I would say that, like just about anything, you get out of it what you put into it. Motivated kids are learning. Most kids, however, are not motivated. They need direction. That, in normal school circumstances, comes from teachers, but in the online environment it has to come from parents. Many parents, for various reasons, are not up to the task.Sure you have kook.
Just listened to an interview with Chris Christie. A good quote from that interview. "Virtual learning is better than nothing........but its barely better than nothing."