five physicians (70%) provided complete data for evaluation.

Measurements. Physician responses to a standardized 50-item pain management KAB survey before, immediately after, and 3 months following the interventions.

Results. The study groups and the 41 physicians not providing outcomes information were similar with respect to age, sex, race, percent engaged in primary care, and number of patients seen per week. Physician survey scores improved immediately following both pain education programs (live: 138.0→150.6, P < 0.001; online: 143.6→150.4, P = 0.007), but did not change appreciably in the control group (139.2→142.5, P > 0.05). Findings persisted at 3 months. Satisfaction measures were high (4.00–4.72 on 1–5 scale) and not significantly different (P = 0.072–0.893) between groups.

Conclusions. When used under similar conditions, national speakers and a publicly available online CME program were associated with improved pain management KAB in physicians. The benefits lasted for 3 months. These findings support the continued use of these pain education strategies. 
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Background
Within a clinical context e-learning is comparable to traditional approaches of continuing medical education (CME). However, the occupational health context differs and until now the effect of postgraduate e-learning among occupational physicians (OPs) has not been evaluated.

Aim
To evaluate the effect of e-learning on knowledge on mental health issues as compared to lecture-based learning in a CME programme for OPs.

Methods
Within the context of a postgraduate meeting for 74 OPs, a randomized controlled trial was conducted. Test assessments of knowledge were made before and immediately after an educational session with either e-learning or lecture-based learning.

Results
In both groups, a significant gain in knowledge on mental health care was found (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the two educational approaches.

Conclusion
The effect of e-learning on OPs' mental health care knowledge is comparable to a lecture-based approach. Therefore, e-learning can be beneficial for the CME of OPs. 
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The purpose of this study was to determine how a traditional weight training class compared to nontraditional classes that were heavily laden with technology. Could students learn resistance exercises by watching video demonstrations over the Internet? Three university weight training classes, each lasting 16 weeks, were compared. Each class had the same curriculum and workout requirements but different attendance requirements. The online group made extensive use of the Internet and was allowed to complete the workouts on their own at any gym that was convenient for them. Seventy-nine college-aged students were randomized into 3 groups: traditional (n = 27), hybrid (n = 25), and online (n = 27). They completed pretest and posttest measures on upper-body strength (i.e., bench press), lower-body strength (i.e., back squat), and knowledge (i.e., written exam). The results indicated that all 3 groups showed significant improvement in knowledge (p < 0.05). The online group did not require the students to attend class and may have resulted in significantly lower scores on the bench press (p < 0.05) and squats (p < 0.05). This study indicates that an online weight training course may improve knowledge but not strength. Possible reasons for a lack of improvement in the online group included lack of motivation, low accountability, and the possibility that the self-reported workouts were not accurate. These results suggest that there is a limit to how much technology can be used in a weight training class. If this limit is exceeded, some type of monitoring system appears necessary to ensure that students are actually completing their workouts. 
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The current paper discusses a comparative assessment of student learning outcomes in large online and traditional in-class courses when teaching introduction to criminal justice. The courses were taught to over 500 students in a public, urban university in the southeast. Overall, the findings of the current study highlight that there are few differences regarding student performance and knowledge obtainment in the two courses. The only significant correlations with the delivery method were weakly related to the third exam grade and the class final grade. The online class received significantly higher grades on the third exam in comparison to the in-class group. However, the students’ final grades and course delivery type were negatively correlated indicating that the traditional class received a significantly higher final grade than the online class. Lastly, the results revealed that students were less satisfied with the online course, which may have been attributed to technological problems during the semester. 
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