What Does Research Tell Us about Online Education
The State of Online Education Research
Online learning is a relatively recent development of distance education so much of the theory and research about online education is in the early stages of development. Much of what is known about the advantages and disadvantages of online teaching and learning for different student and teacher populations is based on the large body of research from higher education and business. The burgeoning growth in the number of K12 students being served by online education opportunities and the number of opportunities being offered is fueling an expansion of the body of research on K12 online education.
While there is no dispute that the Internet is a viable delivery system with the potential to enhance the educational quality of learning activities in the classroom, there are still major concerns about its appropriateness and effectiveness as the primary vehicle for education, particularly in the elementary grades. There are as yet no established standards for K12 online teaching and learning because the variables that cultivate and produce effective online teaching and learning are not well understood.
The following generalizations from available research on online education are a synthesis of the findings from a multitude of studies. It is an extrapolation that broadly suggests some of the implications for a diverse population of K-12 students and educators.
Participation in Online Opportunities
- More than 50 percent of all school districts offer some online coursework, up from 30 percent in just two years, to create "anywhere, anytime" flexibility.
- The online delivery of high school courses fulfills a very real and practical need in the high school curriculum especially for students in small or rural high schools.
- While some limitations on course offerings exist in all high schools, in those schools restricted by access to resources or expertise due to geography or socio-economic factors, curriculum-based, online courses for high school students may provide a realistic and affordable solution for these limitations.
- The increase in the number of students taking and passing AP courses is attributable to the increase in the number of students now taking AP courses online.
- Dropout rates for online courses and programs may be 10 to 20 percent higher than for in-classroom courses and programs
- Online students drop out because they lack time, management oversight, motivation, support, or because their individual learning style is not congruent with online delivery strategy.
Student Choice
- When students enroll in online courses as a matter of choice, they frequently do so because of scheduling conflicts or availability issues. The courses they typically enroll in are those that enrich or expand their learning.
- When students enroll in online courses as a matter of necessity, they frequently do so for credit retrieval or because of incarceration, illness, pregnancy, or failure to thrive in classroom situations.
- Online learning is not always the most effective or appropriate mode of instructional delivery for certain content or students. There are times and contexts when in-classroom instructional delivery predominates and the end-goal of online instructional delivery is to enhance or widen the educational experience.
Effectiveness
- The level of interaction between online instructor and student has a significant impact on student satisfaction and learning.
- There are indications that student achievement in online courses is at least equal to student achievement in classrooms.
- Students prefer online courses to be structured with expected outcomes explicitly stated.
- Students respond most successfully to a variety of learning activities that appeal to diverse learning styles.
- Simply putting lecture notes on the Web does not constitute effective online instruction and not every teacher is cut out for online teaching. Online teachers fail primarily because they are pressured to produce online courses without proper pedagogical training in course design, delivery, and management.
- Adult online learners see asynchronous communication as the primary advantage of online education but younger students value "teachable moments" that are created during a synchronous exchange when the teacher says or does something as an immediate intervention in their learning process.
- The primary problems and issues related to K-12 online education are frequently technical difficulties related to access to technology or installation.
References
Frankola, V. (2001). Why online learners drop out. Workforce, 80(10), 52-60.
Mills, S. (2003). Implementing online secondary education: An evaluation of a virtual high school. Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, University of Kansas.
O'Brien, F. (2001). Learning style theory: Its implications for the design and delivery of online distance education courses. Trinity college, University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Palloff, K. & Pratt, K. (2003). The Virtual Student: A Profile and Guide to Working With Online Learners. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.
Roblyer, M.D. (1999). Is choice important in distance learning? A study of student motives for taking Internet-based courses at the high school and community college levels. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 32(1).
Russell, T.L. (2001) The no-significant difference phenomenon. Chapel Hill, NC: Office of Instruction Telecommunications, North Carolina State University.
Taniguchi, M. (2003). Internet Metaphors Matter. In Watts, M. (2003). Introduction: Technology: Taking the Distance Out of Learning. Wiley, San Francisco.
Watts, M. (2003). Technology as Catalyst. In Watts, M. (2003). Introduction: Technology: Taking the Distance Out of Learning. Wiley, San Francisco.