Vermont Online Courses Growing in Popularity

Jeff Renard has been working with online education for more than a decade. Recently he helped launch an online program paid for by a grant.

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Springfield, Vermont - Jeff Renard has been working with online education for more than a decade.

Recently he helped launch Vermont's Virtual Learning Cooperative.

An online program paid for by a grant.

He says half the country already has statewide online learning, and with many schools getting rid of programs he says it was important for Vermont to get in.

"So this really allows a much more level playing field for students in terms of opportunities for course that are available to them," said Renard.

The program works with 35 schools, and uses Vermont certified teachers.

Here's how it works.

Let's say, for instance, your high school doesn't offer AP biology.

You could take a virtual seat in another school district's classroom.

The online program allows students and teachers to connect in a variety of different ways.

One way is to have equipment where a student that's 150 miles or so away can sit in a classroom and watch exactly what's happening.

If you not able to sit there and watch it live the teacher can record it and then the teacher can place it online where you can watch it at any time, at any place, as many times as you want.

Renard says so far the program is catching on.

The amount of schools involved has doubled and enrolled has grown by 70%.

This is good news he says because it's a waste of quality education with little students taking part.

"If we can serve 20 students for that same amount of money that we're serving 6 students it just makes good fiscal sense," said Renard.

If a teacher runs a course, that school gets 25 students to sign up for free.

If not, the classes run from $400-to-700 dollars.