BULGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
CYBERNETICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES • Volume 13, No 3
Sofia • 2013
Print ISSN: 1311-9702; Online ISSN: 1314-4081
DOI: 10.2478/cait-2013-0028
Current Practices, Trends and Challenges
in K-12 Online Learning
Christo Dichev*, Darina Dicheva*, Gennady Agre**, Galia Angelova**
*
Winston Salem State University, Winston Salem, NC, USA
Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, 1113 Sofia
Emails: {dichevc, dichevad}@wssu.edu agre@iinf.bas.bg galia@lmlbas.bg
**
Abstract: Online learning is one of the fastest growing trends in TechnologyEnhanced Learning (TEL). Technology in combination with an instruction that
addresses the cognitive and social processes of knowledge construction could offer
more diverse and effective online learning opportunities than their face-to-face
counterparts. In this review we attempt to summarize different forms and practices
in K-12 online and blended learning as they appear in various regional, national
and cultural contexts. The article starts with introducing some basic concepts and
terminology, sums up the state of K-12 online learning around the world and ends
with summarizing some trends and challenges observed in current K-12 online
learning practices.
Keywords: Online learning, blended learning, distance learning, learning
management systems, K-12 education.
1. Introduction
In the past several years we observe a shift in teaching and learning, which holds
the potential to change the traditional education. This shift is caused by the more
and more intensive application of online learning − a general systemic approach for
education that uses a new delivery medium − Internet. In [1] online learning is
defined as structured learning activity that utilizes technology with Internet-based
tools and resources as a delivery method for instruction, research, assessment, and
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communication. Online learning offers opportunities and possibilities that were
unknown to educators 10-15 years ago. Many countries and states are implementing
online learning environments to offer the world class educational opportunities to
all students, no matter of their geographic locations or socio-economic status. In
particular, many practitioners and observers of primary and secondary (K-12)
education believe that the existing education system is approaching a critical point
with respect to the widespread use of online learning. The changes in the ways
K-12 students are taught and learn are clearly supported by the significant
technological advance, resulting in continued decrease in the price of the computing
power, data storage, Internet bandwidth, wireless networks, learning management
systems and digital curriculum assets [2]. However, the continuous pace of
technological innovation and its associated economics will not be able to transform
K-12 education by itself. More likely, the realization of the promise of online
learning will require successful integration of new instructional models and
capabilities, updated curriculum strategies, enhanced teachers’ engagement and
expanded technology infrastructure being leveraged against a defined and specific
set of students’ and teachers’ needs.
One reason for the popularity of online learning is that it allows learning to
occur under students’ control − at any time and any place. Online learning also
holds a promise for promoting equity by providing the students with access to
courses that otherwise might not be available, such as accelerated courses in remote
rural areas. Keeping in mind the variety of learners and the geographic boundaries,
online learning can provide schools with professional support to all students.
Experienced teachers can teach in an individualized setting and can meet the
specific needs of talented students and students who try to learn.
The main motivation for this review was our belief that the educational
community needs to become better informed about the current practices and trends
in K-12 online learning in order to foster better communication among the wide
range of researchers, experts, policy makers and practitioners, who have the
potential to contribute to advances in this field. In general, the literature and
research sources on online learning have significantly grown in the past decades.
Many studies have been published that examine the extent, nature, technological
solutions, software tools and support, and other issues associated with online
instruction. However, much of this literature focuses specifically on post-secondary
education. The same cannot be said about online learning in primary and secondary
education where the online instruction is still considered to be in its post nascent
stages. Furthermore, the forces that drive online learning in colleges, universities
and corporations are not as predominant in K-12. Although the research and
practices on K-12 online learning are maturing, the online education at K-12 level
has only been studied for about a decade − a short time to generate a significant
body of literature and serious analysis [3]. Accordingly, the aim of this review is to
summarize the available literature on challenges, successful models and
implementations of online learning with a focus on K-12. With this aim in mind, we
discuss typical approaches applied across various countries and sketch the emerging
trends.
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The article is organized as follows. In the next section we start with some
motivational observations and introduce some basic concepts and terminology used
in the rest of the paper. Section 3 presents the state of K-12 online learning in the
US, while Section 4 highlights the international perspectives of K-12 online
learning. Some trends and challenges are presented in Section 5 and we conclude in
Section 6.
