At the recent iNacol Virtual
Schools Symposium, participants
had the opportunity
to hear directly from a panel
of students who explained
why they preferred learning
online. Here are some of the
reasons they shared:
1 I can sleep in. While this
may sound indulgent to
the over-30 crowd, the reality
is that adolescents need
more sleep than adults and
often function best late at
night.
2 I can pursue my passions.
Several students
are learning online because
they are pursuing passions
that do not allow them to fit into the
traditional school system. We heard
from a student who competes in equestrian
competitions; for others it may be
music, writing, acting, or filmmaking.
3 I can focus on my work without
distractions from my classmates.
For many students, school is a huge
distraction, especially in high school,
where the focus is often more on
socializing and fitting in than on learning.
Students shared that in online
classes, they can focus their attention
on learning.
4 I can move at my own pace.
5 I don’t have to compete to share
my thoughts and ideas. The playing
field is leveled, and students can
provide feedback about such things as
posts, videos, and student work as well
as participate in discussion forums.
6 I can take classes that are more
interesting. Providing online opportunities for students means providing
more choice.
7 I can learn with a schedule that
meets my needs.
8 I can learn despite health problems
that might get in the way of
a traditional class setting.
9 I can easily communicate with my
teacher when I have to. Online
environments typically have structures
in place whereby students can easily
send private instant messages or
emails to their teachers and end up
feeling much more supported by and
connected to those teachers.
10 I can easily communicate with
my classmates when I want to.
A traditional classroom setting often
discourages students from communicating
with one another. The online
environment makes it much easier for
students to connect with one another
on topics of interest in both synchronous
and asynchronous environments.
—Lisa Nielsen