The question is..... Does it work?

            Well, this question is a little harder to answer in this case then most. 

Matthew J Wicks says,

"Research shows it can work, but you can find examples of programs or schools not working" in both the traditional and virtual school sphere.

In this specific article, I found great information on how research has shown that virtual education works and some doesn’t. It is a new movement that some people are afraid to cross the line into. It is something that we must not ignore because it could possibly be something that might help our societies future.

“John Watson, the founder of the Evergreen Education Group, which conducts research on K-12 online learning, says it's time to look deeper into virtual education, but he says that not everyone is ready to take that intellectual dive.”
 

Even for myself, I have a hard debate on wether it’s a good thing we should rush into, or something that’s not necessary. At the end of the day I have realized that this virtual life is inevitable. Our world is becoming dependent on technology. We have grown to rely on these devices instead of a pen and paper anymore. Kids today are walking around with ipods, ipads, and iphones before they even know how to ride a bike. Our generation is very different then when I was growing up. It’s something I was not prepared for. And most other people weren’t either. But its something we all must learn to adjust to.

Virtual Education will allow students to be more involved on the computer than face to face. This can be beneficial because it will allow students to be able to participate in education from ANYWHERE.

“In virtual schools, students learn largely from home, with lessons delivered online and only limited face-to-face interactions with teachers and administrators.”

This can be a negative or positive thing but I believe it depends on the student. If you can learn well from a computer, are disciplined, and can pay attention then this is the type of education for you. If you perform better in class room type scenarios, then maybe virtual education isn’t a good feel for you. But at least there will be an option for either type of education.

“The purpose of virtual education is to benefit students, make organization easier, and create successful students.”

This article discusses the need for more research on virtual education because of how fast it is evolving. I definitely agree with this statement because the only way to find out if something works is by experimentation. 

We fall into that diffusion of innovations theory again. Despite if you’re an innovator, laggard, early adopter, or opinion leader, its important for us all to participate in the research of this topic. That is the only way we will learn if it works or not. It is something we are going to have to deal with in our upcoming years and it should not go unanswered.

http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2012/02/08/02research.h05.html