Myth: Online Learning Is Less Effective Than In-Person

Welcome & Series Kickoff

Hello, and welcome to the Designing with Love Podcast. I am your host, Jackie Pellegrin, where my goal is to bring you information, tips, and tricks as an instructional designer. Hello, instructional designers and educators. Welcome to episode 131 of the Designing with Love Podcast. Today we're beginning a new series called Myths in Instructional Design and Education, where we'll unpack some of the most common beliefs that shape how we design, teach, train, and support learning. Some myths sound practical because they offer simple answers, but learning is rarely simple. When we design from assumptions instead of evidence, we can unintentionally limit creativity, overlook learner needs, or focus on the wrong problem. In this episode, we'll explore the myth that online learning is less effective than in-person learning. We'll look at why this belief persists, what research and practice suggests instead, and what actually drives strong outcomes in digital learning environments. So grab your notebook, a cup of coffee, and settle in as we explore this topic together. Before we jump in, here's how this series will work. Each episode will focus on one common myth, why it has lasted, what we know instead, and how we can make stronger design decisions moving forward.

The Myth & Why It Feels True

Today's myth is one of us many have heard before. Online learning is less effective than in-person learning. At first, this idea may sound reasonable. Many people have experienced online courses that feel disconnected, confusing, passive, or overwhelming. Maybe the course was mostly long readings, recorded lectures, quizzes, and discussion boards that felt forced. Or maybe the experience was shaped by emergency remote teaching when courses had to move online quickly without enough time for thoughtful redesign. So when someone says online learning does not work, they may be reacting to a real experience. But a poor online learning experience does not prove that online learning itself is ineffective. It may simply show that the experience was not designed well for that environment. When we blame the format instead of examining the design, we risk solving the wrong problem.

Why The Belief Persists

So why has this myth lasted for so long? One reason is that in-person learning feels familiar. For many of us, classrooms are what learning has always looked like. Because of that familiarity, in-person learning can feel more legitimate, even when the design is not especially strong. Online learning, on the other hand, makes design gaps very visible. If the instructions are unclear, learners notice. If the course is hard to navigate, learners notice. If there is no feedback or interaction, learners notice. Another reason this myth persists is that people often compare the best version of in-person learning to the weakest version of online learning. We imagine a lively classroom discussion, an engaging instructor, and immediate feedback. Then we compare that to an online course that feels like a content dump. But that is not a fair comparison. A poorly designed in-person course can fall flat, just like a poorly designed online course can. The issue is not the room or the screen. The issue is the quality of the design. Here is where we need to shift the conversation. The issue is not that the format does not matter. Format does matter. In-person, online, blended, synchronous, and asynchronous learning environments each create different opportunities and challenges. But format alone does not determine quality.

What Research Actually Suggests

A helpful resource here is the U.S. Department of Education's report, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning. The report found that on average, students in online learning conditions perform modestly better than students receiving face-to-face instruction. But here's the important part. The report also cautioned that those results should not simply be attributed to the medium itself. In other words, it was not just online that made the difference. Factors like learning time, instructional elements, collaboration, and the overall design of the learning experience mattered too. That is why this myth is too simplistic. A more accurate way to think about it is this. Online learning is not automatically less effective than in-person learning. Learning quality depends on intentional design, clear structure, meaningful interaction, useful feedback, accessibility, and learner support. Strong online learning is not just information placed on a screen. It gives the learners a clear path. It helps them understand what they are learning and why it matters. It gives them opportunities to practice. It

What Makes Online Learning Effective

provides feedback that helps them improve. And it supports learners as they move through the experience. So instead of asking, is online learning less effective? We should ask, what conditions do learners need to succeed in this environment? So what does this mean for us as instructional designers, educators, trainers, or learning leaders? It means we need to move from format-based judgment to design-based decision making. Instead of asking, how do I move this classroom activity online? We might ask, what is this activity supposed to accomplish? Instead of asking, how do I make this online course feel like a classroom? We might ask, what does this online environment make possible? Online learning can support flexibility, reflection, self-paced review, multimedia examples, branching scenarios, practice activities, and access to resources beyond a single class session. But none of that happens automatically. Technology does not design the learning, the instructional strategy does. A strong online learning experience needs a few key elements. Number one, clear navigation so learners know where to begin and what to do next. Number two, meaningful activities so learners

Shift From Format To Design

are doing something with the content. Number three, interaction that supports the goal, whether that is discussion, reflection, practice, feedback, or decision making. Number four, timely feedback so learners know how they are doing and how to improve. And finally, number five, accessibility and support so learners are not blocked by unnecessary barriers. When those pieces are missing, online learning can feel isolating or ineffective. But when those pieces are intentionally designed, online learning can be rigorous, flexible, relational, and meaningful. Here's today's myth reset. Instead of believing online learning is less effective than in-person learning, remember that learning effectiveness depends less on the format alone and more on the quality of the design. Online learning is not automatically weaker. In-person learning is not automatically stronger. Both can be powerful, both can fall flat. What matters is whether the experience helps learners move from where they are to where they need to be. This week, look at one lesson, module, activity, or training experience and ask yourself, am I judging the format or am I examining the design? Today we challenged the myth that

Five Elements Of Strong E-Learning

online learning is less effective than in-person learning. We looked at why this belief has lasted, what gets it wrong, and how we can replace it with a more useful design approach. Your myth reset challenge this week is to review one learning experience you have designed, taught, taken, or supported. Ask yourself, is the learning path clear? Are learners doing something meaningful with the content? Is interaction built in with purpose? Is feedback helping learners improve? Are accessibility and support part of the design? Then choose one improvement you could make. It might be rewriting confusing instructions, adding a practice activity, improving feedback, simplifying navigation, adding captions or transcripts, or replacing a passive content page with a short reflection or scenario. Start small. The goal is not to redesign everything at once. The goal is to notice where one design decision could make the learning experience stronger. In the next episode, we'll continue the series by looking at another common myth. Accessibility is optional if your learners don't request it. Before I

Myth Reset Challenge For The Week

conclude this episode, here's an inspiring quote from How Learning Works by Susan A. Ambrose and colleagues. Learning is not something done to students, but rather something students themselves do. That quote is a helpful reminder for this myth because learning is not guaranteed by a room, a screen, a platform, or a delivery format. Learning happens when we design experiences that help learners engage, practice, reflect, receive feedback, and apply what they are learning. If this episode gave you something to think about, I'd love for you to share it with another educator, instructional designer, trainer, or learning leader who is ready to rethink what really works in learning. And don't forget to check out the companion myth reset case file for this episode. It will help you investigate the myth, review the design shift, and apply this week's challenge to your own course, lesson, module, or training experience. Thank you for joining me today as we opened the first case in our myths and instructional design and education series. As you move through the week, I hope this episode encourages you to pause before accepting a familiar belief as fact. Sometimes the best design decisions begin when

Next Myth, Quote, & Closing

we question what we have always assumed to be true. Until next time, keep learning, keep questioning, and keep designing with love. Thank you for taking some time to listen to this podcast episode today. Your support means the world to me. If you'd like to help keep the podcast going, you can share it with a friend or colleague, leave a heartfelt review, or offer a monetary contribution. Every act of support, big or small, makes a difference, and I'm truly thankful for you.