Virtual School News» online courses

Report: Online Learning Nearly Doubles Among High School Students

tcnixon — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 06:30:33 +0000

The percentage of high school students taking online courses nearly doubled in a single year. According to the latest data available from Project Tomorrow’s annual Speak Up Survey, more than one-quarter (27 percent) of all high school students took at least one class online last year, up from 14 percent the year before. But the numbers could have been higher, according to the researchers.

According to a new report released at this week’s ISTE 2010 conference, “Learning in the 21st Century: 2010 Trends Update,” the percentage of middle school students taking online classes has also climbed. Twenty-one percent of middle school students reported taking online classes in 2009 versus 16 percent in 2008.

The statistics were released as part of an update to the latest annual Speak Up report, which surveyed 299,677 K-12 students, 38,642 teachers, 3,947 administrators, and 26,312 parents in fall 2009. The update was sponsored by ed tech developer Blackboard.

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Summer school classes vanishing as South Bay students scramble for options

tcnixon — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:40:29 +0000

Vanessajoie Castillo had been hoping to get ahead in the race for college by taking precalculus and trigonometry courses this summer at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose. But when the James Lick High School student arrived last week to register, she found the classroom packed — and the waiting list already closed.

Her own school district, San Jose’s East Side Union, canceled most summer school for lack of money.

Welcome to the summer of the California budget crisis. Normally, tens of thousands of valley students would be beginning summer classes in their home districts now. But those courses — whether meant for students who want to get ahead, catch up, or take enrichment classes in arts, music or science — have become another casualty of the state’s education funding crisis. When the state granted them budget flexibility, most districts siphoned money earmarked for summer school to help keep their educational ships afloat during the regular school year.

The result: Many students have been scrambling to find alternatives from community colleges and a confusing array of private course providers. “One program charged $900,” said Vanessajoie, 16. “I don’t have that kind of money.”

The cancellation has left many students fearing they’ll be less competitive in college applications or will lack the credits to graduate.

“We would have to suspect that it would have an effect both on the dropout rate and academic performance,” said Terry Peluso of the Campbell Union High School District, which canceled summer school except for some special education students and for seniors needing to make up work.

Likewise, San Jose Unified has about 675 high school students enrolled this summer, most trying to make up credits. Last year, the district canceled most of its summer school at the last minute, when the state declared it would not reimburse districts. This year, San Jose Unified is referring other students to its approved online courses, offered by third parties such as K12.com, Brigham Young University and the Fresno County Office of Education. The costs range from $150 to $350 per online semester course, summer school Principal Dane Caldwell-Holden said.

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Online courses often pricier for students

tcnixon — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:02:18 +0000

Fees imposed on college students who take online classes can be more than $1,300 at some schools, according to a new survey claiming that internet-based education is often more costly for students than attending classes on campus.

The one-time registration fees charged to web-based students are not levied on students who take traditional classes, and some online college programs include other charges for course materials and “technology resources and services,” according to a survey of 182 institutions conducted by the Campus Computing Project and Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications (WCET). The report was released Oct. 22.

Online students are paying less than their brick-and-mortar peers at 20 percent of the campuses surveyed, while 31 percent are paying the same price, according to the survey. But nearly half of respondents said their online students are paying more for a college education than traditional students.

Online registration fees ranged from $51 in public master’s colleges to $1,316 in private universities. Online students pay an average of $232 in one-time fees, according to the report.

The higher fees for online courses seem to fly in the face of traditional thinking: that online courses are cheaper for schools to produce.

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Online courses often pricier for students by Dennis Carter

From eSchoolNews.com

Study: Students want more online learning

tcnixon — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:33:53 +0000

Despite a growing interest in online learning among students, the availability of online classes in K-12 schools and districts hasn’t kept pace with the demand, according to a new report from Project Tomorrow and Blackboard Inc.

According to the report, more than 40 percent of sixth through 12th graders have researched or demonstrated interest in taking a course online, but only 10 percent have actually taken an online course through their school. Meanwhile, 7 percent of middle school students and 4 percent of high school students instead have pursued opportunities outside their school to take online courses–underscoring the disconnect between the supply and demand for online learning in today’s schools.

What’s more, a majority of school principals, 58 percent, say the online classes currently offered in their districts are primarily for teachers; just 31 percent say the classes are primarily for students. Additionally, while a third of teachers have taken an online course for professional development–a 57-percent increase from 2007–only 3 percent of teachers say they’ve taught a class online, a number that has not changed in three years. Just 13 percent of teachers say they’re interested in teaching online, a considerable mismatch with the growing student desire to learn online.

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Study: Students want more online learning ; Funding shortages, lack of teacher preparation mean schools offer less online learning than students desire, this research suggests
From eSchoolNews.com