New Technology Pushes Evolution In Online Learning

In an article headlined "Online education evolves as advances in techology make major impact," the Washington Post (9/27, Overly) reports that according to Ron Packard, CEO of online education company K12, "the evolution of Web technologies such as streaming video, social networking and interactive gaming have made for a more collaborative and classroom-like experience online." This type of view is spreading. Blackboard, for example, "has begun to explore ways to build upon, and monetize, technology that makes interactions via the Web more human." The company recently "spent $116 million in July to acquire Wimba and Ellmuniate, two companies that apply synchronous learning technologies such as online audio, video and digital whiteboards to distance-learning classes." However, "some experts have questioned whether the technology is mature enough to be effective."