NY Times article about Online Schools. I have done two masters, and one of them mostly online and the other I physically went to classes. Online has it's place, and with home schooling I can understand how an online class would be a great resource. From reading the article, the online classes require a lot of parental supervision, but are supplying the material over the Internet. My guess is basically by requiring the help of parents, this is similar to one on one tutoring. The ability to go at your own speed is a great incentive, since in a regular class you pretty much have to go at the average of the class. With some students who can go much faster, and others that need additional help.

Online classes if designed right can be a great resource for the right student. I also have this view of home schooling that for the right student it can be great. I am amazed by parents who home school their kids. By having everything online I imagine that it's easier to track Grades and Progress of students. The ability to interact with other students in person is something that is missed from the online experience. My daughter, High School Freshman, would probably comment what a great idea! A point of the article is the cost of an online class is lower than a regular class. School funding is a challenging issue. The Study Skills needed for online classes would be the same as a regular class, but without the teacher to motivate students. I would guess more motivation is needed by the student to keep up.

Labels: academics, online classes