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The Unexpected Benefits of Online High School in the Time of COVID-19
High school and college students are going through uncharted territory in regard to their academics: changing fromĀ traditional classrooms to online ones. With the current Covid-19 pandemic impacting learners of all grades, at times, the situation may feel hard to navigate. Notably, there nothing ideal about instructors and learners dealing unexpectedly with online education, as millions have been doing during the coronavirus pandemic.
That being said, there might be a lining to distance learning and online classroom, which most high schools and universities in the 2020-2021 academic year are defaulting to because of the Covid-19. As teachers and students might have to compensate for logistic problems, online collaboration may prepare high school learners with the type of self-discipline, emotional intelligence, and organizational acumen required for current careers, especially those that permit working from remote, distributed teams. Also, the earlier learners master these proficiencies, the better off they will be when they get into the job market.
Most learners might have the self-discipline, focus, and maturity required to learn online. In addition to online classes, there are many online resources for motivated high school learners to prepare for university, college, or professional workplaces. Notably, these online platforms offer learners access to instructions that they might not have. Places such as Open P-TECH, a set of self-paced classes and assessments from IBM that offer career and technical-related curricula, provide content to learners who want to join professionalĀ STEM-related careers. Most of these careers would not need a specific workplace; graduates would look for jobs that do require online collaboration.
Obviously, it is much difficult to say that younger grade school learners benefit a lot from virtual collaboration and distance learning. The attention span of these learners is limited and is captured best by in-person engagement. For topics that are complicated, students require attention, feedback, and direction that can only e provided by an instructor in the same classroom. Also, face-to-face instruction is crucial for learners with special learning requirements.
Irrespective of how much we praiseĀ online learning, there are obvious shortcomings. Human beings innately thrive and crave from the personal connections that in-person engagement offer. Also, online classrooms place a strain on parents who require to work from their homes. Most parents get themselves taking the roles of instructors where they have time or not. Learners from marginalized communities usually do not have the connectivity and technology required for online classes. Whereas many parts across the globe are digitally connected, a large number of impoverished populations remain disconnected, risking their futures.
With time, physical classrooms would resume. Till then, most high schools say that they will blend virtual and in-person, which is an essential compromise that balances education and public health considerations. Whereas this arrangement is not perfect, it might be beneficial to some learners. Whilst the Covid-19 hastened the adoption of telecommuting; also, it has made older learners more comfortable with the aspect of online collaboration. Skills acquired during the Covid-19 crisis of navigating this terrain will assist these teenagers in joining the labor force in the future. Here some of the advantages and disadvantages of online education that high school learners might expect in the next academic year.
Pros of Online Learning
Comfortability and Convenience
The major advantage of online learning isĀ convenience, as it enables learners to log on at the appropriate time and from any place. With the availability of Wi-Fi connections, learners can log in from any part of the world. Virtual learning gives students an opportunity to spend a lot of time on subjects that need greater effort. Since learners can access the internet everywhere and anywhere, they can also access their education and classes, usually from the comfort of their homes, at any time.
Self-Paced Learning and Added Flexibility
An added advantage of online learning is theĀ flexibility of learning from remote, a talent that poises more learners to be exclusively prepared for a marketplace where remote choices are commonplace. As the Covid-19 pandemic crisis pushes learners to other education routes, virtual learning offers the advantage of easing traditional high schools’ financial burden.
Additionally, not many individuals have the capability to take time off from work to a full-time graduate course, and others usually travel for work. For people who still want to go back to school and juggle, the flexibility of virtual online courses offers people a chance to study while still working and grow professionally.
By attaining your high school diploma online, students can study on their own schedule. Instead of leaving the office early or skipping family dinner to commute to school, they can sign up when it is convenient for them, at a time that does not interfere with other commitments. Notably, the flexibility enables them to graduate school, life and balance work easily.
Moreover, learners do not always feel comfortable asking instructors to repeat a point they made in their last class or dive into deeper detail on specific topics. When studying online, students can be able to revisit previous learning material or stop the class so as to perform more research or organize his or her notes. Students can work through the lesson plan at their own speed to make sure that they are really mastering the instruction before proceeding to the next chapter. Additionally, additional flexibility enables virtual students to move through the coursework at their own pace and attain the most out of their diploma program.
Enhanced Online Collaboration and Communication
Learning to work with other students in anĀ online learning environmentĀ can make students be effective leaders. Students will develop crucial leadership skills by using specialized knowledge, creating effective processes, and making decisions regarding effective communication methods like what ought to be discussed virtually and in-person.
In an online class, students will also take part in discussion boards with their colleagues, collaborate through different software programs, and communicate with instructors through email. As the course progresses, you will get better at pitching your ideas, as well as making strong, succinct, expert arguments through text.
Taking part in discussion boards is a lot like taking part in an online team. Communicating ideas clearly, projecting a professional image, and getting responses are required skills in an online workplace. Teachers, similar to managers, anticipate learners to write respectful, thoughtful, as well as polite communications, respond to various perspectives, and create a rapport with their colleagues. Fortunately, in virtual learning, students will be necessitated to refine these skills fast ā course after course, week after week, and post after post.
Disadvantages of Online Learning
Time and Technology
The greatest shortcoming of virtual learning is majorly technology and time management. For learners used to procrastination, virtual learning might be challenging to coordinate, and motivation might prove to be a struggle. Because much virtual learning is based on the ability of the student to finish self-directed work, learners who thrive on direction and routine may find online learning lacking. Besides, learners who are dedicated and motivated to adapt to virtual education, they may still struggle because of access. According to the National Center of Education Statistics, 14 percent of students, aged between 3 and 18, don’t have access to the internet at their place of residence, roughly equal to 9 million learners.
Stigma and Social Interaction
Virtual learning is not appealing to learners whose hearts are set on traditional high school experience. Without in-school interaction with other students, teachers, sports, and clubs, most learners may feel isolated. Research shows thatĀ social isolationĀ is the major reason why learners withdraw from their academics. The low level of social interaction affects the high school experience for most learners, which makes virtual learning having stigma around it. Nevertheless, the stigma for online learning not being similar to traditional learning is fading slowly. Studies show that credentials attained online are typical of the same quality as those completed in traditional schools.
Online education might be challenging to navigate, and learners are approaching their semesters with a mixture of excitement and anxiety of the unknown. A study conducted by the NSHSS shows that learners are not enthusiastic regarding the prospects of virtual learning. 53 percent of the learners stated that they prefer traditional classrooms but can deal with online learning when they were asked how they feel if their learning institutions continue with online learning to the fall. Despite the crisis brought up by coronavirus, learners remain hopeful and optimistic. Amazingly, over 80 percent of the respondents said that they are “Pretty hopeful” or “Very hopeful” regarding the health of their friends and families as well as their capability to attain education, 94 percent, and graduate on term 86 percent.
Despite the many shortcomings of online learning, there are benefits that learners can reap as the globe continues to struggle with the Covid-19 pandemic.