1

ENABLED BY BROADBAND, EDUCATION ENTERS A NEW FRONTIER

DR. JOHN G. FLORES

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

UNITED STATES DISTANCE LEARNING ASSOCIATION

8 Winter Street, Suite 508 ∙ Boston, MA 02108-4705

Telephone: 800.275.5162 Fax: 617.339.1771

Website: www.usdla.org

2

ENABLED BY BROADBAND, EDUCATION ENTERS A NEW FRONTIER

DR. JOHN G. FLORES

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

UNITED STATES DISTANCE LEARNING ASSOCIATION

Education’s Broadband Frontier

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a working mom is back in an online class working toward her MBA just two

days after giving birth. Across the country, at Clallam Bay High School in Washington, half of the school’s

36 students are enrolled in an online class to fulfill a history requirement.1 In Pender, North Carolina, a

young student with a computer and broadband connection studies Advanced Placement chemistry even

though her school lacks the resources to offer the course on site. A young man in rural Alabama, at a career

dead end job because of poor performance in high school, is doing Dean’s list work in an online degree

program; though living an hour’s drive from the nearest college, he has a second chance at a quality

education that will help him get a better job.2 Across the country, upwards of fifteen thousand teachers and

administrators, are pursuing various level graduate degrees in education, utilizing cutting edge simulations

and other content available only through broadband applications from a technology leading university in Fort

Lauderdale, Florida.

For these students, and thousands like them, broadband connectivity is enabling them to overcome a range of

barriers to achieving educational goals that they likely couldn’t reach without being hooked up to the

Internet. Teenagers at high schools too small or poor to offer advanced courses, working parents who can’t

leave their jobs to attend school fulltime, people who find it hard to get back and forth to campus because of

distance or disabilities that complicate mobility, and thousands of others with reasons of their own, are using

online learning to pursue new academic opportunities. Lifelong learning can be a way of life, providing

learners have access to broadband. Every American can be a student whenever the time is right for him/her.

Going Mainstream

Importantly, online learning isn’t just for those who face barriers of time or space, or struggle with the

confines of a traditional school program. Increasingly, mainstream educators recognize that broadband

connectivity can enrich the academic experience of every student. From grades K-8, in high school and at

colleges across America, teachers and students are using broadband connections to reach resources, experts,

lecturers, and interactive experiences from every part of the world. Students say online classes let them work

at their own pace and explore information sources well beyond what they get in the physical classroom.

1 Digital Learning Community Success Stories, “Why the DLC? One Woman, Two Schools, No Teachers,” available at

http://www.learningcommons.org/about/stories/2009/03/why_the_dlc_one_1.php 2 “Online Education Case Study: Profiles of eSuccess: Deb Hagan,”

http://www.justcolleges.com/elearn/elearning_case_study_hagan.htm; and Online Education Success Story: Designing a New

Destiny,” http://www.justcolleges.com/elearn/elearning_case_study_snider.htm

3

Many also report that it is easier to ask questions, get attention from teachers, and exchange ideas with

classmates in an online environment.3

Data shows that online learning is catching on at every level of schooling. The U.S. Department of

Education, in a 2009 report, estimated that more than one million students from Kindergarten to Grade 12

were enrolled in online courses in 20074, and a study by “Project Tomorrow” found that the number of high

school students taking an online class nearly doubled from 2008-2009.5 A nationwide survey by the Sloan

Consortium found that three quarters of school districts surveyed in 2008 had students participating in some

form of online coursework and another 15 percent expected to have students working online within three

years. The biggest motivator, school administrators said, was to offer classes not available at the physical

school. Administrators in rural districts described online learning as a lifeline for meeting student needs.6

Online learning is not limited to a traditional school environment or degree programs. A Project Tomorrow

study found that one-third of parents reported that they had taken an online course for professional reasons or

to explore a personal interest,7 and dozens of states now back accredited virtual schools for elementary and

high school students either to supplement regular school programs or as full-time alternatives that lead to a

diploma.

