ABSTRACT
OVERVIEW OF K-12 ONLINE LEARNING Th is chapter is a review of research on teaching and learning online by children in elementary and high schools, commonly referred to in the United States as grades K-12. Th is span encompasses primary and secondary levels from kindergarten to high school graduation. Online learning programs for K-12 students off er instruction and content in the form of synchronous or asynchronous Web-delivered courses, also known as virtual schools. Th e majority of the U.S. states have statewide supplemental and full-time K-12 online learning programs, and online courses are off ered by schools or districts in every state (Watson, Murin, Vashaw, Gemin, & Rapp, 2011), with the most rapid growth occurring in school district-operated and blended programs. Th e largest publicly funded virtual school programs each enroll over 200,000 students, a scale aff orded by the predominant asynchronous Web-based mode of delivery for K-12 distance learning courses (Watson et al., 2011). As of 2007, more than 20% of postsecondary students enrolled in at least one online course (U.S. Department of Education, 2011), and in 2010 that fi gure had risen to 30% (Allen & Seaman, 2010). Th us far, only 1%–2% of K-12 students have taken online courses (Watson et al., 2011). However, several states have enacted legislation requiring online courses or experience for graduation (Davis, 2011).