2. Online learning: terminological framework
Rapid advances in information and communication systems are driving
breakthroughs in all scientific fields. In 2009 the Converge Spring [4] reported that
according to the World Future Society, the following ten technologies will
transform life as we know it: alternative energy, desalination of water, precision
farming, biometrics, quantum computers, entertainment on demand, global access,
virtual education and distance learning, nanotechnology and smart robots. These
breakthrough technologies will revolutionize the way we work, play, communicate
and do business in the next 20 to 30 year. Most importantly, since one of them is
virtual education, they will change how, where and when we learn.
The presence of online education, or distance learning, in this prediction is not
a surprise; while the importance of Internet in the knowledge transferring process is
steadily increasing, still only 10 % of the education is conducted online.
Improvements in technology and the associated instructional methods are allowing
some institutions to thrive with online courses. As a result, 100 million Americans
take continuing education. E-training now accounts for about 30 % of the corporate
training and is expected to exceed 50 % soon. TechCast forecasts that virtual
education will enter the mainstream use in about 2015 [5].
2.1. Terminology
Since the vocabulary related to K-12 online learning is not standardized, in this
section we introduce some of the basic terms and concepts used in the paper, most
of which are adapted from [12, 13, 14, 22].
Online learning is teacher-led education that utilizes technology with
Intranet/Internet-based tools and resources as a delivery method for instruction,
research, assessment, and communication. It may be synchronous (in real time) or
asynchronous (separated by time) and accessed from multiple settings (in school
and/or out of school buildings). Online learning can be fully online, with all
instructions taking place through Internet, or online elements can be combined with
face-to-face interactions in what is known as blended learning.
Blended learning is a formal education program, in which a student learns at
least in part through online delivery of the content and instruction (with some
elements of control over time, place, path, and/or pace) and at least in part at a
supervised traditional school away from home [15].
Online course refers to any course offered over Internet.
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Virtual schools or cyber-schools are schools that deliver all curriculum and
instructions via Internet and electronic communication, usually with students at
home and teachers at a remote location, and with everyone participating at different
times. A complete K-12 online learning program is also sometimes referred to as a
virtual school.
Full-time programs typically must address the same accountability measures
as physical schools in their states.
Supplemental online programs provide a limited number of courses to
students who are enrolled in a school separate from the online program.
A Learning Management System (LMS) is a software application for the
administration, documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery of education
courses or training programs. LMSs range from systems for managing training and
educational records to software for distributing online or blended courses over
Internet with features for online collaboration and monitoring the students’
progress.
A Learning Repository is an online library for storing, managing, and sharing
digital learning resources, such as quizzes, presentations, videos, tests, or any other
documents for use in online learning.
2.2. Dimensions of online programs
There are many types of online education programs. In parallel, K-12 online and
blended learning have evolved in new directions in the past years. As a result,
online programs vary considerably in many of their key elements.
Vanourek proposed ten dimensions that defined an online learning program,
published later in the annual Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning reports1.
Fig. 1, adapted from [13], shows these dimensions; they describe whether the
program is supplemental or full-time; the breadth of its geographic reach; the
organizational type and operational control; and location and type of instruction.
Some of the attributes may be combined or operate along a continuum (e.g.,
location and type of instruction).
Comprehensiveness (supplemental vs. full-time): One important distinction is
whether the online program provides a complete set of courses for students enrolled
full-time or provides a small number of supplemental courses to students enrolled in
a physical school.
Reach: Online programs may operate within a school district, across multiple
school districts, across a state, nationally or internationally.
Delivery (synchronous vs. asynchronous): most online programs are primarily
asynchronous meaning that students and teachers work at different times, not
necessarily in real-time interaction with each other. The ones that operate classes in
real time may present a somewhat different set of program and policy questions
depending on the state policies.
Synchronous communication: Online communication in which the participants
interact at the same time.
1
http://kpk12.com/
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Asynchronous communication: Communication exchanges which occur in the
elapsed time between two or more people. Examples are email, online discussion
forums, message boards, blogs, podcasts, etc.
Fig. 1. Defining dimensions of online programs
Type of instruction (from fully online to fully face-to-face): many programs
are now combining the best aspects of online and classroom instruction to create
various forms of blended or hybrid learning experiences.