Online learning can come in a variety of flavors. At its beginning it was primarily about overcoming barriers

of time and distance – an alternative for students who worked during school hours or lived too far from

school to attend class. But with the continuing evolution of technology and the growing experience with

digital resources, teachers and students in traditional classrooms are increasingly using online tools for

“blended learning” – a combination of online class and offline interaction – that enables them to combine

traditional learning with online work to broaden their horizons. Visiting lecturers by online experts and

teachers, virtual tours of historic sites, science labs, or museums, and Twitter dialogues are becoming part of

the classroom experience – just as earlier generations embraced voice recording, radio, television, and video

to their educational toolkit.

And, it isn’t just students who are untethered by online education. Especially with the advent of

sophisticated mobile devices that can stream data and images with a wireless link to the Internet, instructors

can teach from anywhere. As Curtis Bonk, professor of Instructional Systems Technology at Indiana

University, observes: “The deliverer of the learning might also be mobile. With the Web, our learning

3 Project Tomorrow, Learning in the 21

st Century: 2010 Trends Update (2010), available at

http://www.blackboard.com/Solutions-by-Market/K-12/Learn-for-K12/Leadership-Views/Education-in-the-21st-Century.aspx). 4 Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning, U.S. Department of Education, Center for Technology in Learning

(2009), available at http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf (“Evaluation of

Online Learning”).

5 Project Tomorrow, Learning in the 21

st Century: 2010 Trends Update (2010), op.cit.

6 Picciano, Anthony G. and Seaman, Jeff, “K-12 Online Learning, A 2008 Follow-up of the Survey of U.S. School District

Administrators,” The Babson Survey Research Group, The Sloan Consortium, 2007,

http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/survey/pdf/k-12_online_learning_2008.pdf 7 Project Tomorrow, Learning in the 21

st Century: 2010 Trends Update (2010), op.cit.

4

content might come from a climb up Mount Everest, expeditions to the Arctic or Antarctic, research at the

bottom of an ocean, NASA flights far above us, or sailing adventures across the planet.”8 Less exotically,

online learning can connect students with favorite professors who are off campus for a semester to lecture at

another university or conduct research at an off-campus location. Mobile connectivity means that faculty

can teach from almost any location and any time of their choice.

It’s Working

Importantly, studies show that online instruction is at least as effective – and often more so – than the

traditional face-to-face interaction of teachers and students contained in a single classroom in a physical

school. As the Federal Communications Commission observed in its National Broadband Plan of March

2010:

“There is strong evidence that online learning classes do not sacrifice quality of instruction for convenience

and efficiency. For example, students attending Florida Virtual Schools (FLVS) earned higher AP scores

and outscored the state’s standardized assessment average by more than 15 percentage points in grades 6

through 10.”

Students at Oregon Connections Academy met or exceeded state achievement averages, and students in the

Florida Virtual Academy (unrelated to FLVS) have consistently outscored state test averages. In its first

year, the Missouri Virtual Instruction Program showed significantly improved achievement for its students

compared with the same students’ achievement in the same subject the previous year; greater percentages of

these students scored 3 or higher on AP exams than their peers.”9

Online learning also may help reduce high school dropout rates, enable more students to graduate on time,

and provide new opportunity for young men and women who have been sent to detention centers or

experienced other life challenges.

An administrator explained in responding to a survey: “We are a secure care facility with accredited high

school programs. Our students love the online and blended courses. They experience success here and

develop a sense of hope of attending a post secondary school upon release.”10

Similarly, the National Broadband Plan reported: “Aldine Independent School District in Texas was able to

reach at-risk students and get them to take classes online that earned school credit. Salem-Keizer School

District in Oregon has re-enrolled more than 50 percent of dropouts and at-risk students through its online

Bridge Program annually. At FLVS, 20 percent of the program’s students enrolled to earn remedial credit.

The passing rate of students taking makeup courses was 90 percent.”11

8 Bonk, op.cit.

9 Federal Communications Commission, National Broadband Plan, pp.227-228, March 2010, http://www.broadband.gov/plan/

10

Picciano and Seaman, op.cit. 11

Federal Communications Commission, National Broadband Plan p. 228, op. cit.

