The Quality Question

Are you considering enrolling in an online degree program, but wondering about the quality of online education?

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development recently released a report that analyzed research regarding online versus face-to-face education and student learning outcomes. According to the report:

“The meta-analysis found that, on average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction. The difference between student outcomes for online and face-to-face classes—measured as the difference between treatment and control means, divided by the pooled standard deviation—was larger in those studies contrasting conditions that blended elements of online and face-to-face instruction with conditions taught entirely face-to-face.”

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies, Washington, D.C., 2009.

Download the report (pdf) here.