Among the benefits of online education for school-age youngsters are the
increase in enrolment or time in school as the education programs reach
underserved regions, broader educational opportunity for students who are unable to
attend traditional schools, access to resources and instructors not locally available,
and increases in student-teacher communication [16].
3. K-12 online learning over the world
The development of interactive online technology has the potential to drive the
development of online learning all over the world. The degree to which this
potential has been embraced varies from a country to country based on factors
including economics, governmental support, infrastructure, population, and local
innovation. However, the noticeable trend is that the majority of the countries in the
world are leveraging the new technology and are adopting online teaching and
learning across the educational spectrum including K-12.
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3.1. The US perspective
The cumulative primary and secondary education process in the United States is
known as K-12 education. To improve the educational outcomes, many school
districts and states in the US are turning to online learning. With the new
millennium, online learning at K-12 level has grown from an experiment to a
movement. In the last decade the United States have largely invested in online
learning: it is intended that US online education will outgrow traditional education
by the end of the current decade. Already today renowned institutes like Stanford
and MIT offer massive online courses for free – followed by up to 100 000 students
worldwide [6]. According to [13] 50 % of the employers use online learning for
training; one in four undergraduate and graduate students enrolls in an online course
in higher education; 5.9 million college students take online courses. Although
K-12 lags behind post-secondary education in using Internet to teach, many states
and school districts are realizing and utilizing the benefits of online education,
which provides the students with unique equity and access to high quality education
unconstrained by time and place.
Online learning is often suggested as a tool for improving educational
outcomes, expanding the access at lower costs than conventional approaches or
allowing talented teachers to focus on what they do best by automating or
offloading more routine tasks. In his book Disrupting Class [7], Clayton
Christensen predicts that by 2019, half of all high school classes will be online. This
prediction implies that online learning for high school students will grow at an
incredible pace over the next decade. In another publication [8] Christensen and coauthors maintain that the widespread adoption of online learning will follow an
S-curve that predicts the pace of substitution of fully online-delivered learning
versus traditional instruction. They point out that “Using Internet to deliver courses
seems to contain great disruptive potential. It could allow a radical transformation
to happen in an incremental, rational way.”
Different types of online education programs are being implemented in the
US, such as state virtual schools, charter schools2, multidistrict programs, single
district programs, programs run by universities, blended programs, private schools,
and consortium based programs to name some of the most common program types.
While now some established sectors of the field, such as state virtual schools and
online charter schools have continued to grow, relatively new forms, such as
consortium programs and single-district programs are expanding even more rapidly,
as the range of private providers competing to work with districts.
Recent estimates report that in 2010 1.5 million elementary and secondary
school students participated in some form of online learning [44]. The annual
review of online learning policy and practice – Keeping pace with K-12 online
learning [14] estimates that 275 000 students attended fully online schools in 201112. The annual increase in the number of students attending these schools in the
2
In the United States, charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money.
They are subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools, but
generally have more flexibility than traditional public schools. Charter schools are expected to produce
certain results, set forth in each school’s charter.
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largest states is typically hovering around 15 %. The same annual review also
counts 619 847 course enrolments (one student taking a one-semester-long online
course) in 28 state virtual schools in 2011-2012, an increase of 16 % since year
2010-2011. The authors claim that the total number of students taking part in all of
these programs is unknown, but is likely to be several millions, or slightly more
than 5 % of the total K-12 student population across the United States. While the
vast majority of students will continue to take all of their courses in physical
classrooms over the next five years, the number of students taking courses online
will climb to more than 10 million by 2014, according to data released recently by
the research firm Ambient Insight. Fig. 2 (adapted from [54]) illustrates the number
of virtual schools and students in 2011-2012.
Many educators are finding that online learning is an efficient way to reach
various categories of students: talented students, students who fail one or more
courses, or those who seek an alternative to traditional education. Some of the early
online programs, originally focusing on high-achieving students, have expanded
their offerings and are working now with a much broader range of students.
Fig. 2. Number of schools and students enrolment in 2011-2012 (from [54])
As online learning moves past the early adopter phase, the growth of online
programs has redefined how educational technology can be used to address the
needs of all students – from advanced ones searching for advanced placement or
dual-credit courses, to at-risk students trying to find the right instructional mix to fit
their learning styles. According to the Project Tomorrow Survey, conducted in 2009
[9], the primary reason for students to take online classes is to be in control of their
learning. The largest part (51 %) of the surveyed population said it allows them to
work at their own pace; 49 % said it was to earn college credit; 44 % said it allows
them to take a class not offered on campus; 35 % said it was to get extra help; 19 %
said they took online courses to get more attention from teachers.
