by Debbie Cafazzoy, News-Tribune
State officials estimate that between 1 percent and 2 percent of Washington’s 1 million students took at least one online course during the 2009-10 school year. “One thing our office is trying to do is provide objective information to parents and students, so they can make a good decision about which option they want to use,” says Karl Nelson, director of the state’s Digital Learning Department. Nelson said the most frequent complaint he hears from families concerns enrollment problems that arise when students want to leave their home districts. State officials also want to see higher achievement rates in online schools. On average, only about half the students who enroll in online classes pass them. Online learning advocates emphasize that it’s about more than kids staring at computer screens. Students communicate directly with teachers and other students, either through e-mail or via online live seminars and chats. It’s virtually impossible to “hide” in the back of an online classroom. And students who don’t understand a concept can review it online.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/12/10/1459360/online-learning-gaining-traction.html
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