A meta-analysis of a year of virtual-based learning amidst the COVID-19 crisis: Possible solutions or problems?

The shift in perspective brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic crisis regarding the reorganization of learning practices culminated in a shift toward a virtual-based learning process (VBL). Numerous individual research on the effects of VBL have been conducted in 2020, with mixed findings. A meta-analysis was performed to pool similar findings and to view the findings in the context of future VBL implementation. We searched the ERIC, SAGE, and Google Scholar databases for corresponding studies published in 2020. We estimated a random effects model using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) program. The study showed that VBL had a modest effect on student learning outcomes in general (ES = 0.67; SE = 0.15). Moderator research demonstrates that VBL is applied successfully when the media used and the domain being evaluated are considered. The implications of the research results and the differences in the effectiveness of VBL between countries are discussed, thus providing important information as a basic idea for further VBL research and development.