I know .. I haven't actually posted here in a while, letting my Facebook status upgrades keep me current.

However, I am compelled this morning to ruminate about an apparent paradox described by the following two recent headlines from various RSS sources to which I subscribe:

1. Online students learned more than peers in traditional lecture format [Link]
   This is the most recent iteration of this story to come to my attention. I have seen it in several other venues, and have received links to it from folks who know I would be interested in it. Basically, it describes a longitudinal study which resulted in a conclusion that students learned better from audio such as lectures posted at i-Tunes U than from just attending class.
   AND
2. Professors Regard Online Instruction as Less Effective Than Classroom Learning [Link, subscription required]
   This, from February 10, 2009 "Today's News" at the Chronicle for Higher Education. The article reports the results of a survey of 10,000 faculty members at 67 public universities.

   Instructors' extra time and effort aren't being rewarded financially or professionally, and what's more, online education doesn't translate into better learning outcomes, said respondents in the faculty survey.

   While 30 percent of faculty members surveyed felt that online courses provided superior or equivalent learning outcomes when compared with face-to-face classes, 70 percent felt that learning outcomes were inferior. Among faculty members who have taught online courses, that figure drops to 48 percent, but that still represents a "substantial minority" holding a negative view
   

Ummm .. ok. Does this leave anyone else scratching their head and saying "huh"?

(Image: http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/museum/people/people.htm)