Veteran eLearners won't be surprised by these findings, but new online students and prospective distance learners should definitely check out the Department of Education's latest press release. Essentially, the meta data shows that online education is more effective in improving student achievement than face-to-face instruction.
Overall, "blended learning" was found to be the most effective approach.
The findings were the result of 46 studies and over 12 years of research. Additional details are available here:
U.S. Department of Education Press Release
We've always known that eLearning is a cost-effective, convenient alternative to long commutes and campus classrooms. Now we have additional research to show that online programs are especially effective!