Monday, November 2, 2009

eLearning: Going the Distance

Starkman, N. (2007). eLearning: going the distance. T. H. E. Journal, 34(2), 18-24.   http://search.ebscohost.com.

Traditional schooling is not for everyone! Well, the traditional brick and mortar buildings with a chalkboard, twenty-five desks in a classroom, worksheets, tests, and 1 computer for the class are not for everyone. So, how do you get an education if traditional school is not for you? The answer.....technology.

Online classes/virtual high schools offer a traditional education in nontraditional ways. Since 1996, Virtual High School has offered nontraditional students an opportunity for an online education. Nontraditional students are those students who do not fit in the traditional mold of a student in a regular classroom taking notes to the teacher's lecture. Students who have interests outside of school that require flexible schedules such as athletes training for the Olympics, Motocross riders, actors/actresses, or someone who is medically unable to attend traditional school still need an education. eLearning provides the opportunity.

Online classes/virtual high schools also offer content that students may not have access to in their high school due to lack of funding. Students who want to study a foreign language that is not offered in their high school may turn to online classes to study the language of their choice. Online classes broaden the scope of what students study in high school. Students who attend traditional high school can benefit from online classes, also.


Online classes/virtual high schools are under constant scrutiny to maintain an optimal structure for online learning. Students who take online classes should be held to the same rigorous standards as those who attend traditional classes. Evaluations/surveys are used to maintain the standards. The number of students who take online classes is growing, so regulations for those classes are expected to meet the states' standards. Constant revisions and improvements promote this.

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