Dual enrollment programs are designed to expose high school students to the real rigors and expectations of college. While dual enrollment courses taken in a high school classroom can replicate the content of college coursework, courses taken on a college campus have the added benefit of exposing high school students to the atmosphere of postsecondary education, including better
acquainting themselves with the pace of learning and the experience of interacting with college faculty. However, it is difficult for students to take advantage of these additional benefits when a postsecondary institution is not conveniently located.

Therefore, ACT recommends that states and school districts seek out online partnerships with postsecondary institutions to permit students who wish to take courses at a college to access some aspects of that experience. Given technology challenges in some rural areas, states should ensure that bandwidth and connectivity issues are addressed so that all prepared students are able to access online dual enrollment courses.

States can also consider hybrid delivery approaches, whereby a postsecondary faculty member is the online instructor of record while a high school instructor ensures that students are making course progress and provides supplemental instruction as needed. States can also look at approaches using two–way videoconferencing, which allows students and postsecondary instructors to interact in real
time.