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In light of this recent post about how University of Missouri researchers found it's difficult to build effective eLearning practices without satisfactory definitions of the forms of learning environments, Trip Gabriel's article in The New York Times is especially timely. Essentially, Gabriel suggests that while eLearning practices in higher education are often deemed successful, there is not enough research to support whether or not online courses actually benefit high school students and younger. Gabriel's article describes how online education is functioning in high schools around the country. He found that many online courses have helped schools increase their graduation rates. For example, in Memphis, Sheffield High used to have a 60 percent graduation rate. Now that it has implemented an online credit recovery program, a fancy name for makeup classes, the class of 2011 will graduate 86 percent of its students. He notes that schools around the country with increased online classes have posted similar results.
While the proponents he cites point to these increased graduation rates and the usefulness of such online high school courses as a way to prepare students for the variety of online courses they'd take in college, and indirectly experience in their careers, all of the critics Gabriel quotes point to the financial situation as evidence that online courses are not actually intended to help students but rather are used to alleviate public schools' budget problems.
Alex Molnar, professor of education policy as Arizona State University, puts it most succinctly, telling The Times, "What they want is to substitute technology for teachers."
The result is a financial cushion for public schools, according to critics. The aforementioned Memphis public school is paying only $164 per online student, far less than what it would have to pay if those same students took classes with teachers face-to-face.
In any case, this article captures the nature of the debate surrounding eLearning in public schools.
So what can the eLearning community do, then, to respond to the challenges laid out by this debate? How can eLearning in high schools meet the needs of students while also meeting the needs of cash-strapped public school districts?
Answering those questions will be tough; however, I think there's a good way to go about doing it. The eLearning community needs to look at what was most successful about how eLearning benefitted college students and try to apply those concepts to the secondary school sector, while keeping mindful of the greater restrictions associated with that area of the educational sector.
I realize this certainly isn't a solution, but as the growing debate concerning eLearning in public schools becomes more relevant, it's important that the eLearning community have a response.
Related links
Take a closer look at these articles by Mariana Ashley below.
http://www.techlineinfo.com/switch-and-router-giant-cisco-struggles-to-reinvent-itself-explores-new-markets/
http://harounkola.com/four-ways-twitter-can-help-you-connect-with-potential-blog-readers/
http://www.skepticalscience.com/CO2-is-Good-for-Plants-Another-Red-Herring-in-the-Climate-Change-Debate.html
http://careercopilot.com/cold-contact-cover-letters-waste-of-time-or-gateway-to-your-dream-job
http://ourgreenstreetsblog.com/wordpress/2011/03/guest-post-colleges-now-offering-more-sustainability-programs/
http://www.tripwiremagazine.com/2010/06/10-great-tips-to-boost-creativity.html
http://thegreengrandma.blogspot.com/2011/03/creative-new-uses-for-old-household.html
http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2010/10/25/how-to-dress-for-a-creative-job-interview/
http://employmentdigest.net/2011/02/does-your-personal-style-match-your-career-goals/
http://www.bashbosh.com/tips-grabbing-great-guest-post-opportunities/
http://tipsforboomeryears.com/exercising-through-arthritis.html
http://www.thechangeblog.com/toxic-relationships/
http://blog.self-improvement-saga.com/2011/03/why-creating-reading-lists-tops-random-reading/
http://techie-buzz.com/gaming/xbox-outsold-wii-2010.html
http://techpp.com/2011/03/25/4-reasons-you-should-switch-from-powerpoint-to-prezi/
http://www.tricksmachine.com/2011/03/top-5-tech-gadgets-that-reduce-your-carbon-footprint.html
Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online college.
She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031@gmail.com.
Many thanks to Mariana.
Enjoy your reading!
