Online schooling is becoming more prevalent with the digital age that we are living in. According to iNACOL, thirty one states currently have statewide full-time online schools. In 2009-2010, there was an estimated 1,816,400 enrollments in distance-education courses in K-12 school districts (Fast Facts About Online Learning, 2013). As we continue to increase technology into our classrooms, we must ask ourselves if online schooling is the best option for our students.
There are both advantages to online schooling, as well as disadvantages.
Online schooling can be a great tool for students because it enables them the opportunity to do the school work at their own convenience (Online High School, 2003). This can be especially important for students who are sick with a long term illness and are not able to be at school. It is also a great tool for students who have to have a part time job or have other commitments they have to oblige to. Online schooling can give students freedom to do the work and schooling with a time that works best for them and a time where they feel they can best succeed.
Another advantage to online schooling is the ability for students to work at their own pace and potentially finish high school early. By offering classes online for students, they can choose to accelerate their education and get into the work force or attend college earlier than what a traditional school offers. On the other hand, if a student cannot keep up with the expectations of traditional school’s learning pace, they have the opportunity to spend time on areas where they need more practice on (Top 7 Benefits of Online Learning, 2014). Instead of getting “left behind” in the classroom, they can take as much time as they need so they really understand the material before moving on to the next.
Students who partake in online schooling have an opportunity to study a variety of subjects. While students do have to take the required courses to obtain their high school diploma, they also get the opportunity to take a variety of courses that interest them (Advantages and Disadvantages, 2015). They can take courses that they want to learn more about, or they have the opportunity to take courses that will help them towards their desired career. They have the opportunity to take classes that will give them a head start in working toward their college degree. At traditional schools, classes are typically pretty limited; however, online the choices are endless.
While the advantages to online schooling are appealing, there are some disadvantages that come with it as well. One of the biggest downfalls of online schooling is the social isolation. High school is an important period for social and emotional development for students and if a student chooses to do online schooling, they miss out on that experience (Online High School, 2003). If a student is sitting behind a computer all day doing their school work, they are missing out on important social interactions like group work within the classroom. While learning the curriculum material is very important in high school, the social learning is also an important aspect that is going to help students in the future as well.
Another disadvantage is that there is not a lot of guidance and motivation with online schooling. If a student is not self-motivated, they will often fall behind on coursework and exams (online vs. traditional). Students also lose out on that teacher interaction, as well as instruction. Many students will struggle to grasp the material when there is not a teacher present (Online High School, 2003). Although often there is video instruction that comes with online classes, it cannot offer the same personal level of instruction that teachers can provide (Online High School, 2003). They also lose out on peer assistance as well when they are isolated behind a computer.
My opinion is that while I think there are some great advantages to online schooling, I think it really does a disservice to students to miss out on the social interactions that traditional schools offer. I think learning content is important, but personally I think that social and emotional development is more important. High school is an important time where students go through changes and I think it is important that they learn how to interact and relate to peers. I think the social interactions as well as social problem solving will greatly assist in their day to day life in the future. I also think students have a better opportunity to succeed when they receive face to face instruction from a teacher, rather than from a computer. I can see the advantages, but I truly believe that if possible, students should spend at least part of their day in the traditional school, where they are forced to interact with both peers, as well as their teachers.
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