5

Online learning also enables teachers to continue their own professional education and fulfill requirements

for career advancement in ways that meet their personal needs. The National Broadband Plan said that

online post-graduate studies for teachers is just as successful as traditional teacher prep and may be more

successful in achieving diversity in race and gender.12

But, for Lack of Broadband, Some Can’t Yet Learn Online

Still, for all of the gains, online learning is not a universal opportunity because not all Americans are

connected to the Internet. According to the latest survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, one

third of Americans still do not have a broadband connection at home. In rural America, where the barriers of

distance and limits on local educational resources may be greater, half of the residents still live in an offline

world. 13

Some use mobile devices to compensate for the lack of home-based broadband. But, for those

without any Internet connection, online learning is not possible. For those relatively few who reach the

Internet by antiquated dial up technology, slow speeds and reliability problems greatly limit what they can

and cannot do.

In less affluent communities, school-aged children may have access to the Internet in their classroom – but

fall behind peers who also can connect to the online world when at home. For these children, online learning

opportunity is ironically confined to the four walls of their school building. And, in school districts with

limited resources in spite of e-rate support, even that opportunity may not exist because computer and

Internet infrastructures are minimal or non-existent. For some of the unconnected, the tools needed for

online learning are simply too expensive. For others, fear of technology and limited knowledge about how to

use it conspire to keep them from entering the online world. Various mobile learning pilot projects occurring

around the country suggest that wireless connectivity could be the most affordable, and fastest, way to bring

more students, teachers and families online for educational purposes.

History shows that disparities in educational opportunity mean disparities in economic opportunity. For

adults, online learning provides a chance to earn a degree, enhance professional credentials, enrich personal

understanding, and open new career paths. For younger students, it’s a way to get more out of school,

broaden their horizons, open the door wider to the college or career field of their choice, and give them the

best chance to reach their dreams.

Bridging these divides in online learning equalizes opportunity and is one more reason the national goal of

broadband for every citizen is critical and we must work to reach it as soon as possible. In the area of

technology policy, nothing is more important than making sure that every home in every community has the

option to connect to broadband.

Cultural, emotional, and legal barriers also can limit opportunities in online learning.

Despite the positive experience of many students and educators, surveys show that large numbers of teachers

and administrators continue to harbor reservations about online learning. An October 2007 study “Online

12

Ibid. page 228 13

Smith, Aaron, Home Broadband 2010, Pew Internet & American Life Project, August 11, 2010

6

Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning,” found that just one-third chief academic officers at

colleges and universities believe their faculty “accept the value and legitimacy of online education.” Only

about 11 percent declared definitively that their faculty rejected online learning, but more than 56 percent

said they simply weren’t sure and reserved judgment on the value question. Only about one-in-four of those

surveyed said that online degrees receive the same respect as degrees earned in a more traditional setting

(about half were neutral on the question).14

Other reservations included concerns about students’ self-

discipline and the possibility of high dropout rates for online coursework. Three years later, anecdotal

evidence from the United States Distance Learning Association suggests the opposite is happening.

Educators, employers and all segments of the population pre k-12, higher ed, government, military,

telehealth, home schooling, and senior citizens are all embracing the explosion of quality online

opportunities.

Still, administrators at the K-12 level reveal concerns about the quality of online courses and materials; the

initial cost of infrastructure and course materials; and the possibility of losing funding because of formulas

tied to the numbers of students or courses provided at the school site. Administrators worry that students

who work primarily online would lack the motivation and discipline to do the work and would be deprived

of critical human interaction, including the development of teamwork and other social skills.15

“Online courses cannot replace face-to-face instruction effectively. Human interaction promotes greater

student motivation and performance,” said one skeptical administrator. “We continue to have reservations

about the quality of work, effort and authenticity of what is submitted as student generated,” observed

another. Administrators also complain that state education policies work against online learning: “The real

issue in our state concerns how we count our students who take online or hybrid courses and whether the

funding follows them or not.” Added another: “Government restrictions that result in an inability to pursue

development of high quality courses and serve students with genuine needs are a significant barrier. There

are times that we feel encouraged to do creative work and then are told to get back in the box.”16

