Online instruction for K-12 has evolved over the years from the realm of sometimes exotic and sometimes “poor cousin” into the province of practical, affordable and well-regarded solutions for legions of disenchanted parents and their wards. Read more about the rise of online schooling in this insightful article that chronicles some of the salient and inexorable changes underway. This feature also effectively addresses and dispels cliched myths about the shortfalls of online learning; they are little more than traditional potshots taken by traditionalists who have known but one educational system.

Much of the success and efficacy of online learning provided by industry leaders lies in the instructional content. Comprehensive and high quality content but naturally drives the learning process effectively. Thus the traditional teacher is no longer center stage; in fact the content compensates for a traditional shortcoming – the quality of a teacher, or rather the lack of it thereof. Needless to say, the odd inspirational teacher would rise above the formatted template of an online course, but inspirational teachers are unfortunately a near extinct species in most parts of the world.

‘Online’ is a partial misnomer in that the computer time for a student is largely restricted to the critical mass of factual instruction that is a part of all traditional subjects; the rest comprises hands-on experiments, research, field trips, and everything else that constitutes the kind of wholesome learning experience one would expect (but not necessarily realize) in a traditional classroom. Additionally, easy-to-use technology tools for collaboration and communication make the online learning experience today as much of an engaging and social process as traditional school learning. This “blended” or “distributed” learning model is often touted by education researchers to be better than either all online or all offline as it can bring together the best of both worlds.

There are two significant differences from traditional classroom learning which skew the experience in favor of the student. First, there is an unwavering benchmark of quality that is enforced by virtue of standardization of the educational content i.e. little is left to a teacher’s creative expression or as is often the case, lack of deep content knowledge. Second, the rate of progression is not a collective concept that hinges on a complete group proceeding together as is sadly the case in most traditional classrooms. Teaching to the middle of bell curve and adoption of a “one size fits all” approach limit the efficacy of traditional schooling. These make way for individualized and personal learning paths in online learning. Most online courses ensure that every student sets an individual pace that determines the his/her progress. Contrast this with a traditional setting wherein, the best served student segments in a classroom are usually the lowest-performing ones. Gifted and accelerated programs have never progressed beyond earnest lip service in most school systems around the world.

In simple speak– good, well-designed online courses provide high quality education material whose delivery doesn’t depend on the whims or competencies of a teacher. A student progresses at a rate that reflects the student’s individual learning needs and interests. To the credit of several school districts in the US, they have heeded the reality of the efficacy of online schooling, and many state-led and charter schools now offer online learning programs. Now if only private enterprise could take on the school systems in developing countries, the world would be a better place.

Read the complete ‘Learning without limits’ report here.