Lets’ be honest – diving into evidence based research reports issued by the US Department of Education was not likely to be on the summer reading lists for many of us over the past few months. 

One such report that did catch my eye however was a research publication that was released in May, 2009.  “Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning” is a study that looks at the effectiveness of online learning.  Specifically, this research study set out to answer the following questions:

1.     How does the effectiveness of online learning compare with that of face-to-face instruction?

2.     Does supplementing face-to-face instruction with online instruction enhance learning?

3.     What practices are associated with more effective online learning?

4.     What conditions influence the effective of online learning?

Unlike that summer thriller that you may have read at the beach, let’s jump to the end immediately.  Key findings from this study include:

·      Students who took all or part of their courses online performed better than those who took the same course solely in a traditional face-to-face environment.

·      Instruction that combined elements of both online and face-to-face delivery had a larger advantage than instruction provided solely online.

·      The effectiveness of online learning approaches appears to be broad across different online content and student types.

As a home school educator, what does this study mean to you?  First I would say that it provides evidence to show that online learning is a viable alternative to traditional methods for delivering instruction.  Other research studies have similarly shown that students are achieving at equal if not higher rates in online courses compared to traditional face to face settings.  Secondly, I would point to the finding that showed a combination of both face-to-face and online instruction yields the highest achievement gains.  This is consistent with the message that I have been sharing with you that the role of the teacher is a critical component to student success even in online courses. 

Finally,

I would advise you to not assume that all online course providers will offer the same level of instructional interaction and student engagement; two key elements of success in online learning. You may want to review a previous newsletter piece in which I outline some key questions to consider when choosing an online course and provider: http://www.homeeddirectory.com/newsletter_December_08.html#8 

View pdf “Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning”  here

Bruce Friend is a pioneer in K-12 online learning. As a founding member, teacher, and chief administrator of two state-wide virtual school programs, Bruce has considerable experience in providing online learning opportunities to home school students. In 2003, Bruce was honored with the Most Outstanding Achievement by an Individual Award by the U.S. Distance Learning Association. In recent years he has consulted with online program developers and families throughout the United States. He is currently the Director of SAS® Curriculum Pathways® (www.sascurriculumpathways.com).   bruce.friend@sas.com