Choosing online education: good policies will lead to better decisions about virtual learning options

School Administrator, April, 2004 by Liz Pape

American Library Association provides clear coverage of the TEACH (Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization) Act and its implications for creating online courses (www.ala.org/washoff/ teach.html).

Distance Education Clearinghouse is a virtual cornucopia of information on distance learning with specific focus on virtual courses (www.uwex.edu/disted).

Distance Learning Resource Network is the dissemination project for the U.S. Department of Education's Star Schools Program (www.dlrn. org). The K-12 section includes suggestions for finding online courses and criteria for determining which students would likely be successful candidates for online study.

National Education Association has published the "Guide to Online High School Courses" (www.nea. org/technology/onlinecourseguide.html).

Partnership for 21st Century Skills has produced two useful reports, "Learning for the 21st Century Report" and "MILE (Milestones for Improving Learning and Education) Guide for 21st Century Skills" (www.21stcenturyskills.org).

Southern Regional Education Board provides a comprehensive list of criteria for evaluating online courses, "Essential Principles of Quality: Guidelines for Web-based Courses for Middle and High School" (www.sret.sreb.org/criteria/ online.asp).

Liz Pape is chief executive officer of Virtual High School, 3 Clock Tower Place, Maynard, MA 01754. E-mail: lpape@goVHS.org