Action Research Project: - iMET

6The S.J.U.S.D. wants to expand the role of online distance education for its secondarystudents. This study focuses on the efficacy of online learning to meet secondary student’sacademic needs. The following review of the literature is guided by the research questions posedto address those needs. After the research of the literature is the action research consisting ofinterpretation of collected data as well as the S.J.U.S.D. response to the data. Conclusions andrecommendations follow the action research.Review of LiteratureIntroductionOnline education had its beginnings providing distance education by ham radio in theAustralian Outback at the beginning of the twentieth century. Nearly a hundred years passedbefore an explosion of renewed interest sparked research into its effectiveness. Today, onlineeducation programs are available to anyone, anywhere, at anytime. In an online educationjournal, Vail (2001) writes:The Virtual High School and the Florida Online High School in Orlando, Fla., are the twogrande dames of online schools. Both were founded five years ago – ancient history, byonline standards – and both serve as models for other online education ventures”Because it is a recent development in education, online learning does not have anextensive or elaborate research history. During an interview, Mitch Hall, Director, CaliforniaTechnology Assessment Project (CTAP), Region 3, said:One reason why there is so little research concerning online learning is that it’s new.When Bill Clinton became president, the Internet was being used for limited purposes.The explosion happened in the 1990’s. That’s hardly a beginning in the world ofeducational research. Ten years ago, these types of questions weren’t being asked. The