The Promise and the Reality: Exploring Virtual Schooling in Rural Juristictions
ARTICLE
Michael K. Barbour
Education in Rural Australia Volume 21, Number 1, ISSN 1036-0026
Abstract
The history of online learning at the K-12 level is almost as long as its history at the post-secondary level, with the first virtual school programs beginning in the early 1990s. While these opportunities were designed as a way to provide rural students with access to more specialized courses, as opportunities have become organized into virtual or cyber schools the nature of students served by these institutions have broadened. Unlike online learning in general, much less is known about virtual schooling--even less of which is based on systematic research. Regardless, the growth and practice of virtual schooling has far out-paced the production of reliable and valid research. This paper will focus upon describing the evolution of K-12 online learning in Canada and the United States, how that evolution has impacted rural schools, and what lessons can be learned from the experiences with K-12 online learning in these two countries. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.)
Citation
Barbour, M.K. (2011). The Promise and the Reality: Exploring Virtual Schooling in Rural Juristictions. Education in Rural Australia, 21(1), 1-19. Retrieved May 17, 2022 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/109337/.

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Cited By
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K-12 Online Learning: Trends From Two Decades of Scholarship
Karen T. Arnesen, Joshua Hveem, Cecil R. Short & Richard West, Brigham Young University, United States; Michael Barbour, Touro University California, United States
Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2018 (Mar 26, 2018) pp. 658–666
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Online Learning Options for Rural Schools: A Blended Learning Experiment
Mark Miller & Amy O'Brien, Buckeye Local School District, United States
EdMedia + Innovate Learning 2016 (Jun 28, 2016) pp. 1787–1794
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The Disconnect Between Policy and Research: Examining the Research into Full-Time K-12 Online Learning
Michael Barbour, Sacred Heart University, United States
Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2015 (Mar 02, 2015) pp. 1438–1445
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Innovative Public Education or Glorified Homeschooling: Funding Full-Time K-12 Online Learning
Michael Barbour, Sacred Heart University, United States
Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2015 (Mar 02, 2015) pp. 1435–1437
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Virtual Learning in New Zealand: Achieving Maturity
Michael Barbour, Wayne State University, Canada; Derek Wenmoth, CORE Education, New Zealand; Niki Davis, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2012 (Mar 05, 2012) pp. 3824–3832
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