Online Learning Strives for its Identity | John Watson | 5 Min Read

Online Learning Strives for its Identity | John Watson | 5 Min Read

A colleague put an interesting question to me recently:

Why did schools struggle with online learning so much during COVID given that it’s been around longer than most teachers have been in the profession?

That’s a great question, and I’m not sure there’s an easy answer. Perhaps it’s because there are quite a few issues in play, some of which combine into a tangled mess of differing needs and interests, inertia, and complacency. Let’s untangle a few key points.

1. K-12 online learning remains mysterious to many people

As Amy Valentine, CEO of Future of School, likes to say: “Online learning isn’t new, but it’s still new to many people.” Consider that we could soon, if not already, have our second generation of K-12 online learners. The earliest online K-12 students could be putting their own children into online schools, even if those current parents were elementary-aged when online schools first appeared on the scene in the mid- to late-1990s. But many parents, policymakers, and reporters remain only vaguely aware of how  K-12 online (and hybrid) learning really works. When the pandemic first hit, the producers of a major national radio show called me and asked “Do the…

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John Watson

As Evergreen’s founder and primary researcher, John Watson is responsible for conducting, writing, and presenting research as well as providing testimony on digital learning matters to state boards of education, legislatures, and charter school commissions. He has extensive knowledge and experience based on his two decades working in online learning and education technology. This background has afforded him a wide-reaching network across the spectrum of education professionals, policymakers, and subject matter experts as well as the ability to provide insightful, dimensional analysis and recommendations. After earning his MBA and a MS in natural resource policy at the University of Michigan, John went to work for one of the first Learning Management System companies, eCollege, in early 1998. He launched eCollege’s K-12 division, called eClassroom, and managed eClassroom’s research and business development. This experience was the springboard for John’s independent consulting in environmental policy and education which evolved into what Evergreen Education Group is today. John is deeply moved by stories of students and teachers who have been positively impacted by technology in classrooms, online courses, and innovative schools. He strives to tell these stories accurately and to clearly explain the challenges inherent with digital learning in order to bring an honest, balanced perspective to Evergreen’s insight and recommendations. His ability to approach research and relationships with consideration for bias and hierarchy makes him a natural connector between information and people. John has presented and led panel discussions at numerous conferences and convenings. In addition to his research for Evergreen, John writes regularly about various issues related to digital learning and is a contributing author of the Handbook of Research on K-12 Online and Blended Learning. His and Evergreen’s work has been cited in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Education Week, and eSchool News, and he has also appeared on NBC Nightly News.