Journal #10

Brown, Don. (2012). Rural Districts Bolster Choices with Online Learning, Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(6), 13-17. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/February-2012.aspx

 The article is about the improvement of students' education through the use technology in four rural communities. Many small districts are faced with the problem of not being able to provide the same amount of classes with the same quality as those in larger more urban ones. By purchasing turnkey courses which provided everything from lesson material to teachers, the schools were able to provide education to students that fit the specific needs of each community. Each of the four districts in the study had different reasons to incorporate online courses into their school system, and each were met with diverse results.

Question One: Is the use of online courses effective as a substitution for traditional teaching?

The answer to this question depends on the schools. It was found that in schools that required the students to maintain a GPA and/or pay for the courses (in one case students were to pay 10% of cost) students performed well overall. Another way to obtain classroom involvement was to require students to complete approximately six percent of the courses work each week. This gave the students a structured set of goals to accomplish to motivate them to actively participate in course. The However, this was not always the case in every school. In one location the school found that students that did not have anything invested into the program were generally less motivated to actively excel in the class.


Question Two: What benefits does online courses provide to the students that traditional teaching may not?

The use of online courses has many benefits for students. One such benefits is that the students can explore who their interests and find their place in the world. By requiring that students maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher the students who qualify are already not under threat of failing. This allows them to spend time in courses that are not generally available at their location. These classes can expand their world and possibly motivate them into future career choices. Also, by being given the chance to take classes they normally could not, students were able to complete courses that would be required for entry into other schools or colleges. They could take in information at their own rate allowing them. Many classrooms advance too quickly for some students to keep up. By doing online courses they are able to slow down or speed up to match their own individual needs.