Students also write a short essay analyzing their textbook reading or Internet research, Stephens said. They forward the essays to a Web site maintained by the software publisher who created the course, and Stephens retrieves them for grading. When students are stumped by a tutorial or an assignment, they phone her or e-mail her, she said. Students download test questions from the Web site and print them. One part includes multiple-choice questions and another requires a handwritten response to an open essay question.
Students fax their essays to Stephens for grading.
Stephens said she is unaware of the conditions under which her students take the exams, although she is confident she is getting their work. That kind of flexibility also extends to when students ''take'' the class. Eight of the 10 Shawnee High School students in Louisville have a class period set aside for their state online tutorial, said Tina Hall, who is their mentor during the class period, while two others fit in the class at home before or after school. Students and teachers say students who thrive online are self-motivated and usually have access to a computer at home. But online courses are not for everyone.