Virtual Ed. 101: How and Why Online Classes Are Growing in Popularity

Nationwide, one million elementary through high-school students are now enrolled in virtual courses.

By Judy Molland

Paul Cresanta is a gifted 12-year-old with advanced skills in math. He took Algebra 1 as a fifth-grader, and is now enrolled in geometry - just not in your typical classroom. He does the course work online.

"It was the only option available," says his mother, Ava. "By the end of fourth grade, he had already mastered the highest level of math, and he was bored. Finding these classes was a godsend."

Nationwide, one million elementary through high-school students are now enrolled in virtual courses, up from about 45,000 just six years ago, according to two California-based organizations: the Peak Group, a marketing- and technology-consulting firm, and WestEd, a nonprofit education and research group. Among public schools alone, 36 percent offered online learning courses in 2002-2003, enrolling more than 328,000 students, according to a 2005 report by the National Center for Education Statistics.

Who Enrolls, and Why?

Carissa Roche wanted to study psychology, but the course wasn't taught at her high school. So she turned to her computer and took the class online through her school's affiliation with Virtual High School (VHS). VHS provides online courses to schools in more than 30 states and 25 international locations.

"I really enjoyed taking the online class," Roche says. "These classes are harder and more challenging than a regular class because you have to make your own schedule."

Students take online courses for a variety of reasons. Some are looking for advanced coursework; others are homeschooling. Some go online to make up credits or because they're homebound for medical or disciplinary reasons. Others are simply interested in a specific subject or the convenience of a class that's available to them 24/7.

High school student Zoë McNealy took environmental science with VHS to free up some out-of-school time to pursue a potential career in ice skating.

"It allowed her to skate at 10 a.m., on an ice surface that didn't have 20 children on it," explains her mother, Nancy Eddy.