What Makes Virtual Schools So Tempting for Teens?
As technology advances, a new kind of literacy has emerged: e-learning – also known as virtual schools. It dates back to January 2006, Shan Jayran and her husband John Davies opened First College, an online high school. A virtual school or cyber school describes an institution that offers courses entirely or primarily via the net.
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What Makes Virtual Schools So Tempting for Teens?
Advocates of virtual learning believe that virtual schools hold advantages including. The main benefits are that students do not need to attend face-to-face classes and the integration of digital media into the curricula. Virtual schools also give a student the opportunity to stay in school when traditional brick and mortar schools will no longer accept them.
Virtual School Advantages and Disadvantages
Some reasons for this could be extensive absences due to medical reasons, teen pregnancy, or for other reasons. The school system may deem these causes as distracting to the school body. Virtual schools are a great equalizer. The nonexistence of a physical classroom, reduced personal interactions, and flexible schedules.
No matter what their social, economic, religious, ethnic or physical or mental differences, virtual education gives all students the same opportunity to reach their full potential. Some virtual schools include online study groups in which students interact with each other online. Students are able to meet in these groups using Elluminate, Wimba, Zoom or other means.
Free Video Conferencing Tools For Education
Here is a step-by-step guide to set up a Zoom account and start connecting with peers or students.
Delivery Methods
Unlike traditional education delivery methods, students at virtual schools sometimes do not directly interact with professors, while at other times it is as frequent as in traditional brick and mortar schools and merely takes on a different form.
Hence, virtual education is considered by many to be equivalent to a directed-learning program. Because students do not interact with their instructors or peers face-to-face, “lack of socialization” is often one of the disadvantages.
Recent anecdotal evidence provided by one virtual school from one live cyber school indicates that, while socialization may be different, it is not necessarily lacking. It is also recommended that students enrolled in virtual schools get involved in social activities outside school, much like home-schooled children.
Another perceived disadvantage to distance learning is the added challenge of staying focused while in the home environment, and many students report that staying on task is the most difficult aspect of learning online.
Many students are drawn to online learning for a variety of reasons. Particularly, the ability to avoid the requirement of traveling to a physical location. The latter may be impossible for some non-traditional learners. Besides, there is no need for a school uniform which will save extra expenses for parents.
Critics argue that for online education to be taken seriously. Online programs must adhere to generally accepted educational standards and in some cases it proved to have high educational standard. One way that virtual schools are proving their effectiveness is the implementation of the same standardized testing that brick and mortar schools require of their students.
