News and Trends
Blended learning on the rise
6/1/2011 By:
Today more than 4 million
students participate in some
kind of formal online-learning
program, one that is often
blended into the traditional
schoolhouse. A new study
released by Innosight Institute,
“The Rise of K–12 Blended
Learning: Profiles of Emerging
Models,” profiles 40 pioneering
blended-learning organizations
across the country, categorizes
them by model, and documents
their effectiveness in reducing costs
and improving academic performance.
Here are some highlights of the
report’s suggestions to policy makers
about how to shape the playing field
to get the best results.
¦ Eliminate the cap on the number
of students who can enroll in online or
blended-learning programs or courses.
¦ Eradicate rules that restrict class
size and student-teacher ratios.
¦ Abolish geographic barriers to
which online courses students may take.
¦ Remove “school site” definitions
that limit blended-learning models
by specifying that a portion of student
learning must occur in traditional
school buildings and the rest must
occur off-site.
¦ Move to a system in which students
progress according to their
mastery of academic standards or
competencies as opposed to seat
time or the traditional school
calendar.
¦ Lift the rules governing
certification and licensure to let
schools slot paraprofessionals
or capable non-state-certified
teachers into appropriate assistive
or instructional roles.
¦ Allow schools to arrange
staffing and redefine teachers’
roles according to teachers’ effectiveness
and students’ needs.
¦ Facilitate assessments that
can be made at any time.
For the complete report, visit http://tinyurl.com/3v24mbh