I always look forward to the newest edition of the Keeping Pace report, which details tons of data and trends in online learning each year, and this year’s is no exception. The report, which has been published annually since 2004, has chronicled the expansion of K-12 online learning in meticulous detail, which makes it a great reference point and resource.
To give you a little taste, here’s some of the most useful features in the 2010 edition:
-A top 10 list of major developments in online learning in 2010
-An explanation of online learning with definitions for newbies
-A list of notable reports on online learning from 2010
-A chart breakdown of online learning opportunities in each state
-A comprehensive overview of state virtual school programs, including growth, governance, and enrollments
-An overview of multi-district, full-time online schools, single district programs, and consortium programs by state
-Detailed profiles of each state’s virtual education policies
The report also offers analysis on emerging trends in virtual education, like the rise of blended learning, competency-based learning, and mobile learning. In particular, blended learning brings up many questions that I think many folks are now asking, such as what exactly is blended learning, and should policy treat it differently than “traditional” online learning?
There is a lot of information packed into this report, and I highly recommend that you take a few minutes to sift through some of it, even if only to read through the most recent developments in K-12 online learning. There is even a graphic that breaks down the online learning market landscape, although, as the report states, it’s not a complete list of providers, only a “snapshot of a rapidly changing landscape.”