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vendors provide rigorous course content for both core classesand electives, hard copies of curriculum resources, tests andother assessment materials, and customer and tech support foradministrators, teachers, students and parents. They also mayfacilitate instruction and provide training for in-house teachers.working and paying taxes, buying homes, supporting families,and other responsibilities associated with the everyday roleof a full-time citizen.”12 By giving them the flexibility of time,location and courses offered, online programs provide theseindividuals with the freedom to pursue their educations whilecontinuing with their current jobs and responsibilities.13At the K-12 level, positive results for online learning have beenfound across a number of research studies. Online courses havebeen shown to effectively educate students in both accelerationand credit recovery programs,14 to be effective in educatingstudents with physical and learning disabilities,15 and to narrowthe state testing achievement gap for those in economicallydisadvantaged subgroups.16 The Missouri Department ofEducation found that, in many cases, “students who failed theirrequired high school courses in traditional schools passedonline courses based on the same standards.”17The technologies involved in onlinelearning are directly aligned to the real-worldlives of students in the 21st century—making education more relevant to theireveryday existence.In online learning, students are no longer restricted to locallyavailable courses and programs. This is particularly beneficialto rural students who might not otherwise have access tospecialized courses that can enhance their career readiness.Research has shown that many of the students enrolled inonline and distance courses offered by community collegeslive “outside the boundaries of the state where the collegeresides.”18 Such flexibility also benefits educational institutionsby allowing them to expand their enrollment without investingin new physical infrastructure.BENEFITS OF ONLINE LEARNINGIn order for students to be truly ready for careers, they musthave access to educational opportunities that provide academic,employability and technical skills. Online learning has theability to benefit students who might not otherwise have accessto educational programs providing all of these skills—and offersquality equal to or exceeding that of traditional face-to-faceinstruction. Its instructional strategies also have the potentialto dramatically benefit students with a wide variety of learningstyles.According to a recent U.S. Department of Education metaanalysis of online education research, “On average, studentsin online learning conditions performed modestly betterthan those receiving face-to-face instruction.”8 This findingis true at both the secondary and postsecondary levels. Atthe postsecondary level, student achievement in onlinecourses has repeatedly been shown to equal achievementof on-campus students.9 At the K-12 level, as the Center forAmerican Progress reported, “student academic performancein well-designed online courses is on average equivalent toperformance in high-quality classroom-based courses.”10Furthermore, the National Center for Education Statisticsclaimed that “Distance education [which includes onlineeducation] is just as effective as traditional education in regardto learner outcomes.”11Many people only associate onlinelearning with providing academic skills,but, as technology has advanced, theconnection to technical and employabilityskill sets is also growing, especiallythrough CTE programs.The use of technology in online learning has numerous benefitsfor both students and teachers. As noted in a New York Timesarticle, the real promise of online education is in “providinglearning experiences that are more tailored to individualstudents than is possible in classrooms.”19 Multimedia andHTML tools can be used to create unique and relevant coursecontent that engages multiple learning styles. Teachers andAt the postsecondary level, online learning can be particularlybeneficial for non-traditional students, many whom areadults who are “citizen-students,” or students “concerned with4

