A New York Times article summarized an interesting research report on Evidence-based practices in Online Learning of the US Department of Education. The research took a longitudinal view spanning from 1996 to 2008 and investigated a sample of 99 comparative, quantitative studies of online versus classroom performance for the same courses. The meta-analysis found that, on average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction. Believers in blended learning will be happy to see that the research found that this form produced the best results. Hence instruction combining online and face-to-face elements had a larger advantage relative to purely face-to-face instruction than did purely online instruction. Other interesting findings include:

• Variations in the way studies implemented online learning did not affect student outcomes significantly.
• The effectiveness of  online learning approaches appears broad across different content and learner types.
• Online learning can be enhanced by giving learners control of their interactions with media and prompting learner reflection.

I would say that the instructional strategy used also plays an important role in the effectiveness of the education programs researched. The researchers admit this aspect by highlighting that in the studies showing an advantage for online learning, the classroom and online learning conditions differed in terms of time spent, curriculum and pedagogy. The research also used some studies with rather small samples. Therefore it is hard to say if online learning really beats conventional education in the end. I think it still depends on the design and conditions, but some evidence for the effectiveness of blended approaches is found. 

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