There's a lot of recent discussion about the effectiveness of e-Learning, but many articles are a bit sketchy about details and sources of information.  Our research turned up some interesting findings.  See if you can separate the facts from fiction.

1.  E-Learning was found to be 11% more effective than classroom training when it leveraged its inherent advantages to offer tutorials, real time communication, and interactive exercises.

TRUE.  When the same instructional methods are used, e-Learning and classroom instruction have been found to be equally effective.  However, e-Learning has been found to be superior when it utilizes a variety of instructional methods.  The most effective e-Learning does not merely put classroom training online via PowerPoint slide sets and audio-visual lectures; rather, it incorporates a wide variety of activities that require the student to actively participate.  Examples include chat rooms, webinars, synchronous human interaction along with increased learner control of timing, pace, and sequence. (Sitzmann, Ely, and Wisher, 2008)  

The multimedia nature of e-Learning is not the significant factor that influences learning.  Its variety may spark interest and improve acceptance but it doesn’t improve effectiveness. The measured learning gains have been found to relate to the actual instructional methods that provide variety and interaction. (Clark and Craig, 1992)

2. Results show that e-Learning participants can learn as much as classroom trainees, but in 70% of the classroom study time.  Read the summary of our other findings.