Similarly, the FCC, in its National Broadband Plan, noted that students sometimes have trouble obtaining

credit for online courses and that teacher licensing regulations can get in the way because teachers certified

in one state may not be able to teach online courses in another state. The National Broadband Plan also said

that copyright laws drafted in a pre-digital age may create unintentional barriers to online learning. “In part

due to a lack of clarity regarding what uses of copyrighted works are permissible, current doctrine may have

the effect of limiting beneficial uses of copyrighted material for educational purposes, particularly with

respect to digital content and online learning. In addition, it is often difficult to identify rights holders and

obtain necessary permissions. As a result, new works and great works alike may be inaccessible to teachers

and students,” the Plan remarked.17

14

Allen, I. Elaine and Seaman, Jeff; “Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning,” Babson Survey Research Group,

The Sloan Consortium, 2007, http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/survey/pdf/online_nation.pdf 15

Picciano and Seaman, op. cit. 16

Ibid. 17

FCC, National Broadband Plan, pp. 230-231, op.cit.

7

Overcoming Barriers: Thoughts on Policy

Nonetheless, in spite of some uncertain comments, once educators understand the power and effectiveness of

online learning whether it is via the web or videoconference, concerns and misconceptions disappear.

Especially now, with the development of new disruptive applications that allow for online courses to be

delivered in different learning styles incorporating individualized learning strategies. These once thought

future technology standards, accessible through broadband applications, are available now but not for

everyone! As a new USDLA corporate CEO member commented, “Today we have the capability and

capacity through broadband applications to deliver online classes in multiple learning styles using diversified

learning strategies which result in upwards of ninety five percent cognitive achievement and overall student

and teacher satisfaction.”

Moreover, there is wide agreement that online learning and other digital technologies are expanding

educational opportunity and delivering valuable new resources to students of every age. The combined

power of broadband connectivity and mobile technology is making it possible for every person to advance

their education at a time and place of their choice. Indeed, technology has the power to be a true equalizing

force in education so that all students have access to the same coursework and the same resources no matter

where they live.

We have made great progress toward this vision. But, as detailed above, significant barriers remain,

including the divide in opportunity between those who have already embraced broadband technology and

those who have not. Working in concert, policymakers and educators – each in their own sphere – have the

ability to accelerate success. To that end, the United States Distance Learning Association has identified the

following measures toward the advance of online learning and opportunity:

Measure 1: Educators and education officials at every level, including the U.S. Department of Education,

should move forward with the development of online based curriculum and the digital content to support it.

They also should continue to evaluate the effectiveness of various approaches to online learning and to

educate parents, students, teachers and others about the benefits of online learning.

Measure 2: Policymakers at every level should review accreditation rules, teacher licensing requirements,

copyright law, and other laws and regulations that may unintentionally undermine the effectiveness of online

access to educational content and limit the use of digital technologies in the classroom. To the extent

possible, antiquated rules should be modified to eliminate unintentional barriers to online learning.

Measure 3: Public policymakers should redouble efforts to deliver broadband connectivity and the

opportunity to enjoy online learning to every American. The universal deployment and adoption of

broadband should be the first priority in national technology policy, and efforts to achieve this goal should

include digital literacy and education initiatives that encourage late adopters to embrace broadband.

8

Measure 4: Technology policymakers should explore measures, such as the creation of a universal

broadband support fund, to enable the deployment and adoption of broadband in high-cost areas. Similarly,

policymakers should avoid policies, including unnecessary regulation, that can raise costs and make it harder

for less affluent school districts and individuals to fully adopt broadband technology.

The Online Opportunity

The chance to improves one’s life and achieve our personal ambitions is a fundamental part of the American

dream. In the 21st Century, the ability to make the dream real is increasingly linked to the quality of one’s

education. Online learning, powered by broadband technology and the other new tools of the Information

Age, is making it possible for more Americans every day to overcome barriers and to access the education

they need to succeed. No matter where they live or the circumstances of their life, citizens with access to

broadband can step inside online classrooms, learn from top teachers, and expand their personal

opportunities. By building on that opportunity, we can ensure that online learning continues to flourish

which enables America to prosper as well.