Learning Online: What Research Tells Us About Whether, When and How

[The authors] discuss four major trends in online learning in higher education - self-paced, adaptive instruction and competency-based learning; blended learning; learning analytics; and MOOCs . For K-12 schools, they define blended learning as the use of online learning in conjunction with traditional teacher-led forms of instruction , which may increase the amount of time during which students are actively engaged in learning . The authors suggest that technology-enabled self-initiated learning will one day displace formal learning , blended learning serves as part of a systemic approach to improving developmental education , and online universities and schools point the way towards efficiencies and improvements that more traditional institutions are likely to adopt . Summing Up: Recommended - D.L. Stoloff, Eastern Connecticut State University, in CHOICE, November 2014

This outstanding book synthesizes the latest research on online learning, providing an invaluable guide to the menu of technological options available, including 'massive' delivery systems. Its key insight is that outcomes are determined by a variety of factors beyond the media utilized, including objectives, context, implementation, and participants' characteristics. - Chris Dede, Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA

Learning Online provides timely and sorely needed details on the state of the art in online learning and its future. The authors share current examples from kindergarten through higher education that are difficult if not impossible to find. They critically explain what research does and does not tell us. I enthusiastically recommend the book to anyone working with technology to improve education, especially startup teams who desperately need to understand the lay of the land. - Alan Louie, Founder of Imagine K12

The authors in Learning Online: What Research Tells Us About Whether, When, and How accomplish a great deal and do it well. This book gives a well written and accessible, quick, holistic view of online learning grounded in meta-analysis of research articles about the effectiveness of online learning. The solid index and numerous citations offer significant value... Overall, Learning Online is a pleasurable dive into a well-organized, clearly written overview of online education. - Dr. Gregory Zobel, Western Oregon University, USA, in Technical Communication