Well, I just finished with the An International Perspective of K-12 Online Learning panel at the Virtual School Symposium . I was able to join this panel through the VSS Overlay‘s Live Presentations feature. My role on this panel was related to the iNACOL Canada report that was officially released today. As the press release states:
iNACOL Releases New Report, State of the Nation: K-12 Online Learning in Canada
AUSTIN, TX, November 17, 2009 – The International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) released State of the Nation Study: K-12 Online Learning in Canada at the annual Virtual School Symposium today.
The goal of the report is to examine the K-12 distance education policies and activities in each of the Canadian provinces and territories. This was done by examining the legislation and regulations that govern K-12 distance education in each jurisdiction and describing the programs that provide online learning opportunities.
According to Susan Patrick, iNACOL President and CEO, “For more than a decade, Canadian governments have focused on the expansion of K-12 online learning to serve students in remote areas and provide new educational opportunities that engage students. The report provides a rich illustration of how Canada is poised to provide every student, regardless of their geography, with access to high-quality online learning opportunities.”
Michael Barbour, the author of the study, said, “In this year’s study, we tried to provide vignettes to helps readers get a better sense of the many variations in online learning in Canada; they serve to personalize the students, teachers, schools and programs.”
K-12 online learning is growing at an estimated annual pace of 30% annually. Online learning benefits include expanding opportunity to high-quality instructors and courses, leveling the playing field for all students to access a high-quality education and transforming the learning experience with a customized and individualized instructional model.
The report was sponsored by and funded by Connections Academy. It is available online at: http://www.inacol.org/research/reports.php.
The actual report can be viewed at http://www.inacol.org/research/docs/iNACOL_CanadaStudy_200911.pdf and I would like to thank Connections Academy as this year’s sponsor, iNACOL for their continued publication of this project, and all of those who provided information contained in the report.