In today’s busy world, students find themselves with many other duties beyond that of getting a degree. Family commitments, life events, and jobs place strains on time. In the past, many of these things may have derailed a student aiming to graduate high school and go to college. With the advances in technology, many people who would normally fall into the “dropout” category can now complete their high school education and even go to college. Having the option of taking online classes and studying on their own time is a valuable option for these students to have.
Online schools also provide an important alternative for students that middle schools and high schools are unable to accommodate. In many situations, these students would have few options other than private schools or home schools. With the increasing prices of private schools, the majority of people will have to find another alternative. Traditional home school programs require parents to be very involved. Often, the parent will need knowledge of the subjects being taught which might have faded since they last used it, especially if it is Chemistry or Algebra.
Online schools can provide a solution for many of these things. They are not as expensive as private schools and nowadays, many of them provide teacher support. Online education is also a great fit for this generation of children that are so heavily immersed in technology. Middle and high school students have grown up with the Internet, and they use technology to connect with each other and their interests every day. Who better to take advantage of the benefits and possibilities of an online school program?
A study by researchers at the Institute of Education, University of London, suggests that learning online while at school helps students become confident, capable independent learners, and teaches them online research and communication tools – which the study says are essential requirements for university study.
Researchers looked at students who are now at a university, some of who participated in online learning during their time at school. More than 100 university students between 17 and 23 years old were surveyed, with 58 of those taking at least one two-year course online as part of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme while at school.
Some 78 per cent of those surveyed said they considered it important to be able to plan and coordinate group tasks using online tools such as calendars, scheduling tools and discussion applications, and 94 per cent said having the ability to find academic resources online was valuable
. More than four out of five (84 per cent) said it was important to be able to set goals to help manage studying time for their courses, and those who had participated in online learning at school said that they had gained proficiency in a range of online learning tools that they were now using as part of their university working practice. The online learning experience had also helped them to develop confidence in using technology to source information and they were more likely to carry out their research online, the researchers found.
For online learning to succeed it is also essential that we find and train instructors who can adapt to this new medium. Fortunately, new technology makes it possible for instructors to create exciting new ways to learn online that engage students in ways that are more
