The global pandemic highlighted the need for diverse faculty development partners to ensure student and faculty learning was supported, particularly in intensive modes of educational delivery. Our paper presents an institutional case study of how educational technology, in collaboration with the Center for Teaching and Learning and subject matter…

This quantitative study sought to learn if instructional mode (online, blended, traditional) had an impact on evidence-based reading and writing SAT scores for English Language Learners, as well as if WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment) is a predictor of the evidence-based reading and writing SAT scores for ELL students. This…

This article presents an interview with Joe Freidhoff, the director of online learning research and innovation at the "Michigan Virtual University"[R] ("MVU"[R]), a nonprofit corporation in Michigan. He publishes and presents frequently in the area of K-12 online and blended learning research. Dr. Freidhoff completed his…

The advent of new technologies and increased access to robust connectivity is reshaping the K-12 landscape for teaching and learning. School districts nationwide are leveraging digital instructional materials and resources to deliver transformative and impactful personalized learning opportunities for students and to enhance the administrative…

This report studies the best practices necessary to rethink the skills, methods, and pedagogical evolution that teacher education must address. If we are to ensure great teachers are trained, mentored, and retained for our students--the programs themselves must emulate 21st century skills. The examples found in this report have unique elements and…

Learning experience has been one of the most debated aspects of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Various perceptions on learning experience offered by MOOCs have led to many claims about the quality of these courses and their potential impact on higher education in both developed and developing countries. This paper discusses, from a learner's…

This paper addresses the concern of educating diverse university students in an increasingly digital environment. Specifically, educators question the quality of student online research skills and how to address gaps in research skills in both the virtual and physical classroom. A 2012 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in collaboration…

Many reports on rural education give little attention to digital learning. At most, they tend to note either infrastructure needs or the potential of remote course access, with little focus on instruction, outcomes, or exemplars. This report intends to begin correcting that imbalance by connecting the dots between rural regions, rural education,…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Moving from Technology Optional to Technology Essential: Alliance President Testifies Before Michigan Senate…

Online learning has steadily become a more integral strategy for schools and districts in their efforts to offer students greater access to the courses they need. Where in the past, much of the online learning activity happened at the state level or regional level, more and more schools are exercising greater control over their online and digital…

Online charter schools are one key subset of the K-12 online education landscape, which also includes state virtual schools, district-level online programs, private providers of both individual courses and entire schools, and others. As of late 2010, online and blended charter schools existed in more than 20 states, serving more than 100,000…

A national provider of afterschool and summer programming plans to expand quickly into new regions, bringing its successful model of out-of-school learning to more children in disadvantaged schools and neighborhoods. A large number of staff members must be trained in the provider's program model in a short window of time. The organization needs to…

Since 2007 the author has been teaching a hybrid Information Literacy course at Lakeview High School in Battle Creek, Michigan. It combines an online information literacy focus with real-world library work experience in her media center. This blended course has just been revised so that high school graduates will be able to fulfill Michigan's…

The mission of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) is to ensure all students have access to world-class education and quality online learning opportunities that prepare them for a lifetime of success. "National Standards for Quality Online Courses" is designed to provide states, districts, online programs, and…

Most educators, parents, and policymakers think of "online learning" as a subset of distance learning (where the students and teacher are geographically separate), in which content delivery and communication are achieved primarily through the use of computers connected by the Internet. However, online learning can be either distance…