The Simba 2010 survey [53] confirmed that the typical reasons for students to
look for online courses are for credit recovery, access to unavailable course,
advancement, remediation or dual credit (Fig. 3).
In the United States online learning alternatives are proliferating rapidly.
While distance learning as it is practiced in today’s virtual schools uses technology
that is about ten years old, the literature shows that student’s online education can
be as effective as it is in a classroom, provided that a classroom with the appropriate
course is accessible to the student [16]. B a k i a et al. [11] discuss five ways in
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which online learning could increase educational productivity by improving the
learning opportunities: broadening the access to resources and experiences;
engaging the students in active learning; individualizing and differentiating
instruction; personalizing learning; and maximizing the teacher’s and student’s
time.
Fig. 3. Defining dimensions of online programs
3.2. Asia, Middle East and Africa
In Asia, credit-based online learning is already reaching many millions of learners.
Several countries are putting their entire K-12 curriculum online. This is the region
that has the highest growth rate for online learning in the world, at 17.3 %. At a
country level, India has the highest growth rate followed by China and Malaysia.
India launched a program to scale up high quality K-12 online education in 10
years. The government is subsidizing 12 million tablets, which is opening up online
learning to a vast number of Indians (800 million). This decision puts also pressure
on Indian higher education institutions, which in general have been highly resistant
to e-Learning, to move more quickly, if they are to access additional government
funding for tablets [55].
China is increasingly using online learning tools to supplement traditional
pedagogical methods. As of 2010, the entire Chinese primary and secondary
curriculum was online, however relatively few students have accessed it. The
Chinese government’s goal is to have their entire K-12 population of over 200
million students online by 2020 [55]. (Note however, that according to [22], the
activities that are generally referred to as technology integration in North America
are included under the umbrella of online learning in China). By 2015 all provinces
of China will have digital education trial regions and all cities and counties will
have demonstration schools to be used to lead a large scale education digitalization
program. At least 60 % of all schools will have high speed broadband access and all
rural schools and kindergartens will be equipped with multi-media classrooms. The
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overall student to computer ratio will be 10:1 in primary schools, 8:1 in junior
schools and 5:1 in high schools. The teacher to computer ratio will be 3:1 [28].
In 2010 Hong Kong enacted a policy recommendation for digital learning that
“de-bundled” textbooks and teaching materials to make them more affordable and
accessible to schools, and accelerated the development of an online repository of
curriculum-based learning and teaching resources. A pilot scheme later resulted in a
program made available to all 410 000 primary and secondary school students in
300 000 low-income families − especially the 8 percent without Internet access at
home − to gain access to Internet for the purpose of learning [22].
In South Korea, there has been a nation-wide effort to incorporate online
learning into primary and secondary public education, including the development of
the educational content. All primary and secondary schools must be entirely
“digital” by 2015, and every child should have a personal learning device.
According to [28] 77 % of K-12 students are enrolled in some form of education
opportunity outside of the traditional school. Moreover, 53 % of the South Korean
children of age three years and above have used online learning services in 2012
and 30 % have been using e-Learning services through mobile devices.
Singapore provides local schools with the ability to develop online and
blended learning programs for all subjects with the intent of improving students’
ability to research, analyze, and publish information using a variety of media. All
schools use online learning, where it is also used to build life skills for students to
become successful in the global information economy. In Singapore every teacher
is prepared to teach online. An online learning week is scheduled yearly when
school buildings are closed and school is taught online [22].
In 2012 the Malaysian Prime Minister announced that they would provide one
tablet per every 10 students by 2015 with the goal to equip all 5.4 million school
children in the country with a tablet in ten years as part of the National Education
Blueprint 2013-2025. Also as part of the blueprint, the government intends to
connect over 10 000 schools with 4G connectivity and to connect all the schools in
the country to a national virtual learning platform [23].
Although Turkey has a remarkable history in distance education in the highereducation level, not much can be found for online practices at the lower levels.
