States look to Indiana as a model for online instruction
5 ways to create a stellar online elementary learning program
Starting an online elementary program may feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be--here are some tips to gets yours off the ground
Blackboard backs ed-tech standards
Common standards for online learning became more likely this week after Blackboard, Inc. announced that it would support an open database initiative that could make educational content usable…
How to find a quality online degree
While online degrees were once largely seen as being second-rate, recent studies have reported that employers are not only more open to, but are even showing a favorable…
The top 10 ed-tech stories of 2010: No. 3
More students should have access to online learning, and the federal e-Rate program should be more widely deployed and should embrace and encourage innovation, according to the National…
Enhancing classroom instruction with collaborative technologies
Today’s students are raised in a completely different technology-rich world than previous generations. Typewriters are non-existent and cursive writing is becoming an art of the past. For our…
How online classrooms are helping Haiti rebuild its education system
While reconstructing the destroyed universities is a long-term task, University of the People is hoping to give Haitian students a way to continue their educations before it's completed,…
Growth of online instruction continues, though unevenly
Online instruction continues to grow quickly overall, according to the latest snapshot of online education programs in grades K-12. But the shape and pace of this growth remains…
Online college classes: An answer to budget shortfalls?
California’s use of online distance education is “limited,” and campuses across the state should partner with a leading online university to expand students’ access to a college degree…
New report highlights barriers to online learning
Students must have reliable broadband access if they are to take advantage of 21st-century online education programs that can increase their access to educational opportunities, according to a…
Live vs. distance learning: Measuring the differences
An analysis of 99 studies by the federal Department of Education concluded last year that online instruction, on average, was more effective than face-to-face learning by a modest…
For exposure, universities put courses on the web
Lecture notes and course assignments are available free through M.I.T. OpenCourseWare, reports the New York Times.
British kids log on and learn math–in Punjab
Once a week, year six pupils at Ashmount Primary School in North London settle in front of their computers, put on their headsets and get ready for their…
District to test calamity-day alternative
About 700 students in a rural school district in western Ohio will be guinea pigs for the rest of the state this winter when they use the internet…
Panel: Troubles abound in online learning regulation
Difficulties in adopting national standards to regulate online education programs sparked a lively debate during a panel discussion at the Oct. 12 Presidents’ Forum on Online Learning in…
Virtual schools in a fight for adequate funding
Heart-wrenching decisions made by state bureaucrats that affect the pursuit of a child’s dream might sound like the makings of a Hollywood movie, but for virtual schools in…
Cisco unveils $599 home video conferencing system
Cisco Systems Inc. has launched a $599 home video conferencing system, a high-quality rival to Skype and other low-cost providers, as the network equipment maker seeks to expand…
Despite rumors, MIT OpenCourseWare insists ‘no paywall’
Contrary to erroneous reports, MIT says it has no plans to implement a paywall for its free open courseware, ReadWriteWeb reports. "That is simply not under consideration," says…
Free online learning coming to some in Haiti
The founder of the tuition-free online University of the People said providing an education for Haitians after a massive earthquake destroyed most of their country’s colleges could demonstrate…
Indiana students get online tutoring in math
At least 35,000 Indiana middle school and high school students will get online math tutoring as part of a state Department of Education pilot program, according to an…
Music instruction goes virtual
As online courses spike in popularity across the nation, students are finding that even the most traditional face-to-face courses offer virtual options that are just as thorough as…
Study: Online learning might be less effective for some
Higher education’s embrace of online courses could hurt the performance of some groups of students, according to a study that contradicts the findings of a 2009 report from…
Philippines developing low-cost computer for schools
The Philippine government is working on a low-cost tablet computer that could bring an end to the days of children dragging heavy schoolbooks around, AFP reports.
Five lessons from the nation’s best online teacher
Educators who teach in an online setting should foster strong relationships with their students' parents and should offer plenty of positive feedback, says the nation's first-ever K-12 Online…
First virtual school in Mass. opens today
The Massachusetts Virtual Academy opens in Greenfield on Sept. 2, not only as the first in the state, but also as the first virtual school in New England…
California schools cancel deal with online Kaplan University
California's community colleges have dropped a controversial plan that would have allowed their students to take some courses at the online Kaplan University and make it easier to…
Former Leapfrog, Blackboard exec joins DreamBox Learning as new CEO
DreamBox Learning has hired Jessie Woolley-Wilson as its new CEO, an appointment that comes four months after the Bellevue, Wash., online education startup was sold to an investment…
Bill Gates is wrong: College campuses will not fade away
Earlier this month, billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates predicted that place-based colleges soon will be significantly less important as online learning continues to grow. Writing for the Huffington…
iTunes Texas education channel launched
Texas students now can download podcasts, videos, and other multimedia lessons directly from iTunes through a new online program aimed at providing free, supplementary coursework that can be…
Oregon’s education board seeks rules on virtual schools
This week, the Oregon Board of Education took a small step toward resolving a five-year dispute over one of the thorniest questions of the virtual-schools movement, reports the…
Opinion: Corporate policy making would result in a net loss
The future of digital-age learning could hinge on the boardroom deals being made by giant corporations as they seek to head off “net neutrality” regulations—and education leaders ought…
Former governors fight for digital learning
To help schools implement digital resources effectively, former Republican Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida and former Democratic Gov. Bob Wise of West Virginia have put their party differences…
West Los Angeles College has become a leader in online education
You have to clear more obstacles to approve an online class at West Los Angeles College than you would in the 400-meter hurdle. Yet in setting a high…
Bill Gates: Technology can lower college tuition to $2,000
During a presentation at the Technonomy conference in San Francisco last week, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said online learning can shrink the cost of higher education by eroding…
Virtual schools see rapid enrollment growth in Ohio
More than 29,000 K-12 students attend school online in Ohio, about five times more than did seven years ago, reports the Dayton Daily News.
UC professors raise doubts about online degree plan
The University of California's interest in offering an online degree is opening a new chapter in the debate over online education, TMCnet.com reports.
Learning a language from an expert, on the web
The internet, with its unparalleled ability to connect people throughout the world, is changing the way that many people learn languages, reports the New York Times.
Ask.com reverts to its Q&A origins
Ask.com, which has tried with scant success to morph itself into a search engine on par with those of Google and Microsoft, is unveiling a new version of…
Massachusetts panel wants to set limits on virtual public schools
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, apprehensive about a new state law that allows public schools to operate almost entirely in cyberspace, will consider imposing limits…
Online testing of students: Will Florida be ready?
Central Florida school administrators are fearing technology snarls and scheduling nightmares when thousands of high-school students start taking standardized math exams on computers next school year, reports the…
Customers question tech industry’s takeover spree
