Lessons for Online Learning

In the spring 2011 issue of Education Next, Erin Dillon and Bill Tucker equate online learning with charter schools. Is online learning the next “cure-all” that will be implemented without any real way to assess its effectiveness? Their article, “Lessons for Online Learning” studies the lessons learned from the charter movement, such as focusing on outcomes, investing in good data and research, securing independent oversight, negotiating a fair deal, and giving students choices while not relying on markets alone to monitor quality. To see the article as well as a very informative national map outlining the current proliferation of online learning, visit http://educationnext.org/lessons-for-online-learning/