Turkey has recently developed a project, which aims to equip schools with
infrastructure, develop and manage e-content, and offer training to teachers. While
there are some longstanding K-12 online education programs, the use of K-12
online learning is still limited due to access and infrastructure issues. The K-12
online programs that are currently operating are focused on underserved
populations, particularly students in rural areas. Some 15 million K-12 students in
Turkey learn online [22].
The Middle East and Africa, to some extent, have begun contracting online
content worldwide so that their students can have access to good quality online
courses. In Saudi Arabia the government-operated Technical and Vocational
Training Corporation (TVTC) network of over 50 instructors has over 100 000
students and was an early adopter of online learning. TVTC’s goal is to reach
400 000 students by 2014 with over 1200 online courses. There are a number of
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public and private schools turning to online learning through the development of
infrastructure within their schools to provide closer working relations between
parents, students and teachers via school nets and the use of online learning
resources and learning management systems [23].
Egypt provides online learning options to some students, typically those
attending larger schools. The use of online learning options in Egypt is also
available to students with special needs and to students who travel, as well as
students taking college-level or advanced courses.
In Africa online learning is developing fast. However, there are certain
conditions needed for online learning to succeed [45]:
• Since education is socially and culturally based, online learning
developments need to be planned, developed, and managed locally (i.e., nationally
or regionally). Only local people understand the local contexts in which online
learning will have to work.
• Adequate electricity, Internet access, and teachers’ training are necessary
prerequisites for online learning, thus online learning may not be the immediate
priority for national or international funding.
• Learners need low-cost, convenient access to computers (or mobile phones)
and Internet in safe and secure environment that facilitates study. That condition
cannot be still met by billions of people, but is rapidly improving.
• The content and even the technology are usually the smallest cost
components. Learners’ support (i.e., teachers or facilitators) is often necessary for
successful learning.
3.3. Canada, Australia and New Zealand
In Canada online learning is a feature of the education systems in all 13 territories
and provinces. In 2011 it was estimated that over 200 000 students were enrolled in
online courses and/or programs. Given the vast land area and regional autonomy,
there is an extremely broad spectrum of distance learning provisions varying by
districts, provinces and territories [24]. More than one million computers were
available to 5.3 million students in elementary and secondary schools across
Canada almost ten years ago. British Columbia has the highest percentage of
students’ participation in online education. Ontario Ministry of Education funds and
oversees the development of online learning courses and provides Learning
Management Systems for all 72 districts. Online learning/teaching content is
uploaded into Ontario Educational Resource Bank, which is accessible to all
Ontario teachers, students and parents.
As it might be expected for a very large country with many isolated
communities, there is a significant number of virtual schools in Australia. The
largest numbers are in New South Wales and Queensland, with three in Victoria,
two in Northern Territory and one each in South and Western Australia. From the
published enrolment numbers, it appears that the School of Isolated and Distance
Education in Western Australia is the largest, with several thousands of enrolments.
The new national curriculum for all prep-to-year-10 schools mandated to be
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available by 2012 through electronic delivery (including resources and materials)
for those who wish to attend school online.
In New Zealand, Digital Strategy 2.0 [52] was designed to provide the
infrastructure that will allow New Zealand to join the leading countries in online
learning. While there are several very active online learning organizations in New
Zealand – e.g., Virtual Education Networks, the New Zealand Virtual Learning
Network and LEARNZ, there appear currently to be only three virtual schools.
3.4. South America
In South America the growth rate of K-12 online learning is a healthy 19.3 %. To
date, South America tends to import the majority of content and technology from
outside the region [23]. In Mexico, high school will be mandatory in the near future.
However, there are not enough face to face schools to meet the needs of the
growing teenage population that will require this educational level. Mexico’s
ministry of education created a program in Mexico City to test the social acceptance
of fully online high (school programs among low income teenagers and their
academic performance [30]). In Mexico every new teacher is trained to use digital
curricula [29]. There are also virtual courses offered in single subjects.
Telecentre.org, which is based in Mexico, offers online mathematics education to
primary and secondary school students in Mexico, Bolivia and Peru [24].
