A meta-analysis of the comparative distance education (DE) literature between 1985 and 2002 was conducted. In total, 232 studies containing 688 independent achievement, attitude, and retention outcomes were analyzed. Overall results indicated effect sizes of essentially zero on all three measures and wide variability. This suggests that many applications of DE outperform their classroom counterparts and that many perform more poorly. Dividing achievement outcomes into synchronous and asynchronous forms of DE produced a somewhat different impression. In general, mean achievement effect sizes for synchronous applications favored classroom instruction, while effect sizes for asynchronous applications favored DE. However, significant heterogeneity remained in each subset.

Deployment of asynchronous learning systems is still very limited mainly because of the use of expensive video to record and play back classroom lectures. The key advantage of the Lectern II approach is that all important lecture components can be effectively captured without video. Lectern II employs the touch-sensitive screen technology to build a "digital desk," which is shown to be able to effectively support and transparently capture the standard classroom lecturing activity. Recorded lectures can be edited and automatically uploaded to a Web server, and than viewed by students via a standard streaming player. As the total cost of a complete Lectern II system is under $4,000, Lectern II represents the first course lecture recording system that has the potential to be widely deployed in the classrooms of universities and K-12 schools.

Deployment of asynchronous learning systems is still very limited and expensive due to the common use of digital video for recording and distribution of classroom lectures. Lectern II is a digital desk system that can transparently capture, through a touch-sensitive screen, all important lecture components during normal classroom lecturing activity without expensive video acquisition equipments. Lectures recorded through Lectern can be edited, automat ically uploaded to a web server and viewed by students using a standard streaming media player. Since the average size of a one hour-long lecture is less than 10 MB, Lectern II lectures can be conveniently played even using a modest modem connection. Considering the total cost of a complete Lectern II system at less than $4,000, Lectern II represents the first Web-based course lecture recording system that has the potential to be widely used in the classrooms of universities and K-12 schools.

In this paper we describe a part-time diploma course in computing delivered in two modes (face-to-face class teaching and electronically via the internet). We present results comparing the two modes in terms of student performance and their own perception of their educational experience. This project makes uses of a number of data sets involving performance data, student perceptions, demographics and attrition rates. In general, we found that students performed comparably in the two modes. Various issues are identified for further investigation particularly: the development of key skills, the importance of assessment in student motivation, and attrition in the Internet mode.