Important Studies on Online Learning

The 2008 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

• Students taking most of their classes online report more deep approaches to learning in their classes, relative to classroom based learners. Furthermore, a larger share of online learners reported very often participating in intellectually challenging course activities.

US Department of Education - 2009 Report - Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies

• Students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction.
  
• Instruction combining online and face-to-face elements had a larger advantage relative to purely face-to-face instruction than did purely online instruction.

The 2009 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

• Course management and interactive technologies were positively related to student engagement, self-reported learning outcomes, and deep approaches to learning.