Computerised and Online Learning
By 'computerised interventions', we mean learning materials which are located on computers and can be accessed on computers in schools. By 'online interventions', we mean learning materials which are delivered through the internet and can be accessed in any place (and often at any time). Computerised intervention or computer-based learning (CBL) makes use of the interactive elements of computer hardware and computer applications or software. It has the ability to present many kinds of media to users – text, pictures, graphics, audio, video, hypermedia and so on.
Computer-based learning has many benefits, including the advantage of users learning at their own pace and learning without the need for an instructor to be physically present. It is essentially 'offline' (i.e. not connected to the internet). Online interventions, on the other hand, are learning materials and experiences available on or performed by using a connection to the internet or other computer network through a computer, tablet or mobile phone. They have the advantages of computer-based learning and can also be accessed anywhere (assuming an internet connection) and at any time.
Computerised and Online Learning: Reviews of Research Evidence
There are several reviews of research in this area. An early review by Winters et al. (2008) selected 33 empirical studies of self-regulated learning (SRL) and computer-based learning (CBL). Some specific SRL processes were more often associated with academic success than others.