"As I always say, there is good online and bad online just as there is good face-to-face and bad face-to-face (f2f). As Hodges et al. point out, online and f2f cannot be inherently bad or good.

The effectiveness would be based on how the mode is used (or how interaction within the mode is structured), for what tasks or purpose, with what technologies or media characteristics, within what contexts or systems, and for what audience or agents.

The question you could ask:

How do I take advantage of the online medium and associated technologies to effectively support my students' learning?