ELearning for All?
The digital age presents many challenges and opportunities for the students of today. School no longer has to be limited to a student's physical presence in a brick and mortar school. However, with the Ontario Ministry of Education's announcement that "Secondary students will take a minimum of four e-learning credits out of the 30 credits needed to fulfill the requirements for achieving an Ontario Secondary School Diploma", we must ask the question, is eLearning for All?
Context
I have a personal, vested interest in this issue. I have been an eLearning teacher for the past 7 years. The course that I teach is a Grade 12, University pathway course. During this time, I have encountered many different students in my course. Some excel in an online course, whereas other students struggle to keep up with the pace and complete the work. In my experience, the attrition in these courses to be much larger than I encounter in face-to-face classes. As a concerned educator, this trend bothers me. I have also tried a variety of strategies to engage students in their learning. Offering individual meeting times, connecting with the students and their families through emails and phone calls, connecting with home schools. I have seen some success with these strategies, however, I have not been able to close the attrition gap between online classes and face-to-face classes.
Below I have outlined some of the benefits and challenges of online courses.
Benefits of eLearning:
- flexible model can help accomodate individual needs
- flexible timing, course can be taken at various times to meet the needs of an individual's schedule
- access to updated content
- scalability
- cost efficient
- effective
- uses less resources
- increased student control, choice and independence
- encourages new types of assessment
- can be an authentic learning experience for students as many workplaces require employees to interact online
- builds a collaborative community of practice for students
Critiques of Online Learning
- less interaction between students and teachers
- attrition rates, some students 'fall through the cracks'
- requires a high level of independence from students, some students struggle with this
- less credit accumulation
- equity issues, some students have access to technology whereas others do not
- can disproportionately have negative impacts on students with learning needs
Here is an excellent TEDx Talk that challenges the criticisms of Online Learning:
Summary:
Many students benefit from this type of learning. It allows flexibility in their schedule, more elective options, and it helps to prepare students for an increasingly digital world. The majority of students thrive in these online classes and should be encouraged to take them. However, the face-to-face interactions between students and teachers cannot be undervalued. I also have significant concerns about forcing all students to take these courses. Student choice and buy-in is essential for student success. Readiness is also important, as not all students have the learning skills necessary to do well in this model. However, as an online teacher, I am committed to continuing to find a way to bridge these gaps for students and find a way to make eLearning for All.
Sources:
The Era of Online Learning. (2017, June 14). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=5JKgUoY9pTg =
Education that Works for You - Modernizing Classrooms. (2019, March 15). Retrieved May 20,
2019, from https://news.ontario.ca/edu/en/2019/03/education-that-works-for-you-2.html
Gupta, S. (2017, November 01). 9 Benefits Of eLearning For Students. Retrieved from
https://elearningindustry.com/9-benefits-of-elearning-for-students
Mandatory online courses for high school students 'a terrible idea,' expert says | CBC News. (2019,
March 26). Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/mandatory-online-
courses-ontario-high-school-students-terrible-idea-e-learning-1.5072018
A New Pedagogy is Emerging... and Online Learning is a Key Contributing Factor. (n.d.). Retrieved
from https://teachonline.ca/tools-trends/how-teach-online-student-success/new-pedagogy-
emerging-and-online-learning-key-contributing-factor
Dynarski, S. (2018, January 19). Online Courses Are Harming the Students Who Need the Most
Help. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/19/business/online-courses-are-
harming-the-students-who-need-the-most-help.html
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