Digital learning environments are increasingly popular in higher education

and professional training. Teaching and learning via webinars, and web
conferencing more broadly, represents one widely used approach. Webinars
are defined as web-based seminars, in which participants and facilitators
communicate live over the Internet across distant geographical locations using
shared virtual platforms and interact ubiquitously and synchronously in real
time via voice over IP technology and web camera equipment. In the past,
studies have reported mixed evidence concerning the effectiveness of webinars
in promoting student achievement. As a remedy, this systematic literature
review and meta-analysis cumulates observed effect sizes from previously
published randomized controlled trials and corrects artifactual variance
induced by sampling error. The research questions were: How effective are
webinars in promoting student achievement? And which characteristics
moderate webinar effectiveness? The findings suggest that webinars were
slightly more effective than control conditions (online asynchronous learning
management systems and offline face-to-face classroom instruction), but the
differences were trivial in size. Differences were moderated by webinar,
participant, achievement, and publication characteristics. This meta-analysis
is the first to systematically review and meta-analyze the best evidence
available for evaluating the effectiveness of webinars and video conferences in
promoting student knowledge and skills. The implications of the study's
findings can inform school teachers, lecturers, trainers, technologists, and
theorists interested in the computer-supported design, implementation,
delivery, tutoring, and assessment of webinar-based learning environments.