Catherine S. Cavanaugh

Analyzes educators’ search behavior and content use on an education support website from February–March 2020 versus the prior year to identify immediate professional learning needs when schools closed. Site use grew sixfold, video use increased 30×, and searches narrowed to digital/distance learning topics, suggesting providers should emphasize video and entry‑level practices for distance teaching.

Describes a yearlong professional learning program supporting secondary teachers—new to online teaching—in designing and teaching fully online courses aligned to iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Teaching and Courses. Teachers’ self‑reported skills improved across all standards and external course reviews rated most quality indicators as Satisfactory or Very Satisfactory.

Reports a study of success factors in blended undergraduate courses by correlating learning management system (LMS) participation measures—number of logins and average session length—with final course grades. Results indicate optimal performance is associated with intermediate numbers of logins and session lengths, suggesting that either very low or very high levels of online activity relate to lower grades and that balanced engagement patterns are beneficial in blended learning contexts.

Calls for rethinking and scaling research approaches in digital learning to keep pace with rapid shifts toward personalized, technology‑enabled education. The essay outlines social trends and advances, and proposes ‘flattened’ research at scale to deliver timely, actionable insights for educators and leaders.

Proposes a framework—the “5 Cs”—to support engagement and success of students with disabilities in online learning: learner Control, flexible and rigorous Curriculum, safe Climate, caring Community, and Connection to individual students and future goals. The paper links each component to research and provides examples of how online programs can implement these strategies.

Investigates how teacher comments, student demographics, and LMS utilization relate to final scores in online high school algebra courses in a Midwestern virtual school. Using hierarchical linear modeling, the study finds these factors differentially influence performance across courses and discusses implications for online teaching practice.

Examines how teacher, school, and contextual characteristics affect classroom technology integration and student use of technology. Using data from 732 teachers across 17 districts, a path model reveals that teachers’ education levels and experience with technology positively predict their technology use, which in turn explains classroom integration and students’ use. The study provides evidence for relationships among teacher characteristics, integration practices, and student technology use.

The article describes implementation of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework in a cohort‑based, online Ed.D. program in educational technology. Teaching and cognitive presence were easier to foster than social presence. Program‑level recommendations to extend CoI constructs and lessons learned for applying CoI in online graduate programs are provided.

Describes a large-scale study of 47 schools across 11 Florida districts to analyze the impact of 1:1 laptop programs on teaching practices and student achievement. Using observations, interviews, and inquiry, the study found positive effects, particularly in increased student‑centered and tool‑based teaching, alongside evidence of achievement gains, and discusses systemic issues for statewide laptop implementations.

Discusses how virtual high schools can enhance outcomes for students with disabilities by leveraging the flexibility of online learning, targeted supports, Universal Design for Learning principles, safe learning communities, and mentoring. The article outlines strategies and considerations for accessibility and student engagement in virtual environments.

Reviews open‑access literature on K‑12 online learning, identifying themes of steady growth and recurring benefits, challenges, and effectiveness findings. The authors note emerging standards for K‑12 online learning and the need for more rigorous, policy‑informed research.

Measures changes in teaching practices during a statewide laptop implementation coupled with professional development. Observations in 400+ classrooms across 50+ schools indicate immediate increases in student‑centered teaching, tool‑based instruction, and meaningful technology use, suggesting effective professional development plus 1:1 devices can shift pedagogy.