COMPARING THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF ONLINE
LEARNING TO TRADITIONAL
LEARNING FORMATS
Is online learning effective?

Photo credit: Maureen Rose

• When an online course is
properly designed and
conducted, learning outcomes
are not significantly different
from those produced in a
traditional, face-to-face
classroom setting. (USDOE,
2010)

Questions

• What does effective
mean?
• How do they measure it?
• In all disciplines?
• Academic? Vocational?
• Practical? Conceptual?

Literature
Review

Papers Reviewed
31 Papers

Research
• Compared f2f with online
• Peer reviewed journals
• Range of fields
• Practical and theoretical
Excluded:
Studies where online pedagogy was not
used.

10 countries

Variety of
Disciplines

Disciplines
• Social work

• Medical Laboratory
• Education: preschool science students

media
• SQL Course

teachers

• Leadership Studies

• Health Studies

• Sociology

• Speech Pathology
and Dentistry

• Finance

• Language teaching:
Spanish, Dutch,
English

• Engineering (math
courses)

• Business students

• Math

• Nursing

• Economics

• Hospitality

• Sociology

• Business School

• Vocational Training:

• Dental hygiene

• Macroeconomics

Findings

Academic
Performance

Student
Satisfaction

Four
Major
Themes

BENEFITS OF
ONLINE EDUCATION

STUDENT
SATISFACTION

INTERACTION

ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE

Flexibility

Benefits
of
Online

Real World Application
Digital Skills

Cost Effective

F2f comparable to online

Student
Satisfaction

Negative:
Technical glitches
Feeling isolated
Workload higher than expected

Student to Content

Interaction

Student to Student

Student to Teacher

Academic Performance
• Comparable
• Student Characteristics and Choice

Comparing the Effectiveness on Online Learning to Traditional Learning
Formats: Is Online Learning Effective?
References
1. Afrouz, R., & Crisp, B. R. (2020). Online education in social work, effectiveness, benefits, and
challenges: A scoping review. Australian Social Work.
2. Archana V. Hegde & Brittany S. Hewett (2020) Examining effectiveness of online teaching
modules on Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) for guiding young children’s behavior:
student and instructor perspectives, Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, DOI:
10.1080/10901027.2020.1781714
3. Aggarwal R, Gupte N, Kass N, Taylor H, Ali J, Bhan A, et al. (2011). A comparison of online versus
on-site training in health research methodology: a randomized study. BMC Medical Education,
11, 37. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-11-37
4. Arias, J. J., Swinton, J., & Anderson, K. (2018). Online vs. Face-to-Face: A Comparison of Student
Outcomes with Random Assignment. E-Journal of Business Education and Scholarship of
Teaching, 12(2), 1–23.
5. Bains M, Reynolds PA, McDonald F & Sherriff M. (2011). Effectiveness and acceptability of faceto-face, blended and e-learning: a randomised trial of orthodontic undergraduates. European
Journal of Dental Education, 15, 110-7. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0579.2010.00651.x
6. Baber, H. (2020). Determinants of Students’ Perceived Learning Outcome and Satisfaction in
Online Learning during the Pandemic of COVID19. Journal of Education and E-Learning
Research, 7(3), 285–292.
7. Bosshardt, W., & Chiang, E. P. (2016). Lecture capture learning: Do students perform better
compared to face-to-face classes? Southern Economic Journal, 82(3), 1021-1038.
8. Blau, G., & Kapanjie, D. (2016). Correlates of business undergraduates' perceived favorability of
online compared to face-to-face courses. Journal of Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness,
6(1), 50-66. doi:10.5325/jasseinsteffe.6.1.0050
9. Bir, D. D. (2019). Comparison of Academic Performance of Students in Online vs. Traditional
Engineering Course. European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning, 22(1), 1–13.
10. Birkeland, K., Weinandt, M., & Carr, D. L. (2015). Student Outcomes in Economics Principles:
Online vs. Face-to-Face Delivery. Journal of Learning in Higher Education, 11(2), 41–50.
11. Chen, K.-Z., Lowenthal, P. R., & Bauer, C. (2016). Effectiveness and Student Perceptions of HighEnrolment Health Studies Online Courses. Health Education Journal, 75(3), 343–357.

