The consequences of posting learning online

One of the heated debates in university education today is whether or not to provide lectures online. No doubt this conversation exists beyond the halls of academia, across the corridors of our schools. In the school context, the debate is often framed as a question of whether classrooms should be flipped, so that students watch content videos online and apply learning (the idea of homework) in class under the supervision of their teachers. Students at all levels are calling for online delivery, whilst educators are concerned about its implications on attendance and learning. This mismatch of perception between students and academics has placed universities worldwide at a crossroads, as senior executives walk the tightrope of student demand and academic pedagogy. A comprehensive review of literature and data exploring this issue identifies four questions at the heart of this conversation:
1. Does student attendance decrease when online content is made available?
2. Does it matter to achievement whether attendance is online or face-to-face?
3. Is online content better suited to some pedagogical tasks than others?
4. Do some types of online content work better than others?