Online and Blended Learning - ERIC

Online and Blended Learning:

A Survey of Policy and Practice of K-12 Schools Around the World

Written by: Michael Barbour, Wayne State University Regina Brown, University of Wisconsin, Madison Lisa Hasler Waters, University of Hawaii

Rebecca Hoey, Northwestern College Jeffrey L. Hunt, DuPage County (Illinois)

Regional Office of Education

Kathryn Kennedy, Georgia Southern University Chantal Ounsworth, Regina Catholic Schools Allison Powell, iNACOL Trina Trimm, VSCHOOLZ

Online and Blended Learning:

A Survey of Policy and Practice of K-12 Schools Around the World

Written by: Michael Barbour, Wayne State University Regina Brown, University of Wisconsin, Madison Lisa Hasler Waters, University of Hawaii Rebecca Hoey, Northwestern College Jeffrey L. Hunt, DuPage County (Illinois) Regional Office of Education Kathryn Kennedy, Georgia Southern University Chantal Ounsworth, Regina Catholic Schools Allison Powell, iNACOL Trina Trimm, VSCHOOLZ

TOLL-FREE 888.95.NACOL (888.956.2265) DIRECT 703.752.6216 fax 703.752.6201 email info@ web mail 1934 Old Gallows Road, Suite 350 Vienna, VA 22182-4040

Acknowledgments

This is the second International Survey completed by the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL). The first survey was conducted by Susan Patrick and Allison Powell from the North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL) in response to several requests from members asking for examples from other countries. At the time, there was no research published on the topic of K-12 online learning outside of North America.

In 2006, iNACOL sent surveys to over 60 countries and received 17 responses which were summarized in An International Perspective of K-12 Online Learning: A Summary of the 2006 NACOL International E-Learning Survey. This report provided data, information, and innovative ideas to policymakers and practitioners in North America.

Through the help of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, iNACOL was able to complete a more in depth follow up to the 2006 survey. Matthew Warner's leadership in the development and deployment of the survey and organization of the researchers was essential in the completion of this study. iNACOL would also like to thank the members of the Research Committee who share an interest and commitment to the field of K-12 online and blended learning and donated their time, leadership, and guidance in the planning, analysis, and writing of this report.

The researchers who gave their time to provide the information that is the basis for this international report are another set of key contributors to the report. iNACOL would like to thank these researchers who completed the survey and wrote the case studies on behalf of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation. This report would not have been possible without their input.

Michael Barbour Wayne State University

Regina Brown University of Wisconsin, Madison

Lisa Hasler-Waters University of Hawaii

Rebecca Hoey Northwestern College

Jeffrey Hunt DuPage County (Illinois) Regional Office of Education

Kathryn Kennedy Georgia Southern University

Chantal Ounsworth Regina Catholic Schools

Allison Powell iNACOL

Trina Trimm VSCHOOLZ

We have made every attempt to ensure the accuracy of the information in the Online and Blended Learning: A Survey of Policy and Practice in K-12 Schools Around the World, but recognize that in a report of this breadth some errors of accuracy or omission are likely. iNACOL welcomes comments, clarifications, and suggestions to apowell@.

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INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION for K-12 Online Learning

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

2

Introduction

4

What is Online Learning?

7

State of K-12 Online Learning

9

Trends, Issues and Challenges

10

Further Illustration Through Case Studies

23

Conclusion

29

Country Profiles

Africa

33

Asia and the Middle East

44

Europe

66

Oceania

109

North America

115

South America

121

Online and Blended Learning: A Survey of Policy and Practice of K-12 Schools Around the World

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Introduction

In 2006, the North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL) conducted its first international survey, researching how other countries were implementing online and blended learning opportunities for their primary and secondary (K-12) students.

As the pace of growth of online and blended learning has grown at an average of over 30% each year for the past 10 years across the United States, there have been several requests to update the research done from An International Perspective of K-12 Online Learning: A Summary of the 2006 NACOL International E-Learning Survey.1 As a result, iNACOL undertook the project to produce a new report on the international state of K-12 online learning with the assistance of several members of the iNACOL Research Committee.

The collection of the content for this report was made possible through the Atlas Economic Research Foundation to replicate and extend the 2006 International Survey conducted by iNACOL. Atlas worked with current education researchers in over 60 countries to answer several questions about the state of online learning policy and practice for primary and secondary (K-12) students in each country. iNACOL received a total of 50 completed surveys.

The surveys included 23 questions that were thematically focused around the following areas:

Government involvement in online learning in areas such as planning, finance, and leadership

Numbers of students taking courses online and the geographic areas served

Instructor professional development

Quality standards for courses and supportive services

Challenges for online learning

Technology used by students

1 Patrick, S. and Powell, A. (2006). An International Perspective of K-12 Online Learning: A Summary of the 2006 NACOL International E-Learning Survey. Retrieved from

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INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION for K-12 Online Learning

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