The blended learning is also gaining momentum in South America. This
learning model, which costs 30-70 % less than the on-campus education, combines
classroom discussions with online studies. In Argentina, a program was launched to
place three million netbooks in schools throughout the country by 2012. In
Uruguay, “One Laptop Per Child” program has been applied to primary school
students since 2007. Distribution of laptops to secondary school students has been
initiated in 2012. The Uruguayan government has funded computers for students to
be used in a blended learning environment. While a very good initiative, it stays
rather isolated from other policy decisions. In Peru, online learning is only available
at 1.4 % of all public schools. In Bolivia, scarce resources have prohibited public
funding of online learning program development at the primary and secondary
levels. As to Brazil, there is a federal law prohibiting online learning at the primary
and secondary levels [22]. Teachers’ unions believe that this type of system is
bound to dehumanize the process of learning and is likely to create antisocial, overindividualistic students.
3.5. European Union
Following the developments in the United States, the availability and popularity of
online education in Europe are on the rise [6]. At the beginning of the first decade
of this century the online learning was characterized by:
• Limited offering of online and blended learning, mainly in regular upper
secondary schools and upper secondary schools for adults, and occasionally in some
vocational schools.
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• Limited amount of digital repositories for school resources, including
collections of modules on relevant subjects from existing training programs.
The e-Learning Action Plan, adopted by the European Commission in 2001,
gives the new communication technologies a greater role in education [35]. The
Action Plan was intended to support the implementation of the online learning
initiative by:
• Setting out the principles, objectives and lines of action of e-Learning,
defined as “the use of new multimedia technologies and Internet to improve the
quality of learning by facilitating the access to resources and services, as well as
remote exchanges and collaboration”.
• Placing emphasis on creating appropriate conditions for the development of
the content, services and learning environments which are sufficiently advanced and
relevant to education.
In 2010 the EU member states and the European Commission agreed to
include education and training as a key element in “Europe 2020” − the EU’s
strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth over the coming decade.
Separately, the European Commission funds the research and implementation
projects on online (distance) learning in the European Union including Eastern
Europe. The growth rate of e-Learning products and services in Eastern Europe is
around 21 % [33]. Eurydice is an executive agency of the European Commission
that provides data on education systems and educational policies in Europe. The
European SchoolNet (EUN) is a network of 30 Ministries of Education across
Europe and provides country-specific detailed reports on the use of learning
technology and digital content in Europe.
As reported by the International Research on K-12 online learning [24], in
2012 there were 68 European virtual schools and colleges distributed across 18
countries (although the total number of European virtual schools was likely to be
well in excess of 60 and perhaps approaching 100). The average size of the schools
was 475 students. On the basis of the available evidence, Bacsich and Bristow [24]
estimated that the virtual schools are split evenly among those established by public
and private providers. A considerable proportion of these schools is offering a full
or broad curriculum. Moreover, a significant proportion of the virtual schools
(extrapolated to be between 30-50 %) were initially established to address issues of
student exclusion. Characteristics of student exclusion addressed by European
virtual schools include:
• Students who are long-term sick and/or hospitalized;
• Students with disabilities;
• Young parents or pregnant young women;
• Travellers;
• Students who have been bullied or are school-phobic;
• Students who left school with no or few qualifications;
• Students who are imprisoned;
• Geographically isolated students;
• Students with specific language needs (immigrants with poor host-nation
language skills).
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At least ten European virtual schools were initially established to support
expatriates and/or the children of military personnel serving overseas. In several
European countries there appears to be growing interest towards virtual schools
providing supplementary, specialist and/or revision courses and lessons. The virtual
schools offer a broad pedagogical spectrum − from 100 % online to significant faceto-face interaction − and a variety of communication tools. In many cases the
virtual schools reflect local/national circumstances − either in support of
local/national policy priorities or to meet demands not sufficiently catered for in
their host region/nation [24, 46].
A success example of high school online learning is the IB Diploma Online
Program [38]. It is an academically challenging and balanced program of education
with final examinations that prepares students, aged 16 to 19, for success at
university and life beyond. The program has developed gold-standard online
courses and trained master teachers to teach online. It is offered to students in 125
countries. The growing community of the IB Diploma Program was covering 280
schools, 1000 students and over 60 teachers located around the world in 2012.
3.5.1. United Kingdom
Online learning is taking off in the UK Higher education. According to the report in
[39], there are around 2600 online or distance learning courses available. Of those,
over 1500 courses are delivered by 113 UK higher and further education
institutions, while the Open University offers 952 courses. However, progress in
K-12 online education lags behind that in higher education [35, 36]. As reported in
[24], there is no government organization that oversees quality standards for K-12
online teaching or online courses. Furthermore, there is no governmental master
strategic plan for online learning on a national scale. The Ministry of Education
along with the Infocomm Development Authority shapes the direction of online
learning. The government provides funds to local authorities so that they allocate
funds for online curriculum, hardware, and software based on their local needs.
