Running head: ONLINE SCHOOLING CONTROVERSY

The Online Schooling Controversy

Gwen Scott
EDU 352 Foundations of Educational Technology
Professor Lisa Sill
3/14/2015

With the rising popularity of using technology in schools, comes debate. One topic that is
up for discussion is the role of distance education in todays world. Virtual schools are springing

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up around the country. Parents wonder: (a) Can all students succeed in online environment? And
(b) Will students learn as much as in face-to-face classrooms? (Top Ten Issues Shaping Today's
Technology Uses in Education, n.d.). The above questions are important to explore because of
the rising popularity of virtual schooling. Originally online classrooms gained popularity in the
college setting, but as this method of educating expands to include K-12 students, additional
ethical and practical questions must be explored.
The first question posed in this debate is whether or not all students can succeed, and
would ultimately benefit, from the online environment. Of course there are both positive and
negative aspects to the online environment to be considered. There are differences between
traditional classrooms, and online learning, however, there is also a surprising amount of
similarities. Although computers are a big part of online education, much of the actual work is
completed in the same way as it is in a traditional school. Kids still read books, fill out
worksheets, write papers, complete science experiments, and take quizzes and tests (Virtual
Elementary School: Should You Enroll Your Kids?, n.d.). Virtual teachers keep in touch with
parents, just as they would in a physical classroom: through phone calls, emails, and even
meetings. One fear for some children is that, they might have have as many opportunities to
learn how to work in groups on projects and to get along with children their own age (Virtual
Elementary School: Should You Enroll Your Kids?, n.d.). I believe that virtual classrooms are a
fit for many children, but could really be providing more of a disservice to children without
siblings and/ or who arent involved in community or sport activities. Its just as important for
children to learn about social skills and human aspects of life, as it is to learn math equations.
If these social needs are being met elsewhere, education through a computer poses less
developmental problems for young children and adolescents.

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The second question posed in this debate is: will students learn as much in the virtual
classroom as they would face-to-face? One study found that students enrolled in virtual classes
performed better than students in physical classrooms, for the same subject. However, most of
the classes that were examined focused on higher education courses; only a small few focused on
K-12 students (The reality of virtual schools, n.d.). Additional studies and surveys need to be
conducted with elementary and high school students in order to solidify these findings. One of
the downsides to virtual learning is that, teachers dont receive quick feedback from students
about whether they understand the lessons. Also, it can be difficult for schools and teachers to
verify if the student himself is actually doing the work (The reality of virtual schools, n.d.). Its
true that virtual classrooms present a lag time between students and teachers. However,
depending on how you look at it, this lag time could be beneficial to students by challenging
them to research and look for their own solutions rather than immediately running to the teacher
for answers. Additionally, a concern of online classes is the validity of students work. I believe
that this is where the help of parents comes in. Additionally, the online school can implement
plagiarism software to help prevent this occurrence.
Clearly there is the possibility that students can both benefit, and be under-served, by
online/virtual education. In my opinion, there are certain steps that can be taken to ensure that
online classrooms are beneficial for students. First of all, I believe that parents need to be
involved in the education process. They should do research before enrolling their child; What is
the student-teacher ratio? Can students interact with each other or is the program more selfpaced? What supports are in place for children and parents? How is student performance
assessed? (The reality of virtual schools, n.d.). Like most things in life, there is no straight

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forward answer to this debate, and each childs needs should be looked at individually. Below are
three resources to explore this topic more in-depth.
http://learningmatters.tv/blog/web-series/discuss-is-online-learning-beneficial-for-students/8731/
http://www.k12.com/facts-about-k12-public-virtual-schools#.VPdrXPnF-88
http://nepc.colorado.edu/newsletter/2012/07/understanding-improving-virtual%20

Resources

ONLINE SCHOOLING CONTROVERSY

The reality of virtual schools. (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2015, from

http://www.greatschools.org/school-choice/virtual/6984-virtual-schools.gs
Top Ten Issues Shaping Today's Technology Uses in Education. (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2015,
from http://www.education.com/reference/article/ten-issues-shaping-today-technology/
Virtual Elementary School: Should You Enroll Your Kids? (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2015,
from http://www.parents.com/kids/education/elementary-school/virtual-elementaryschool/