One of the key findings of the Sloan report is that online education is not part of the mainstream of higher education. Pretty obvious finding, if you ask me. The enrollment growth rate of 18.2% was not so obvious.
25% of students in 3-5th grade want to learn online to "be in control of my learning", and almost 50% of 9-12th graders and 40% of 6-8th graders feel the same way. Why isn't there a stronger push to online learning for K-12?
I surveyed my own students and found several of the same trends. Students wanted to learn at their own pace and thought they would learn just as much online (if not more) than they would in a classroom. Some even noticed the reduced costs to school districts by saving money through conversation of energy, reduction in needed technology on site, no busing, and the cafeteria wouldn't have to make lunches. Some also noticed that having entirely online school would cut several school employees out of jobs - bus drivers, custodians, and cafeteria workers. Most students said they would miss the social interaction of school as well as gym class (of course!).
I am definitely a proponent of blended learning since it has the appeal and benefits of both online and face to face learning. I think a lot of this resonates with the subject matter I teach - math - and the need for visualization. I haven't seen many online math courses, just one to be exact, and it lacked engagement and demonstrations that I strive to have on a daily basis in my classroom.
For the remainder of the year and next year I would like to offer more blended learning opportunities for my students. This could be something simple like online tutorials or a weekly skype session.
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I'm not sure that I agree with online learning in elementary school and middle school. Here's why -- during these years, students learn the basics to surviving in life: basic math, basic writing, reading, etc. While online learning can be helpful and has its advantages, it can also be taken advantage of. Without discipline and the desire to fully learn the content, the student can soar through the class get whatever grade they're shooting for and not fully grasp the material. I think it's much easier to slide by in the online world than in the classroom world; during the years that set the foundation of skills to be used throughout our lives, I'm not sure we can gamble with online.
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