Courses that incorporate online learning are increasingly a fact of life for American college and university students. The share of postsecondary students in the United States who took at least one online course has increased every year for the past decade - to a high of 34 per cent in the fall semester of 2012. Even as the prevalence of online learning continues to grow, however, there remains a dearth of rigorous research done on the learning outcomes associated with online and hybrid learning.
Building on a 2013 Ithaka S+R report [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 112.480], this paper examine
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Courses that incorporate online learning are increasingly a fact of life for American college and university students. The share of postsecondary students in the United States who took at least one online course has increased every year for the past decade - to a high of 34 per cent in the fall semester of 2012. Even as the prevalence of online learning continues to grow, however, there remains a dearth of rigorous research done on the learning outcomes associated with online and hybrid learning.
Building on a 2013 Ithaka S+R report [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 112.480], this paper examines in depth the status of the research on learning outcomes associated with online and hybrid courses since 2013. Among the twelve studies evaluated for this report, only one employs a randomized controlled trial, and two more utilize quasi-experimental research designs to estimate the causal impact of online delivery formats on student outcomes. These more methodologically robust studies find that students taking online or hybrid courses generally performed no differently (or only marginally worse) than their peers in face-to-face sections, a finding consistent with prior studies of similar rigor. Yet, for the vast majority of studies analyzed, there has been little progress in addressing the methodological shortcomings underscored by Lack (2013) and others. Furthermore, there remains an insufficient body of evidence regarding the cost-effectiveness of online and technology-enhanced learning, one of the key research needs identified by Lack (2013). This report begins by discussing prior efforts to survey the literature on online learning. Next, it offers the first summary and analysis of the research produced since 2013. The main body of the report concludes by examining potential avenues for improvement, emphasis, and future research. Finally, a 'Description of Studies' section contains detailed, systematic summaries of each of the post-2013 studies assessed.
Excerpt from publication.
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