I've been teaching online for three semesters now, and I'm still torn about whether it actually benefits students or just saves schools money. My intro biology class has a 78% completion rate compared to 85% when we were in person, but the students who do finish often produce more thoughtful work. The real puzzle is that attendance at live sessions dropped by half, yet those who watch the recordings score 12% higher on exams. Is online learning genuinely effective for most students, or are we just accepting lower engagement as the new normal?