Guest Commentary: Brian Bridges of California Learning Resource Network Asks 'Does Online Learning Work?'

“Just because online learning can work does not mean that online learning will work.” (Keeping Pace, 2011)
That's how Brian Bridges, executive director of the Californina Learning Resource Network, which provides resources to help California educators identify and acquire digital learning tools, starts his most recent post.
Yes, this is another volley being fired in the war of words and policy over accountability issues in K-12 virtual education community.
 According to Bridges, the line from the 2011 edition of Keeping Pace is spot on. " But you wouldn’t know it from the variety of recent reports and blogs about online learning. To summarize them, online learning is either all bad, consisting of for-profit companies churning out students who are far below grade level, or that they are all good and that eLearning is transforming teaching and learning," Bridges writes.
"The truth, I’m afraid, is somewhere in the middle and I’m somewhat disappointed that many eLearning advocates, those who believe in the promise and potential of online learning, are not more forthcoming about acknowledging some of the problems that do exist in virtual schools."
Click here to read Bridges' complete post on an issue that will surely continue to be debated in 2012.