Report: Online learning a 'lifeline' in rural areas

A new Sloan Consortium study, K-12 Online Learning, finds that online learning offers a lifeline -- especially for rural schools. The study also predicts "blended learning" could be the way most students learn in the future. Online learning has developed differently in K-12 schools than it has in higher education, the report noted. At colleges and universities, online learning has grown much more rapidly, as these institutions have invested significant dollars in developing and delivering their own online courses and degree programs. K-12 schools, on the other hand, have "approached online learning with caution," the report says. "Rather than investing resources in developing their own delivery support structure, they typically depend on a number of outside online learning providers, including postsecondary institutions, independent vendors, and state virtual schools."