Online courses are common among college students, but now some high schools are also getting in on the act.
Lawmakers have noticed the trend as well as the difficult task districts face in the winter when it comes to closing school.
A new bill at the Capitol hopes to allow students to learn online, at home, instead of canceling school for traditional snow days.
"There are several states, maybe 10 or 12, that have already done this type of thing and so it does make sense for some of our students who are affected adversely by weather conditions," said Vickie Cook, Director for Online Learning at the University of Illinois Springfield.
Online learning is growing in popularity that just this year, a new masters program was created at UIS that allows teachers to receive certificates for e-learning.
"It really does seem like the direction to go that will be effective and efficient in the future," said Cook.
Cook was interviewed by WICS-TV 20 on March 19, 2015.
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