For students who need more flexible learning schedules, digital learning is playing a growing, integral role to their success.
Here are two digital learning policies worth watching in 2015, according to a recent blog post from Tanya Roscorla, a Center for Digital Education writer.
One is personalized and competency-based learning. This means virtual students operate on a learning schedule based on how quickly they master content, as opposed to what day it is on the calendar.
This kind of personalized education is a primary reason parents choose digital learning opportunities for their children, who may have special needs, long hours devoted to athletic or artistic extracurriculars, or simply just don’t do well in a brick-and-mortar environment.
Online course access is another topic worth watching in 2015. Currently, course choice programs exist in seven states according to Keeping Pace with K12 Digital Education. Those states are: Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.
Course access programs allow students to enroll in individual courses that are offered online and may not be available in their brick-and-mortar school environment. In fact, another course choice program has just been introduced in Illinois.
According to a February 2014 report from CER, it’s become clear that online learning is here to stay. National data show that over four million students and counting in the United States are engaged in some form of online-based education.