Virtual Classrooms
Stories about the technology associated with learning in a virtual space, as opposed to a physical classroom. Stories involve video conference software and online educational programs that are becoming increasingly common in both K-12 school districts and institutions of higher education.
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Comparing the fall semester before COVID to this fall semester, UND has seen a 60 percent increase in students taking only online courses and a 98 percent increase in students taking both online and face-to-face courses. -
Starting next year, Cy-Fair ISD in Texas will offer a fully online school, a program to accommodate scheduling conflicts and advanced courses, and a program with tuition-based courses outside of the regular school day.
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An analysis by PennLive found that the state's two largest cyber schools are substantially less transparent than similarly sized traditional school districts, while some smaller cyber charters are even more transparent.
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Illinois Tech and St. Cloud State have partnered with Risepoint to meet prospective students where they are and provide online degree programs in fields such as business analytics, finance and project management.
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Facing staffing shortfalls and unable to renew contracts of many teachers who have been on emergency permits for multiple years, a school board in Indiana approved a one-year agreement for 41 virtual instructors.
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Fresno Unified School District had only 40 students enrolled in its online eLearn Academy before 2020. Now, its rebranded Farber School of Online Learning has become one of the largest online programs in California.
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North Park University and the University of Illinois Springfield are expanding their workforce-focused virtual offerings, consistent with a trend in higher education to fill jobs by meeting students where they are.
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A new consortium of four historically Black colleges and universities offers a variety of programs virtually. The new portal includes 23 graduate and undergraduate degree programs, as well as 35 certifications.
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University System of Maryland students will have free access to Google Career Certificates in cybersecurity, data analytics, digital marketing and e-commerce, IT support, project management and UX design.
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If Pennsylvania caps cyber charter school tuition at $8,000 for the 2025-26 school year, school districts such as Allentown and Parkland might save between $1 million and $4 million in reallocated state funds.
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Citing workforce demand for professionals in these fields, as well as the importance of flexibility for students, the university will offer new online degrees with focuses including cybersecurity and business analytics.
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A proposed new law would cap the amount Pennsylvania's cyber charter schools receive at $8,000 per student, potentially redirecting hundreds of millions of dollars from those schools to traditional public schools.
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At the University of Minnesota, medical school students have been using a virtual reality experience to understand the perspective of a woman dealing with the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s.
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A retiring director of digital learning for Carlisle Area School District, Pennsylvania, reflects on a career's worth of technological transformation, from early video conferences to 1:1 devices to AI.
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This fall, a private university in Michigan will offer online doctorate programs in health sciences and business administration, the latter with a focus on applied research and emerging technologies.
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In collaboration with the University of Florida and the Concord Consortium, Florida's statewide virtual school system wants to give middle and high school students a head start in core math concepts related to AI.
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Southern New Hampshire University's online offerings and artificial intelligence-powered support tools are re-engaging learners who left college without a degree.
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After previously mandating in-person learning, Kentucky lawmakers came to the defense of a growing virtual academy that had low test scores and did not follow state guidelines for class sizes and standardized testing.
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The shift to remote learning and 1:1 devices for some districts coincided with problems with student attention and attendance, but it also gave educators practice with tech tools and prepared them for the upheaval of AI.
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Campus, a for-profit, officially accredited online community college, has raised $101 million to date. It offers associates degrees and certifications, and covers laptops and wireless hotspots for students who need them.
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House Bill 241 would bar new enrollment limits on virtual schooling programs until 2028. Critics say the legislation is another way to devote taxpayer funds to programs other than public schools.
