The statement, which is supported by the paragraph and reinforces the argument for online learning is this: ONLINE LEARNING IS GAINING POPULARITY AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM SETTINGS.
In the passage given above, the speaker is talking about online learning and how some situations has made it to be considered as an alternative mean of learning. The speaker talks about some benefits, which online learning offers and support his claim with the educational circumstance of Detroit area, where the negative educational situation on ground was been remedied by the introduction of online education.