Coursera, recently founded by Stanford professor Andrew Ng, will offer not only free online courses, but also a great deal of individualized instruction in the form of grading, testing, student-to-student help and certificates of completion.

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At Shirelands Language College, an inner-city school in Birmingham, England, a portal called the Shirelands Learning Gateway makes it easier for parents to follow their children's progress, and it helps teachers and students keep track of schoolwork and take advantage of individualized instruction.

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Our national search for solutions led us to the innovative Khan Academy, a self-paced, online program that allows for individualized math instruction.

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