They usually purchase services and products from private vendors.
The majority of students have access to online resources, and there is a fairly
high ratio of students to computers at the schools. Most of the efforts to use
technology for learning occur at the secondary level. There is, however, a good
support for assistive technologies in schools. Online learning is most often used to
support courses for medically homebound students, students with special
scheduling considerations, students for whom work is a priority, and students with
special needs. There are no government licensing requirements for teachers who
teach online, except that they must be qualified to teach. Furthermore, there is no
extra training provided to teachers for teaching online and approximately 10 % of
the teachers had never received any ICT training of any sort. Yet, teachers typically
create the content for online courses and a learning management system is used
typically to deliver courses [24].
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3.5.2. Finland
In 1997 the National Board of Education and the Finnish Broadcasting Company
started, together with 12 educational institutes, a development project funded by the
European Union for Upper Secondary Distance Education. The project covers
regular upper secondary schools, upper secondary schools for adults, and some
vocational schools. In 2007 there were about 120 upper secondary distance learning
institutes with approximately 4000 distant students. Upper secondary online
education is usually blended. Majority of the studies is completed in the form of
online learning under the supervision of teachers. The age of online/distance
learning students varies from 18 to 70.
In Finland, online learning at K-12 level is included in the government’s
national plan for developing educational technology, but its implementation is
mainly at a local level and with teachers. There are no governmental licensing
requirements or special credentials required to teach online. It is considered a
teaching method and source of content that is the same as any other, with no special
standing in evaluation, quality assurance, procurement, or otherwise. In 2011
Finland had a single national virtual school.
The online learning content comes from commercial providers and public
initiatives but is created mostly by the teachers themselves. All teachers in Finland
have at least a master’s degree, giving them a good foundation to create and
develop their own course material independently. The large educational publishers
have their own online content materials, but they are mainly focused on supporting
the existing book sales [24].
In higher education the Finnish Virtual University (FVU) is a partnership of
all 21 Finnish universities. It develops and supports collaboration among
universities in the utilization of educational technology. As a consortium, it
develops information, network-based training, and educational services for shared
use of its member universities. The government funded the project and it has
generated tangible results, such as developing 460 online courses, according to the
Ministry of Education. The FVU partnership ended in 2010 however, all 21
universities continue to do business individually.
3.5.3. Bulgaria
According to the report provided in [22] the use of online learning in the public
education in Bulgaria is underdeveloped. The ICT in National Education Strategy
initiative of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science (2005-2007) provided
3000 Bulgarian schools with computers, broadband connections, laptops and
projectors for use in the classrooms, as well as with a national educational portal,
containing some e-lessons across the curriculum and allowing resources sharing
[56]. However, the initiative targeted at supporting the traditional education taking
place in physical classrooms, not from distance. The intended role of the scarce
e-Learning resources is also something additional to traditional education.
The idea of online learning is a relatively new concept for a significant
proportion of the Bulgarian educational community and administration. The
nascent online programs are not tested in practice and the teachers are not ready.
104
The local education system is conservative and slowly changing. The current focus
is on long delayed changes and reforms at a more general level (e.g., organizational
improvements, restructuring priorities in funding, etc.) [22]. These are some of the
primary obstacles to the growth of online learning in Bulgaria. Currently, very few
Bulgarian schools are using any digital content to supplement the face-to-face
classroom experience, while most of the schools feel there is not enough research
and evidence to demonstrate that online education is an efficient practice.
However, several organizations are starting to provide learning content and
services; they need though public and administrative support in order this initial
effort to grow and make it more than an isolated experience. There were also some
pilot projects on online learning, though the effect was not significant and the focus
was on peripheral issues. At present, it seems that the use of technology is first
advancing inside the schools − the physical presence of technology and its
utilization is an essential precondition. The regular use of computers in class will
obviate the need for online learning. As stated by [22], some forms of online
learning may surface in the next 2-3 years.
