Parents & Students
This information will get you started as you explore the online learning opportunity. If you want to see how this online endeavor works, check out some of the information for the other "audiences," like the online teacher. Some of it will be too technical, perhaps, but it will give you an idea of the complexity of the online opportunity.
Be sure to have your student go to an Internet site that can introduce the online experience. This is also where the student can find out what it takes to be an online student, and what some of the expectations will be over the length of the course. Not all interfaces (what the student sees as they work online) work the same or look the same, but good ones meet specific learning needs.
Online work is demanding because the student needs to work alone, be a self-starter, and be able to handle a lot of text material on a screen. There are places where students can take a "qualifying" survey, and they may discover that the online learning experience is just not right for them at this time. It is far better to make a decision about pursuing the online class before getting too deep into the course.
You probably know that the credibility of online learning has been questioned from academic and from socialization perspectives. Some educators would maintain that the online environment for teaching and learning is just not equal to the face-to-face one, and really never will be. Others see it as the answer to many challenges education is going through, including reduced funding.
You will want to check to see that the online program you are interested in provides solid, standards-based content, is an accredited program, and the instructors are licensed by the state certification agency in the subject area of the course. This would be a good time to talk with the school counselor to make sure that the class to be taken is acceptable to the home school for credit toward graduation. The school counselor often can provide more information and guidance as you look at the online opportunity.
Online teaching, when done well, can address more of the individual needs and learning styles of online students. Repeatedly, online students report that the work is harder AND that they feel they get more personal attention from their teachers. Parents and students should be ready to "participate" completely when taking an online class. There will be frequent email, requirements to post documents and written thoughts and comments on discussion and forum boards, and parents may be asked to login (access) their son/daughter's class to help monitor progress. Many teachers have regular, "online" office hours, allowing you to contact the teacher when needed. Teachers may also make phone calls to you and/or the student, and the teacher may ask for your email address so that the connection is complete. This is all so that students can gain as much as possible from the online experience.
If your student is doing all of their education online, you will want to find ways for "socialization" activities to occur. The growing online home school population at the K-12 level has some good practices in this area that could serve as an example for the public online school community; arrange for appropriate times for students to meet for academic work projects and for pure socialization (roller-skating, movies, etc.) It is widely known that home school parents use these extra activities in their education plan as well (i.e. seeing the physics aspects of roller-skating, and going to see a new movie and writing a review.)
Student Success
Success Factors
Student success is typically equated with successful course completion. Completion rates vary broadly--reported rates range from under 30% to well over 90%--depending on the student, the school, the content, the teacher, the online school, and the parent. While these same factors influence student success in the classroom, the nature of the online environment can intensify their influence. Student success has become one of the primary factors in discussions of the quality of online programs.
There has not been much research as yet on the success factors for K-12 online learning, and much of what we know about online learning comes from the experience of higher education and business.
Successful Student Characteristics
Students who are naturally independent learners, like to read, can pace themselves, can follow directions, enjoy responding in writing, and have patience with technology are more apt to be successful with online learning.
But just because students do not have all these qualities does not mean that online learning will not work for them. Online courses afford a good opportunity to develop these qualities.
Even if students naturally demonstrate those learner qualities, there are still ways to achieve even greater success by improving study skills. There are many online assessments available to students to help them determine whether they have what it takes to be successful online learners. Bottom line, make sure there is frequent, meaningful contact between the teacher and the student. Contact with the parent is also very important!
Student Satisfaction
To enter and complete an online course or other online experience, takes a lot of work on the part of the student. Satisfaction with that online experience is affected by many components:
- The "visual" components and appeal.
- The content of the course.
- The degree (frequency) to which students are required to post to a course.
- The degree of "attention" from the teacher...contact, etc...
- The amount of interaction with other online students.
- The time required, the pacing, and the quizzes or tests required.
- The home and/or computer connection environment.
- Is there a face-to-face requirement for home school meetings and/or testing?
These are just a few of the things that influence students and their feelings of success for an online course.
Additionally, online students are rarely successful if they must work alone to complete the online work. Student success is found in a partnership between the student, the parent, the home school, the online school, and the helping Mentor. If your son/daughter is working at home, you will be that "mentor" who can help insure their success with gentle reminders and adult help. You will want to ask the home school staff if they have regular mentors for students doing online work. Research has shown that the Mentor, whether the helping parent or another adult at the school site, is essential to student success, regardless of content or difficulty of material.
School administrators you meet may or may not be aware of the opportunities for learning online. The K-12 online experience is a new one, and educators are often trying to "catch up" and gain knowledge in the context of their busy days. School administrators set the tone and provide the vision and the instructional and fiscal support for online learning, and are a critical component to the success of online endeavors.
Typically, school administrators support online programs by
- having a vision.
- finding adequate funding.
- providing guidance.
- establishing a structure.
- ensuring teacher qualifications, and supervising as needed.
- providing appropriate technology for students and teachers.
- initiating and sustaining an evaluation process.
- providing ongoing resources.
- providing for the needs of Special Students..
School Districts
School districts provide online students with the following services
- technical support for "new" computers, current software, plug-ins, and helper applications
- protected email account on the school network for communication with the teacher and other students
- assistance for home school, expelled, suspended, ill, pregnant, and other populations
- policies and procedures that support online learning
Counselors are typically the first contact that students have with online course options.
Some online schools require that counselors take an active role in the student's decision to take online classes. Counselors:
- discuss online possibilities with the student.
- administer a survey of the student's learning style to determine the fit with online learning.
- administer an orientation course.
- review syllabi of potential courses.
- establish clear understandings of what the student is getting into.
Online schools orient the student to an online education experience, and help them learn how to address the problems and circumstances that will arise. The online school must provide training for staff and students, provide marketing materials, assist with technical support, and provide structure and guidelines for the support systems to function.
The online school usually offers orientation/awareness courses for counselors, facilitators, and mentors so that they have direct experience with the online environment and are familiar with the requirements of the online school in which they will enroll students.
Once a student is enrolled, the school staff responsible for the student must monitor work, check grades, represent the interest of the student (or the online school), communicate with parents, and perhaps coordinate testing or lab work.
Parents are a crucial part of the support system for both the online school and teacher, and the student. Many online schools call parents when students have not completed work or have not been communicating regularly with their teachers. The home high school may also contact parents. In many cases, the best student monitoring happens from the home.
The online teacher is responsible for clearly conveying expectations, helping students maintain the required pace through the course, addressing diverse learning styles, providing all instructional materials, assessments, and course corrections, and communicating progress with the student, the parent, and the school.
The State Education Agency and State Legislators encourage online learning and student success by developing policies and procedures that support school staffing and technical needs, standards for courses and teachers, and statutes to enable online program development. Legislators in some states set the requirements for online education, and policies and procedures vary from state to state. Some states require that students receiving online education have a certified teacher on the receiving end, which makes low cost or practical student mentoring very difficult. Some unions have rules about students in a district being taught only by teachers from that district. And at least one state will provide student funding only for students who successfully complete a course.
The parent and student are encouraged to do research into the various programs available. The motto should be, "Let the user be vigilant."