Online options continue to grow

The expansion of online education is trickling down to the K-12 set, reports TechNewsWorld.

Although there is no substitute for playing dress-up and other games with other children, the virtual classroom is making headway in the elementary grades as a supplementary option.

"The initial resistance to online education has ebbed and educators are now finding appropriate uses for it," Adam Newman, vice president at Eduventures, a K-12 market research firm, told TechNewsWorld.

At the college level, online education is growing by leaps and bounds. Many institutions such as Harvard University are joining the for-profit University of Phoenix in offering online classes. High schools are also jumping on the bandwagon by offering classes mainly to home schoolers.

"We were an elementary/middle school, and our students want to continue with the online model through high school," Susan Fancher, vice president of marketing at Connections Academy, told TechNewsWorld.

Online schooling proponents don't expect that virtual classes will replace going to school. But for certain people who live in rural areas or have disabilities that don't allow them to attend regular classes, virtual classes offer a good opportunity to learn.