The digital revolution and skilled workforce define the advances and evolution of any nation’s population. To stay competitive, an education system must cater to the demands of the technological age. The latest technological advancements have improved the quality of modern education. New advances in ICT, the transformation of learning, and a constantly competitive environment are nearly reimagining the academic spectacle. In the last decade, there has been a gap in research on online teaching and learning and very few systematic reviews has been done of this area. This systematic review of literature aims to address this gap by examining 55 research articles on online teaching and learning published in eleven journals in the last two decades. These studies were examined for publication trends and patterns, research themes, research methods, and research settings. While there has been a slight decrease in the number of studies on online learning in 2014 to 2016, it has then continued to increase in 2018, especially after the pandemic. The majority of these studies were quantitative in nature and examined higher education learners. Online learning was categorized into four themes and a framework across Technology, Human, Design and also Course and Evaluation was developed through this study. Several studies have examined online learner’s characteristics and learner’s engagement, as well as organization-level topics such as technology, content, and management. Research on online learning engagement is mixed, with some showing higher student engagement compared to traditional classrooms, while others note lower engagement due to lack of contact and feedback. Effective online education requires secure technology, experiential learning, teacher preparedness, learner motivation, and robust feedback mechanisms. Future learners, particularly self-directed ones, may prefer online learning. Interactive educational settings, collaborative platforms, and supplemental online programs enhance accessibility but require constructive instruction. Institutions must ensure equal success in online courses and traditional classrooms to meet diverse learner needs and sustain enrollment. By employing rigorous inclusion criteria and a systematic approach, this study offers insights into the various paradigms of online learning. However, there is still a need for additional research on these topics.

Online Learning Process, ICT, Digital, Modern Education