4. Trends and challenges
Online K-12 education is becoming a worldwide phenomenon and is marking a
global tendency in education. The following trends and challenges have been
identified based on the surveyed materials. The majority of the trends and
challenges listed below are modified versions from [21] and [22], extended with
relevant facts from [41, 42, 43, 45, 47, 48].
4.1. Trends
The rise of online education is expected to continue and will play a big role in how
the perception about e-Learning is changing in society. The following trends have
been identified as key drivers in K-12 education:
• Blended learning: there is tremendous growth potential for online learning
in blended learning opportunities. Many schools and districts are choosing blended
learning as a stepping stone to gain experience before moving to a full online
program.
• Competency-based learning: mastery is being recognized by educators and
policy makers as more important than “seat time”. Technology, and in particular
blended and online learning, is providing the means for students to receive
individualized instruction and is empowering students to learn at their own pace.
• Continuity of e-Learning: online and blended learning are solutions for
ensuring that learning continues during a school closure. Online learning and
continuity of learning is more than just providing curriculum in an online format. It
involves the planning, training, and management of delivery of an instruction over a
new technologically enabled delivery model.
105
• Mobile learning: mobile learning is truly extending the classroom to
anytime and anywhere. Netbooks, smartphones, connectivity and software are
driving mobile learning forward.
• Instructional content: the content is a key ingredient to a successful online
program. Economic factors, coupled with the need for portability of learning are
driving forces for disaggregation and openness of the instructional content,
especially as it relates to online and blended learning programs.
• Monitoring the student’s progress: the increasing pressure on schools and
districts to provide and analyze the student’s and teacher’s performance is driving
the development and adoption of Learning Management Systems. The LMS are
turning into all-encompassing portals that not only deliver learning, but also
integrate other systems crucial to students’ progress.
• Cloud computing: cloud computing provides access to a wide range of
educational materials without teachers/students actually having to be on-site. They
can access any resources they need from anywhere by an Internet connection. It
also requires less equipment for both students and schools.
• Higher progress in developed countries: blended and online choices are
most available to students in urban areas from developed countries.
Blended learning is occurring much more frequently than online learning.
Online learning is more prevalent for students with special needs or
circumstances (such that prevent them from attending the traditional classroom).
Professional development: specialized teacher training is not required but is
encouraged and available.
Educational social media: social media is becoming educational and the
educational social networks are becoming popular within the educational system.
The most valuable and often scarcest resource in education is good teachers.
In this context, the key question that needs to be addressed is: What supports are
required to redefine teacher’s education for preparing all new teachers for online
teaching and virtual learning professional opportunities [20].
4.2. Challenges
Among the most significant challenges and barriers are:
Limited knowledge about online learning and as a result limited interest
in it.
Limited economic resources in many countries that do not allow investing in
the technology infrastructure, content development and teacher training needed for
implementing online learning.
Lack of governmental vision and leadership to develop policies for
implementing and providing online learning.
Lack of governmental funding and encouragement of investments for
implementing online learning programs.
Need for teacher’s training and professional development in online education.
Lack of equitable access to Internet tools or resources to make online learning
possible in many areas.
106
5. Conclusion
Online learning is one of the fastest growing trends in educational uses of
technology. A limited amount of research exists that addresses the current practices
of online learning and virtual schools in K-12 context. Most of the publications
studying various educational approaches, standards and best practices are based on
online post-secondary or face-to-face teaching. Technology by itself does not have
the power to improve learning, but when utilized in online learning in combination
with instruction that addresses the cognitive and social processes of knowledge
construction, could offer more diverse and effective learning opportunities than
their face-to-face counterparts [46, 51]. In this review we have attempted to
summarize different variations in K-12 online and blended learning, in various
regional, national and cultural contexts. It may leave an impression that the practice
in the realm of K–12 online education is following the footsteps of post-secondary
online education. To some extent this is true, but K-12 online learning addresses
specific needs and thus specific challenges and requirements. The results of this
survey could be useful in that they provide a frame of references from which to
view the emerging and rapidly evolving field of K-12 online education. It was
intended to provide a broad picture of K-12 online education that can be helpful in
supporting the implementation of new online programs, teachers’ professional
development and the development of policies that promote virtual schools and
online education in general.
Acknowledgements: This material is based upon work supported by the Grant EC FP7-REGPOT-2012
2013-1 “AComIn: Advanced Computing for Innovation”.
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