Online Learning Efficacy Research Database

This study examined pre-test and post-test scores, homework grades, research paper grades, final exam scores, final course grades, learning styles, and ages of distance education and traditional students enrolled in a business communications class to determine if distance education is better, worse, or as good as traditional education. Significant differences were found for post-test scores, final exam scores, and age. There were no significant differences in pre-test scores, homework grades, research paper grades, and final course grades. Both groups preferred clearly organized coursework and performing at an above-average level--ranking in the top 25 to 33% of their class. Recommendations for research include investigating student social interaction and increasing the number of classes studied to compare results. 
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This empirical study compared a graduate online course with an equivalent course taught in a traditional face-to-face format on a variety of outcome measures. Comparisons included student ratings of instructor and course quality; assessment of course interaction, structure, and support; and learning outcome measures such as course grades and student self-assessment of their ability to perform various Instructional Systems Design (ISD) tasks. Results revealed that the students in the face-to-face course held slightly more positive perceptions about the instructor and overall course quality although there was no difference between the two course formats in several measures of learning outcomes. The findings have direct implications for the creation, development, and delivery of online instruction. 
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This study reports the results of a random assignment experiment using Web quizzes constructed with the Mallard software program and a multiple-choice test bank provided with O’Connor and Sabato’s American Government text. The experiment allows comparison of the performance of students who were assigned quizzes on specific chapters of the book with those who were not. The general purpose is to assess whether assigning Web quizzes in a large American government course has any effect on students’ comprehension of the material. The authors found no significant differences on posttest scores between students who were assigned Web quizzes and those who were not. 
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The purpose of this project was to compare student outcomes in an undergraduate research course taught using both World Wide Web-based distance learning technology and traditional pedagogy. Reasons given for enrolling in the traditional classroom section included the perception of increased opportunity for interaction, decreased opportunity to procrastinate, immediate feedback, and more meaningful learning activities. Reasons for selecting the Web group section included cost, convenience, and flexibility. Overall, there was no significant difference in examination scores between the two groups on the three multiple-choice examinations or for the course grades (t = -.96, P = .343). Students who reported that they were self-directed and had the ability to maintain their own pace and avoid procrastination were most suited to Web-based courses. The Web-based classes can help provide opportunities for methods of communication that are not traditionally nurtured in traditional classroom settings. Secondary benefits of the World Wide Web-based course were to increase student confidence with the computer, and introduce them to skills and opportunities they would not have had in the classroom. Additionally, over time and with practice, student's writing skills improved. 
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We offered introductory psychology on the World-Wide Web (WWW) and evaluated the on-line format relative to the traditional lecture-test format, using a pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design. Multiple sections of the introductory course were offered each semester; on-line and lecture sections were taught by the same instructor, the same textbook was used, and the same in-class examinations were taken. For on-line sections, mastery quizzes, interactive individual exercises, and weekly laboratory meetings replaced lectures. Increased content knowledge was greater for the students in the Web sections, as was in-class examination performance. Use of the WWW and computers for academic purposes increased more in the on-line sections, and the on-line students showed a greater decrease in computer anxiety. The students in the on-line sections expressed appreciation for course components and the convenience of the course, but the lecture sections received higher ratings on course evaluations than did the on-line sections. Learning and course satisfaction were dissociated in the two course formats. 
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The program evaluation compared student achievement and self-report data in two types of learning environments—a
traditional classroom environment and an online learning environment to examine the comparative effectiveness of online delivery, to identify characteristics of successful and unsuccessful distance learning students, and to gauge degree of satisfaction with online delivery. Undergraduate students (N=93) enrolled in four sections of Business 100, Computer Fundamentals, were assigned by section to complete a 4-weeks long spreadsheet module either in class (control) or online (experimental). The online instruction was delivered via a website and was supplemented with email and listserv discussion. Posttest findings revealed no significant differences in knowledge gain between the control (M = .75) and online (M = .77) groups, indicating that this online module was at least as effective as the traditional classroom instruction. Post hoc analysis of achievement data showed that more capable students working online scored significantly better (p<.01) than the more capable control group. Self-report measures compared to achievement indicated that frequent computer users benefited most from online delivery, while frequent computer use was not a factor in the control group's performance. Also competitiveness had a negative correlation with achievement for the online group but not for the control group. In summary, this online instruction provided an effective standardized course delivery. However low-prior knowledge students who are less frequent computer users were not served well by this online instruction. 
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The controversy over cyberlearning, as an integral part of the teaching and learning process in higher education, is growing almost as fast as the technology itself. Unfortunately, there are relatively few empirical studies that provide a comprehensive test of the effectiveness of cyberlearning. This exploratory study compares Cyberlearners with Traditional Learners in a graduate-level MBA course in introductory macroeconomics. The findings appear to provide evidence that cyberlearning can be as effective as traditional classroom learning. 
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Although there has been more than a decade of literature on computer-mediated communication in education, the research has been unclear as to whether it is an effective replacement for face-to-face (FtF) collaboration. This study sought to add to this body of research by exploring the effects of two modes of collaboration on student groups. Following a repeated-measures experimental design, each student group collaborated on two case studies, one using face-to-face collaboration and the other using asynchronous computer conferencing technology as a means of collaboration. Empirical findings indicate that asynchronous collaboration is as effective as face-to-face collaboration in terms of learning, quality of solution, solution content, and satisfaction with the solution quality. However, students were significantly less satisfied with the asynchronous learning experience, both in terms of the group interaction process and the quality of group discussions. 
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