Study Reveals Student Gains From Online Learning September 4th, 2009
Tom Amontree

Is the world of online learning on par with classroom instruction?  “Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning,”a report prepared by SRI International for the Department of Education, reveals just how effective broadband-powered education is proving to be.

Evaluating 99 studies that quantitatively compare online and classroom performance, SRI International found that, on average, students who did some or all of a course online ranked higher than those who did their schoolwork exclusively in the classroom.  In particular though, blended instruction – combining online and face-to-face elements proved to be a stronger education method than pure classroom learning.

The effectiveness of online learning is in no small part due to the ever-evolving dynamism of broadband.  After all, distance learning has come a long way from staid correspondence courses.  With the arrival of online video and individualized online curriculums, online teaching has the potential to be more tailored and effective.  And given young students’ interest in the Internet and attraction to multi-media, websites like Brightstorm and TeacherTube are not only appealing, they even manage to make learning cool.

Given the rapid rise of technology-based distance learning across the nation, it’s excellent news that online education can go the distance, enhancing knowledge no matter where you live via a simple broadband connection.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 4th, 2009 at 1:10 pm and is filed under Benefits of Broadband, Reports and Studies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.