Online Schooling

Online Schooling

In consideration of the current state of the economy, the advantages of an online school option may seem rather appealing to some in the general public. Schools could potentially employ fewer faculty and staff members, reach a more diverse learning population, and save money on learning materials (paper, books, pencils, computers, etc.). Students could learn from the comfort of their own home, at their own pace, to their own degree. Sounds like a win-win situation for school districts and students. Or does it? What will a society full of online learners look like? Would this country really be offering opportunity for greater successes, or risk of inevitable failure, to its youth?
A closer look at the debate over online schooling is wise, considering the potential for detriment that it holds for the average adolescent in America. Supporters of online schooling offer the following as advantages:
1. Convenience – Students would have no need to commute to and from school, saving both time and fuel.
2. Environment – Students could attend class without interruptions from their classmates.
3. Flexibility- Students could enjoy self-paced study, leaving room for remediation or acceleration on an individual basis.
4. Efficiency- School districts could save money by employing fewer workers and purchasing less material. Students and their parents could save on gasoline costs.
5. Experience – Students would have the freedom to gain on-the-job or real-world experiences, while attending school. They would not be restricted to daytime hours for learning.
6. Discussions – Students would be engaged in a much more student-centered class discussion, as opposed to teacher-led lectures.
7. Technology – Students would need to learn and practice new technologies that they might have missed in a traditional classroom setting.
8. Diversity – Students could share ideas with classmates who live all over the world, allowing them to learn more about the ideals and values in other cultures.
9. 100% Equal – Students could attend classes without a fear of being discriminated against, based upon race, sex, creed, disabilities, etc.
10. 100% Participation – Every student would have to participate.
Online schooling may have its advantages, but some of its disadvantages, although not in outweighing numbers, overshadow the pros list in their impact. The disadvantages may include:
1. Accreditation – Not all online schools would necessarily be accredited, as they are not held to the same standards as traditional schools. Therefore, businesses and universities could reject a student’s transcript.
2. Motivation – Some students may lack the motivation to complete assignments, when a teacher is not actually present. There is more allowance for procrastination, for those who lack planning and preparation skills.
3. Technology – Specialized computer equipment is often required for an online course, and so students may find a need to upgrade their hardware to keep pace with technology’s ever-changing demands. This additional hardware equates to additional costs!
4. Environment
a. Interaction – Instructors and students share less real interaction time, leaving students without one-on-one support when they need it. Lectures are often prerecorded and classmates often communicate via text.
b. Isolation – Students could become anti-social, as they lack the opportunities to interact with others in person.
5. Tradition – Some of the more fun elements of a traditional high school setting would be lost (proms, senior trips, graduation, etc.)

Education, although capable of affecting the advance of a culture, cannot be separated from the learner-as-individual idea. Not all high school students are equipped with the maturity to handle the independence that online schooling has to offer. And some may never be ready for it. Early adolescence, and the changes (both physical and emotional) it involves, often finds high school students ready to accept much more guidance than a video lecture has to offer. High school is a place to challenge one’s basic skills and develop the logical reasoning as a responsible citizen. It would be almost impossible for most teenagers to do this in isolation. Perhaps online schooling is best placed in higher education, at the collegiate level. Online schooling has the potential to be a wonderful addition to education, if careful placed according to the learner’s needs and capabilities.