What does the research say about the benefits of online learning?
In a 1998 article, scholar Hailen Chen identifies four major types of interaction, student-content, student- teacher, student-student and student-interface, each of which adds richness to a course. Traditional classrooms focus on teacher-student interaction, but online courses have the potential to use all four types of interaction to maximum effectiveness.
Most online courses emphasize student-student interaction, through group problem solving and students' active struggling with the course material in online discussions. This learning style, known as collaborative learning, reduces students' anxiety and uncertainty in approaching new assignments and makes learning a more active and interactive experience (Hiltz, Coppola, Rotter & Turoff, 2000).
As noted by Shea, Hartigan & Boser (2001), email and asynchronous interaction allow instructors and students access to one another over a larger range of time, compared to the time and place constraints placed on classroom interactions in traditional, face-to-face courses.
De Santis (2001) suggests, "Online learning is focused more on the student. As a result of learners constructing their own learning, they are considered to be more active." This results in increased learning.
An advantage to online learning is that it offers learners' greater flexibility and fewer time constraints than traditional classes. This in turn, makes education more accessible to a wider audience (Fender, 1999).
The University of Phoenix, a major provider of online learning courses since 1989, cites convenience as the single most important factor influencing many adult learners to seek out online courses for professional development (Hobson, 2001).
A recent study by Dutton, Dutton & Perry (2002), agreed that students enrolled in online courses are most concerned with reducing class conflict with work, reducing commuting time and creating flexibility in their study schedules.