Education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is increasingly online, even the laboratory components of STEM courses. As online laboratory education trends upward in terms of enrollment and variety of course offerings, the central question remains: Is online equivalent to a traditional face-to-face (F2F) lab experience? In this study we conducted a retrospective analysis of student performance in an asynchronous online introductory Anatomy and Physiology course with about half of the students opting for a traditional F2F lab and the other half an asynchronous online lab. Although student demographics and level of preparation (incoming GPA) were nearly identical, students enrolled in the F2F laboratory section outperformed their peers in two of three course exams and in both laboratory practical exams. Our data indicate that the type of cognitive task being asked of the student is the main determinant in the efficacy of an online laboratory experience.