That is the claim in an interesting study conducted by the US Department of Education which reports that students using online education perform better than those who learn solely in the classroom.

The report is based on an examination of a number of recent studies on the subject.  

Some of the key findings from the study state that:

Students who took all or part of their studies online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction.

Instruction combining online and face-to-face elements had a larger advantage relative to purely face-to-face instruction than did purely online instruction.

Studies in which learners in the online situation spent more time on task than students in a face-to-face situation found a greater benefit for online learning.

Most of the variations in the way in which different studies implemented online learning did not affect student learning outcomes significantly.

The effectiveness of online learning approaches appears quite broad across different content and learner types.

Blended and purely online learning conditions implemented within a single study generally result in similar student learning outcomes.

Elements such as video or online quizzes do not appear to influence the amount that students learn in online classes.

Online learning can be enhanced by giving learners control of their interactions with media and prompting learner reflection.

"The ability to share ideas with anyone in the world is a major benefit of online education. Once people experience the fun, ease, and power of online education, they won't want to stop learning. Online education allows people all over the world to expand their knowledge base, at their own pace, and  in the way that works best for their schedule and lives."

Says Dr Sal Arria Chief Executive Officer of the International Sports Sciences Association.

You can access the Department of Education's by following this link full report (pdf) or by using this url: http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf