To be sure, more than 6 million students in the U.S. are now taking at least one course online, and 65 percent of higher education institutions say online learning is a critical part of their long-term strategy, according to a 2011 report from the Babson Survey Research Group .

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From the ease of research that it affords teachers and students, down to actual online course work for students of all ages, more people have access to quality learning than ever before, thanks to the Internet.

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Online learning is sweeping across America, as more than 3 million K-12 students took an online course in 2009.

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