High school and middle school students are easily distracted, which is precisely why I do think they can benefit from online classes.
Traditional Classes Aren’t More Engaging – Room for Debate – NYTimes.com
Which is precisely WHY online classes aren’t for High School and Middle School. I have taught online classes to high school students and I have had 1 out of 10 literally be successful. The student that was successful wasn’t easily distracted. The others were and got so distracted, they couldn’t keep up.
I do know that credit recovery with online courses can be effective as we do it with something called Reconnect. The students check into a room, have supervision, and have someone who can help them when they get stuck. BUT remember, these students have already been in a traditional classroom, but were not successful, usually due to attendance issues. Those kids are pretty easy to teach, as they have seen the material but didn’t get it (I’ve worked with them face to face). They do need the personal attention and someone to make them stick to it.
I do know that the most effective way to do online courses is to mix the online experience with face-to-face experiences. I got my master’s degree in CECS from UNT that way. I still think it takes a very mature student.
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