students can utilize e-mail, chat rooms and discussion boardsto build real-time collaborative learning environments, whichallow for more active participation and interaction and buildrelevant collaboration skills. Web-based learning also putsstudents directly in touch with a greater breadth of informationabout course topics. The technologies involved in onlinelearning are directly aligned to the real-world lives of studentsin the 21st century—making education more relevant to theireveryday existence.At Auburn Career Center in ConcordTownship, Ohio, online courses serveseveral important purposes. For one, they are a meansto expand instruction without infringing upon CTE classtime. As such, the online program provides Auburn withthe opportunity to better prepare students for the rigorsof collegiate study by developing students’ independentlearning and time-management skills. Also, online coursesprepare students for the educational programs and skillsneeds of the future. With projections that 50 percent ofall students will be taking online courses within 10 yearsand with the prevalence of online certification testing,administrators at Auburn feel that online education “is thelearning option for the future” and is “a technology skillour students need reinforced.”36A study by the University of Alabama found that teachersalso benefit from using online course-management systemsby being able to spend more time on advanced material andincrease student engagement.20 The flexibility and change ofpace offered by online courses can provide the opportunity forteachers to inject fresh ideas into the delivery of their coursecontent. As a result, veteran teachers can find a renewed senseof vigor by trying new teaching activities. At the same time,the promise of teaching online courses is a way to recruitnew, young teachers, as teaching online courses allows themcreativity within their course content through the cuttingedge, Web-based technologies with which they are familiar. Inaddition to revitalizing teaching methodologies, the promisingresults of online education also provide a renewed sense ofoptimism about student performance.21Auburn structures its course offerings into Career Pathwaycategories. Students take courses to earn career certificationin such fields as Alternative Energy Technology, AutomotiveTechnology, Culinary Arts, Cosmetology and Pharmacy Techin partnership with Penn Foster. Auburn uses Blackboard asits learning-management system and built its own coursesthrough a consortium partnership with several local schooldistricts. Within these online courses, several delivery stylesare utilized, such as independent online learning, resourceand remote classrooms, and team learning environments.ONLINE LEARNING IN CTESuccess of the online program at Auburn is attributed tothe ongoing professional development and teacher support.Online instructors at Auburn have found helpful the regularcollaborative, hands-on training, as well as the one-to-oneand face-to-face technical assistance and instructionalsupport.Many people only associate online learning with providingacademic skills, but, as technology has advanced, theconnection to technical and employability skill sets is alsogrowing, especially through CTE programs. A recent studyfrom the National Research Center for CTE (NRCCTE) foundthat 47.5 percent of community colleges offered credit-grantingonline occupational programs with at least 50 percent ofcourse content online; previous studies have shown that overthree-quarters offer individual courses online.22 While an exactnumber of secondary students participating in online CTEcourses is not available, anecdotal evidence suggests that theseofferings are growing.Overall, Auburn has found many strong advantages toonline education, according to Jeffrey Butler, director ofbusiness development. These advantages include: providing course continuity for absent students,teachers or substitute teachers automatic access to tutorials unlimited student access to reviewcontent prior to testing compatibility with traditional scheduling greater facilitation of differentiated instructionand exponential learning complete courses prepared for new teachers the possibility of virtual field trips the ability to foster multisensory learning customizable content for students’ learning stylesOnline learning opportunities are offered across all 16 careerclusters within CTE, but are more common in technologyrich career fields like business, information technology andhealth informatics.23 For example, the Utah Electronic HighSchool offers secondary students online courses in Web design,computer programming and business law,24 while the KentuckyVirtual Schools also offer video game design and healthscience.255

Online CTE courses utilize a number of different and effectiveinstructional methods and often take advantage of the hybridapproach to online learning. One method is “on-campus skillacquisition.” In this model, class work, lectures and mosthomework assignments are covered by the online portion ofthe class. However, students are still required to “complete alaboratory course on campus to acquire their hands-on skilltraining, as are the campus-based students.”26 One exampleof this is the emergency medical technician program at IowaWestern Community College, which provides an option forstudents to complete all lectures, assignments, quizzes andexams online, but includes 32 hours of skills-based lab workthat must also be completed by students on campus during theprogram.27online program that can be used by teachers to improve studentskills in areas like communications, ethics, conflict resolution,teamwork, time management, goal-setting and culturaldiversity. These materials can be integrated into an existingcourse or used independently. 