Little Web Schoolhouse

With the days of the little red schoolhouse long gone, the prospect of the little web schoolhouse looms in the future. Students in the 21st century will not be limited by their own school districts’ resources. Distance learning is fast becoming an option that is quickly giving more and more students opportunities that were unthinkable just a few years ago.

The history of distance learning in elementary and secondary schools spans about 50 years. The earliest years used live television broadcasts to bring the expertise of master teachers into many classrooms. The 1960s concentrated on television as an enrichment experience to bring students to places that they otherwise would be unable to visit. The 70s brought more changes as television programs were professionally produced with the curriculum in mind. The end of the century saw the trend swing back to the basics. In general, before the turn of the century, however, distance learning involved a one-way flow of instruction. http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~lsherry/pubs/issues.html#issues

Today’s distance education in elementary and secondary schools involves a high degree of interactivity. Gone are the days of the teacher-in-the-box, dispensing information to be swallowed whole by the student audience. The flow of information is multi-directional. The most successful distance education programs promote interactivity between teacher and students, between students and their learning environments, and among students themselves. Active learning is a key component. The issue of connectivity with people is sometimes a forgotten consideration in distance learning.

A common concern in distance learning is in the speed of the connection between the student and the learning site. The trend in the past few years has been toward using broadband connections. But not all learners or learning sites have this capability. Upgrading technology is not always an option for money-strapped school districts or individual students working from home. It is important to remember that not only are students using distance learning from their schools sites but also from home. Many individual consumers still use a less expensive dial-up connection to access the Internet. The slower speed takes longer for files to transfer. Student progress and attention can suffer by virtue of the extra time lost to slow connection speeds.

Quality of instruction is another concern. During the early years, many distance learning classes have left a lot to be desired in this area. http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall53/valentine53.html Standards have often been non-existent, resulting in second-rate classes. Teachers have gradually become more adept at managing, motivating, and interacting with students they have never actually met. As distance learning and technology evolve, the gap between face-to-face learning and distance learning will continue to narrow. Distance learning will continue to emerge with particular advantages that will make it desirable to more segments of learners.

An interesting “school” called Laurel Springs features a nationally accredited K – 12 curriculum of customized individual instruction--but no ivy-covered buildings. It’s all out there in cyberspace--a private school without the required uniforms or snooty rich kids to compete with. http://www.laurelsprings.com/default.asp Laurel Springs has a variety of learning opportunities for all elementary and secondary students including online courses for students in grades six and above. Laurel Springs is not alone. Another high school that endeavors to teach a wide range of high school courses, including the fine arts, online is Keystone National High School. http://www.keystonehighschool.com/ If you’ll follow the tab for curriculum to catalog, scrolling to fine arts, you’ll see an ironically fuzzy image by artist Michelangelo titled over with the words Art in Focus. Art production is listed as part of this distance course but no explanation is provided for how that actually occurs. All this education comes at a price--$369.00 per online one-credit course. That’s not as bad as you might expect. But what if Keystone closes its online doors while you’re taking a class?

A more credible online resource might be from the Center for Distance and Independent Learning. Associated with the University of Missouri, MU High School offers students more choices for distance learning at much lower rates than Keystone and the others. The courses make it possible for a wide range of students to complete online courses necessary for graduation from a Missouri high school. http://cdis.missouri.edu/MUHighSchool/HShome.htm
For a student who lives in a rural area, is home schooled, or has difficulty attending a traditional high school, this may be an alternative way of completing a high school diploma.

Distance learning for elementary and secondary students is still in its toddlerhood. The steps towards progress are shaky and wobbly at times. And along the way, it falls flat on its face. But with time, great strides can be expected. Students of all ages, inside schools and out, will find new ways to utilize distance learning in the future. Some will use it as a supplement to traditional learning. Some will use it as an alternative.

Those of you who are personally acquainted with distance learning are welcome to add your comments and experiences to this blog.