Jacquie Harrison
Feb. 26, 2021

12. Chuang, H.-H., Weng, C.-Y., & Chen, C.-H. (2018). Which Students Benefit Most from a Flipped
Classroom Approach to Language Learning? British Journal of Educational Technology, 49(1), 56–
68.
13. de Paepe, L. (2018). Student Performance in Online and Face-to-Face Second Language Courses:
Dutch L2 in Adult Education. Journal of Educational Sciences, 19, 66–76.
14. Donkin R, Askew E & Stevenson H. (2019). Video feedback and e-Learning enhances laboratory
skills and engagement in medical laboratory science students. BMC Medical Education, 19, 310.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-019-1745-1
15. Dziuban, C., & Moskal, P. (2011). A course is a course is a course: Factor invariance in student
evaluation of online, blended and face-to-face learning environments. The Internet and Higher
Education, 14(4), 236-241. doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2011.05.003
16. Enkin, E., & Mejías‐Bikandi, E. (2017). The effectiveness of online teaching in an advanced
Spanish language course. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 27(1), 176-197.
doi:10.1111/ijal.12112
17. Fendler, R. J., Ruff, C., & Shrikhande, M. M. (2018). No Significant Difference--Unless You Are a
Jumper. Online Learning, 22(1), 39–60.
18. Jurewitsch, B. (2012). A Meta-Analytic and Qualitative Review of Online versus Face-to-Face
Problem-Based Learning. Journal of Distance Education, 26(2).
19. Krämer, B. J., Neugebauer, J., Magenheim, J., & Huppertz, H. (2015). New Ways of Learning:
Comparing the Effectiveness of Interactive Online Media in Distance Education with the
European Textbook Tradition. British Journal of Educational Technology, 46(5), 965–971.
20. Lepp, A., Barkley, J. E., Karpinski, A. C., & Singh, S. (2019). College students’ multitasking
behavior in online versus face-to-face courses. SAGE Open, 9(1), 215824401882450.
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21. Lopez Soblechero MV, Gonzalez Gaya C & Hernandez Ramirez JJ. (2014). A comparative study of
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22. Manning-Ouellette, A., & Black, K. M. (2017). Learning Leadership: A Qualitative Study on the
Differences of Student Learning in Online versus Traditional Courses in a Leadership Studies
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23. Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R. F., & Baki, M. (2013). The Effectiveness of Online and Blended
Learning: A Meta-Analysis of the Empirical Literature. Teachers College Record, 115(3).

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Feb. 26, 2021

24. McCall, M., Spencer, E., Owen, H., Roberts, N., & Heneghan, C. (2018). Characteristics and
Efficacy of Digital Health Education: An Overview of Systematic Reviews. Health Education
Journal, 77(5), 497–514.
25. Moazami F, Bahrampour E, Azar MR, Jahedi F & Moattari M. (2014). Comparing two methods of
education (virtual versus traditional) on learning of Iranian dental students: a post-test only
design study. BMC Medical Education, 14, 45. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-14-45
26. O'Flaherty JA & Laws TA. (2014). Nursing student's evaluation of a virtual classroom experience
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27. Ramos, J. S., da Silva, L. K., Pinzan, A., de Castro Rodrigues, A., & Berretin-Felix, G. (2015).
Distance Learning: Effectiveness of an Interdisciplinary Course in Speech Pathology and
Dentistry. Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Skills and Lifelong Learning, 11, 101–121.
28. Sagheb-Tehrani, M. (2011). Distance Learning: An Empirical Study. Information Systems
Education Journal, 9(1), 41–52.
29. Sellnow-Richmond, D., Strawser, M. G., & Sellnow, D. D. (2020). Student Perceptions of Teaching
Effectiveness and Learning Achievement: A Comparative Examination of Online and Hybrid
Course Delivery Format. Communication Teacher, 34(3), 248–263.
30. Soffer, T., & Nachmias, R. (2018). Effectiveness of learning in online academic courses compared
with face‐to‐face courses in higher education. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 34(5),
534–543.
31. Sussman, S., & Dutter, L. (2010). Comparing Student Learning Outcomes in Face-to-Face and
Online Course Delivery. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 13(4).
32. Van den Broeck, L., De Laet, T., Lacante, M., Pinxten, M., Van Soom, C., & Langie, G. (2020). The
Effectiveness of a MOOC in Basic Mathematics and Time Management Training for Transfer
Students in Engineering. European Journal of Engineering Education, 45(4), 534–549.
33. Weldy, T. G. (2018). Traditional, Blended, or Online: Business Student Preferences and
Experience with Different Course Formats. E-Journal of Business Education and Scholarship of
Teaching, 12(2), 55–62.
34. Wuellner, M. R. (2013). Student Learning and Instructor Investment in Online and Face-to-Face
Natural Resources Courses. Natural Sciences Education, 42(1), 14–23.
35. Yavuzarslan, M., Olgun, H., & Yazici, S. (2019). A Pilot Study on the Comparison between
Blended and F2F Learning Methods in a SQL Course. Online Submission, 2, 17–25.

Jacquie Harrison
Feb. 26, 2021

Jacquie Harrison
Feb. 26, 2021