XplanaZine

States adopting online classes as alternative setting
There are a growing number of full-time cyber schools, though proponents note that doesn’t mean students spend all day behind a computer screen. Students also use traditional textbooks, and other materials include microscopes and art supplies, which arrive by mail. Students can log in at specific hours for live lessons with teachers, or e-mail or call teachers at other times. Virtual schools also appeal to parents who want more control of their children’s education but like the public school benefits of free, structured curriculum, state-certified teachers, testing and transcripts. — Houston Chronicle

Accredited higher learning without the commute
Online learning - completing coursework and degree requirements through Web-based lessons and seminars - has gone mainstream. Nearly 3.5 million students were enrolled in an online program during the fall 2006 term according to the 2007 Sloan Survey of Online Learning. Diploma mills, unfortunately, are also prevalent, raking in hundreds of millions of dollars each year by scamming consumers looking to advance their careers. — Howard University, the Distant Chronicles