31All of these opportunities for online learning in CTE can helpto expose students to the full range of career-readiness skillsthrough convenient, innovative approaches.When it comes to measurable outcomesof online CTE courses, one study showedthat, like in online education generally,at minimum, there is no difference betweenthe student achievement measures ofonline and on-campus students.Another method involves internships or clinical experiences.Like the on-campus method, most of the coursework iscompleted online; however, to gain hands-on experience,students serve as an apprentice or student intern in a worksetting. To prove their competency, students provide evidenceof their acquired skills by submitting samples of their work totheir instructor.28In rural South Dakota, access to coursework and careerreadiness experiences can be a challenge. However, throughthe DIAL Virtual School,29 part of the South Dakota VirtualHigh School, a Youth Internship course is offered to studentswho may not be able to participate at their home high school.Students in the course spend time at a business, non-profitorganization or government agency to increase their knowledgeof workplace skills and receive on-the-job experience.Through the online interface, students also explore careers andeducational opportunities, create resumes and portfolios andstrengthen their ability to apply reading, communication andmath skills in authentic career-related activities.BENEFITS OF ONLINE LEARNING IN CTEUsing online learning courses in CTE programs yields anumber of specific benefits in addition to those alreadydiscussed. For example, the flexibility of online CTE coursesyields an effective strategy to “attract a critical mass of studentsto specific skill areas that are currently under-enrolled or tofields where there is high demand for new employees, [as]lifting the distance barrier of on-campus courses opens theprogram to a new and previously inaccessible pool of studentcandidates.”32The use of online learning in CTE can also reduce schedulingconflicts that often emerge for students. Providing onlineoptions that can be accessed after the traditional school day canfree up student time for core academic requirements or otherelectives, or for intensive blocks of CTE, such as internshipsor other work-based learning opportunities. The lack of a timeconstraint allows students to more fully develop all three skillsets involved in career readiness without having to sacrifice in aspecific area.In addition to these hybrid models, specific CTE courseelements, such as virtual job shadowing, are often offeredonline to enrich core curriculum. Computer-based simulationsare also becoming more prevalent. This method uses computersimulation software, which allows students to apply their skillsin a controlled environment without the danger or cost of a“real-life” situation. Simulation software is used in such areasas landscape architecture, firefighting techniques, electricaltroubleshooting, off-highway truck driving and manufacturingprocesses.30When it comes to measurable outcomes of online CTE courses,one study showed that, like in online education generally,at minimum, there is no difference between the studentTo strengthen students employability skills, the career andtechnical student organization SkillsUSA has developed a fully6

NEXT STEPSachievement measures of online and on-campus students.33 Anumber of other studies confirm these findings.34While online learning is clearly growing, expanding into neweducation environments and providing strong benefits tostudents, more needs to be done to realize the full potential thatthis delivery system has to offer to students’ career readiness.Policymakers and education leaders should take these stepsto ensure that all students have access to high-quality onlinelearning that includes academic, technical and employabilityskills:This has also proven to be true in the areas of both technicalskills and employability skills. The NRCCTE found that onlineCTE courses are an effective way for students to preparefor national board examinations. Specifically, it found that,when an online curriculum was closely aligned with state andnational licensing standards, “students who completed theonline courses were successful, on the first attempt, in passingthe national board exam for their regulated profession.”35Further, a recent study of baccalaureate nursing studentssuggests that online CTE courses can significantly contributeto the “soft” skills of students. The study found “a significantdifference between online and face-to-face students in theirdegree of ‘enculturation’ or socialization into the field ofnursing,” as the online students had higher socialization scoresthan the campus-based nursing students.37 Ensure adequate resources to expand the number ofschools offering CTE options within online learningprograms so the full range