The document summarizes findings from a 2009 U.S. Department of Education meta-analysis of 51 online learning studies. The key findings were: 1) Students in online conditions performed better on average than those receiving face-to-face instruction. 2) Studies where online students spent more time on task found greater benefits for online learning. 3) Effect sizes were larger for studies varying curriculum/instruction between online and face-to-face conditions beyond just the medium of instruction.