According to a recent article in Education Week entitled Online Course-Taking Shows Dramatic Growth, the number of public school students taking online courses has increased dramatically over the past two years. Citing a report conducted by Sloan-C, the author points out the following:
“Researchers estimate that more than a million public school students now take classes online, a 47 percent increase from the consortium’s original K-12 survey done in the 2005-06 school year.”
What’s amazing about the report’s findings is that three-quarters of the schools surveyed are utilizing online learning technology. The report also found that the schools surveyed were using online technology in a variety of ways.
“The survey of K-12 administrators found that online learning is being used in a wide variety of ways, from offering Advanced Placement and other high-level classes to high-achieving students to providing credit-recovery programs for students who failed or did not complete a class.”
Perhaps the most interesting finding is the trend in public schools toward “blended learning.” According to the study, a large number of educators who teach in the traditional classroom setting use online technology to individualize instruction.
