Virtual Learning Models
Virtual schooling was first employed in the mid-1990s and has experienced
continued growth. The variety of terms used to describe online learning adds
to the confusion about virtual and blended learning. Online learning has been
defined as teacher-led education that occurs over the Internet, with the teacher
and the student separated geographically. This instruction may be synchronous
(communication in which participants interact in real time) or asynchronous
(communication separated by time). Access to instruction can also
occur either inside or outside a traditional school setting. Virtual schooling is
an entity approved by a state or governing body that offers courses through
the Internet (Barbour & Reeves, 2009). Blended learning combines online
learning with traditional modes of instructional delivery (Watson et al., 2011).
Various learning models are described in Table 1.