ANN ARBOR, Mich. ― The U.S. Department of Education is funding a $1.6 million, three-year study of the effectiveness of virtual schooling in Florida, one place where online learning is fast growing.
University of Michigan economics and education professor Brian Jacob says there are “enormous gaps” in what’s known about how well online learning works, and “policymakers have little evidence of whether online courses boost achievement” or which students they benefit.
Jacob is collaborating with Susanna Loeb of Stanford University, Cassandra Hart of the University of California at Davis and Brian Rowan of the University of Michigan.
The researchers will look at data on the performance of traditional and virtual schools in Florida in 2003-14. They’ll also survey students and teachers in the Florida Virtual School and Miami Dade County Public Schools.