of career-readiness skillsare addressed, and to support the hardware, softwareand broadband needs of these programs, especiallyin rural areas. Expand course development to ensure studentscan complete entire sequences of courses withincomprehensive programs of study through onlinelearning.As the number of online CTE courses and students continuesto grow, the technologies involved are also being expanded.As the NRCCTE reports, in general, future courses “will seeexpanded use of course management systems, asynchronousdiscussion technologies, CD-ROM/DVD for the delivery ofcourse content, and streaming media for delivery of live orrecorded audio and video.”38 Several specific developmentsinclude the use of multimedia and real-time exchanges of voiceand images, such as synchronizing PowerPoint presentationswith streamed audio and video, the use of real-time voice chat,and desktop videoconferencing. All of the new technologiesand delivery methods will further benefit students and increasethe number and diversity of programs that can incorporateonline learning. Provide more high-quality professional developmentfor those who teach online courses in order to ensurerigorous content and student success in this uniquelearning environment. Continue to improve the integration of online andface-to-face or hands-on learning, which has resultedin the highest student achievement results and allowscontinued expansion in the number of subject areasoffered through online learning.7

REFERENCES123456789101112131415161718Woolley, David, “PLATO: The Emergence of Online to.htm.Picciano, Anthony and Jeffery Seaman, “K-12 Online Learning: ASurvey of U.S. School Administrators” (Needham, MA: SloanConsortium, 2007).Brown, Emily, “Bolster Accreditation for Virtual Schools, Experts Say,”Education Daily, June 25, 2010.Adkins, Sam, “US Self-paced eLearning Market,” Ambient Insight,October 2009.Githens, Rod, Fashaad Crawford and Timothy Sauer, OnlineOccupational Education in Community Colleges: Prevalence andContextual Factors (Louisville, KY: National Research Center for Careerand Technical Education, University of Louisville, 2010).Picciano and Seaman, “K-12 Online Learning: A Survey of U.S. SchoolAdministrators.”Hrastinski, Stefan, “Asynchronous and Synchronous E-Learning,”EDUCAUSE Quarterly 31, no. 4 (October–December 2008).Means, Barbara, Yukie Toyama, Robert Murphy, Marianne Bakia andKarla Jones, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning:A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies (Washington,DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation, andPolicy Development, 2010), p. ix.Russell, Thomas, The No Significant Difference Phenomenon(Montgomery, AL: International Distance Education CertificationCenter, 1999).Cavanaugh, Cathy, “Getting Students More Learning Time Online:Distance Education in Support of Expanded Learning Time in K-12Schools” (Washington, DC: Center for American Progress, 2009), p. 3.U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, NationalCenter for Education Statistics, Distance Education at PostsecondaryEducation Institutions: 1997–1998 (Washington, DC: U.S. GovernmentPrinting Office, 2000), p. 6.Vaughan, George, The Community College Story, 2nd ed. (Washington,DC: Community College Press, 2000), p. 14.Brown, Bettina, “Web-Based Training,” ERIC Document ReproductionService No. ED445234, 2000.Watson, John and Bruce Gemin, “Using Online Learning for At-RiskStudents and Credit Recovery” (Washington, DC: International Councilfor K-12 Online Learning, 2008).Rose, Raymond and Robert Blomeyer, “Access and Equity in OnlineClasses and Virtual Schools” (Washington, DC: International Councilfor K-12 Online Learning, 2007).WestEd, “Evaluating Online Learning: Challenges and Strategies forSuccess” (U.S. Department of Education, 2008).Cavanaugh, “Getting Students More Learning Time Online:Distance Education in Support of Expanded Learning Time in K-12Schools,” p. 3.Benson, Angela, Scott Johnson, Gail Taylor, Tod Treat, Olga Shinkarevaand John Duncan, Distance Learning in Postsecondary Career andTechnical Education: A Comparison of Achievement in Online vs. OnCampus CTE Courses (St. Paul, MN: National Research Center forCareer and Technical Education, 2004), p. 55.Association for Career and Technical Education1410 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314Phone: 800-826-9972 Fax: 703-683-7424www.acteonline.org Educate. Advocate. Lead.19 “Study Finds That Online Education Beats the Classroom,” New YorkTimes, August 19, 2009, ds-that-online-education-beats-the-classroom20 Harrington, Terrance, Marilyn Staffo and Vivian Wrig

and English, as well as electives, such as art, economics, personal finance, Mandarin Chinese and a range of CTE courses. Within the online program, students not only earn credit for graduation, but also can earn an industry-recognized certification through CTE courses delivered by Penn Foster. Students in the online CTE courses can participate .