by Tony Wan, EdSurge
Do online courses work? It’s a question that’s been debated since, well, the dawn of the Internet. Dubious results and success stories alike have made headlines in recent years. Now, the venerable research institute, SRI International, is taking a crack at this question. In August, it published Phase 1 of an ongoing study to examine “to what extent, why, when, and how [italics in original] online learning models that target Algebra 1 work or do not work for different student populations.” Funded by the Gates Foundation, the report, “Supporting K-12 Students in Online Learning: A Review of Online Algebra I Courses,” looks at six popular online providers of Algebra I courses, which present “a mature segment of the online learning market.” These six providers offer fully-packaged courses designed as an alternative (and not a supplement) to traditional, in-person classes. The enrollments for these profiled companies range from 18,000+ in Michigan to half a million students around the U.S.
https://www.edsurge.com/n/2013-09-10-do-online-algebra-courses-work
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