Einstein once said, “I never teach my pupils, I only provide the conditions in which they can learn” which suggests he would have been very interested in the findings of this U.S. Department of Education report. The meta-analysis and review of online learning studies concluded that:
…on average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction. (p. xi)While the study does not endorse the online medium as superior, it stresses that the different learning conditions (e.g., time spent, curriculum, and pedagogy) afforded by the online environment have, in combination, produced significant learning benefits for students (p. xvii).
Although don't be surprised to see no significant difference over traditional classroom teaching if you provide the same learning conditions online—expecting otherwise would, as Einstein supposedly said, be insane!
