Short Circuited: The Challenges Facing the Online Learning Revolution in California

Of all the states, one would expect that the impact of technology on the delivery of educational services would be greatest in California, home to Silicon Valley and major tech companies. Indeed, many expected this environment to wield considerable influence on the school system. Yet, when it comes to harnessing the technological revolution as it applies to education, it turns out that California is lagging in many respects. Short-Circuited explores the education technological landscape in California. It provides a national and international overview of the state of technology and education, a survey of the foundation of distance- and online-education policy in California, and discusses and analyzes several areas where the actions of state governments, local governments, and education special interest groups have impeded the natural expansion of distance and online learning. The book also interviews distance- and online-education suppliers, practitioners, users, and experts and concludes with observations and the authors policy recommendations for reform.