Comprehension During Online Learning

Rapidly increasing Internet access in the nation’s schools (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2003) along with recent reviews of online learning (Cavanaugh, 2001; Cavanaugh, Gillan, Kromrey, Hess, & Blomeyer, 2004) provide important focus to a critical issue: How might we take optimal advantage of online learning opportunities in the schools of this nation to support learning? The term “online learning, ” however, means many things to many people, ranging from distance education classes to Internet integration in K-12 classrooms. Nearly all models of online learning, however, share a common element: They require students to read on the Internet. Does online reading require the same skills as reading textbooks and other traditiona