E-Learning Special Report

These special reports from the technology team at Education Week Digital Directions aim to highlight the progress made in the e-learning arena, as well as the administrative, funding, and policy barriers that some experts say are slowing the growth of this form of education.

View the Spring 2010 Report | Fall 2010 Report | Winter 2011 Report

Below is an overview of what you will find in each report.

Spring 2010: Assessing the Agenda for Change

Download the interactive version of the report E-Learning 2010: Assessing the Agenda for Change.

Table of Contents

E-Learning 2010: About This Report

Though progress has been made in the e-learning arena, some experts say administrative, funding, and policy barriers are slowing the growth of this form of education.

Schools Factor E-Courses Into the Daily Learning Mix

Educators say ‘hybrid’ approach is taking off because it offers academic classes not otherwise available to many students.

E-Learning Delivery Debated

Experts weigh "anytime, anywhere" learning approach versus fixed time frames for classes.

District Innovates to Address Dropout Problem

A cyber high school is having success re-engaging dropouts and at-risk students, earning the school system state funds tied to enrollment.

Virtual Ed. Enrollment Caps Face Greater Scrutiny

Wisconsin and Oregon, which imposed limitations, are now taking a closer look at the restrictions to see if changes are needed.

E-Learning Hits Barriers to Expansion

A national e-learning framework would require lifting of state policy restrictions now in place.

Sustaining Funding Seen as Challenge for Online Ed.

Experts in virtual education say new funding approaches should have the money follow the student.

Accreditation Is Seen as High Priority

But experts say evaluating virtual programs requires an understanding of the unique characteristics of online schools.

E-Learning in All Shapes and Sizes

Distinguishing between the wide variety of virtual schools and online-learning programs available involves understanding the type of operational control.

E-Curriculum Builders Seek a Personalized Approach

Creating the flexibility to address students' varying academic abilities is seen as a key feature of high-quality online curricula.

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Fall 2010: E-Educators Evolving

Download the interactive version of the report E-Learning 2010: E-Educators Evolving.

Table of Contents

About This Report

This special report, the second in a three-part series, aims to answer questions related to the growing role of e-educators in K-12 education and how to ensure they are trained and evaluated effectively.

States Eye Standards for Virtual Educators

Experts say many states and national education groups are behind the curve in addressing teacher quality in online education.

Ed. Groups Outline E-Teacher Quality Guidelines

Many state-sponsored online schools are setting standards around guidelines from the International Association for K-12 Online Learning and the Southern Regional Education Board.

Teachers Make the Move to the Virtual World

Experienced e-educators say leaving a regular classroom for an online-only environment takes more than just tech. skills.

Virtual-Teacher Training Seen to Lack Consistency

But some long-running virtual school programs have learned a great deal about what online teachers need to know to succeed.

Schools Blend Virtual and Face-to-Face Teaching

'Blended,' or 'hybrid' learning has continued to grow as more districts have sought to meet student needs in different ways.

E-Educators Use Daily Mix of Digital Tools

Online instructors have more options in their arsenal than ever to help deliver and explain academic content, but even the most experienced online instructors can struggle with which tool to use, when, and how.

Ed. Schools Lag Behind in Virtual-Teacher Training

A recent survey found that only 4 percent of responding teachers had been taught how to deliver online courses during preservice education.

New Educators Look Back at Virtual-Teacher Prep.

Two teachers talk about what they learned in a program that pairs the University of Central Florida with the Florida Virtual School.

Distinctive Demands Make Compensation Complicated

With states, companies, and districts all managing virtual schools, it can be hard to establish fair compensation practices.

E-Evaluations: 'Watching Your Every Move'

Online schools are constantly collecting data on the cyber actions their teachers take, from e-mails to instant messages to computer keystrokes.

Winter 2011 - Digital Edition: Crafting E-Curriculum That Inspires

Download the interactive PDF version of the report Crafting E-Curriculum That Inspires.

This special report, the final installment of a three-part series on e-learning, examines how schools are working to create high-quality digital curricula and online courses. It covers the influence the common-core academic standards are likely to have on building the online curricula of the future, the growing emphasis on teaching social skills to virtual school students, how schools are building courses that blend face-to-face and online learning, and the evolving role of e-assessments.

About This Report
This is the final installment of a three-part series on e-learning examining how schools are working to create high-quality digital curricula and online courses.