{"id":72558,"date":"2024-04-22T00:44:58","date_gmt":"2024-04-22T04:44:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=72558"},"modified":"2024-04-22T00:44:58","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T04:44:58","slug":"online-schooling-is-not-just-for-lockdowns-could-it-work-for-your-child","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/online-schooling-is-not-just-for-lockdowns-could-it-work-for-your-child\/","title":{"rendered":"Online schooling is not just for lockdowns. Could it work for your child?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nDuring COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone away.<\/p>\n

What are online schools doing now? What does the research say? And how do you know if they might be a good fit for your child?<\/p>\n

Online learning in Australia<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Online learning for school students has been around in basic form since the 1990s with the\u00a0School of the Air<\/a>\u00a0and other government-run\u00a0distance education schools<\/a>\u00a0for students who are geographically isolated or can\u2019t attend regular school.<\/p>\n

But until the pandemic, online schooling was largely considered a special-case scenario. For example, for students who are in hospital or training as an elite athlete.<\/p>\n

While learning in COVID lockdowns was extremely tough, it also showed schools, students and parents the\u00a0potential benefits<\/a>\u00a0of online learning for a wider range of students. This can include greater accessibility (learning from any location) and flexibility (personalised, self-paced learning).<\/p>\n

Students who have mental health challenges or who are\u00a0neurodiverse<\/a>\u00a0particularly found learning from home suited them better. There is also less hassle with transport and uniforms.<\/p>\n

This has prompted an\u00a0expansion of online learning<\/a>\u00a0options in Australia.<\/p>\n

Primary and high school options<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Some schools have been developing online subjects and options to sit alongside in-person classes. For example, in New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory, some Catholic schools are using\u00a0online classes<\/a>\u00a0to widen subject choices.<\/p>\n

Some\u00a0private schools<\/a>\u00a0have also begun fully online or blended online\/in-person programs in the recognition some students prefer to learn largely from home.<\/p>\n

There are also specialist courses. For example, Monash University has a free virtual school with\u00a0revision sessions<\/a>\u00a0for Year 12 students.<\/p>\n

What about academic outcomes?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Research on the academic outcomes of distance education students is inconclusive.<\/p>\n

For example, a\u00a02019 US study<\/a>\u00a0of around 200,000 full-time online primary and secondary students showed they had less learning growth in maths and reading compared to their face-to-face peers.<\/p>\n

A 2017 study of\u00a0primary and high school students in Ohio<\/a>\u00a0found reduced academic progress in reading, maths, history and science. Another\u00a02017 US study<\/a>\u00a0also found online students had lower graduation rates than their in-person peers.<\/p>\n

Research has also found it is difficult to authentically teach\u00a0practical subjects online<\/a>\u00a0such as visual arts, design and technology and physical education.<\/p>\n

But a lot of research has been limited to a specific context or has not captured whether online learning\u00a0principles<\/a>\u00a0have been followed. Online teaching approaches need to be different from traditional face-to-face methods.<\/p>\n

These include ensuring there is an adequate number of teachers allocated and personalised attention for students, and ways to ensure collaboration between students and parental engagement with the school.<\/p>\n

What about wellbeing?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Online schooling approaches are still\u00a0catching up<\/a>\u00a0with the support services provided by in-person schools. This includes access to specialists such as psychologists, nurses and social workers.<\/p>\n

Some research has noted concerns about online student\u00a0engagement<\/a>,\u00a0social isolation<\/a>, sense of belonging and\u00a0social and emotional development<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But\u00a0COVID showed schools<\/a>\u00a0could address these by starting the school day with wellbeing check-ins or supporting mental health through meditation, deep listening journals and taking nature photos.<\/p>\n

Online approaches now also include having mentor teachers or summer programs to meet in-person as well as online clubs for students to socialise with each other.<\/p>\n

Is online learning a good fit for your child?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Traditional schooling might still be the\u00a0best option<\/a>\u00a0for families who do not have good internet access, or the flexibility or financial freedom to work from home and support your child.<\/p>\n

However, if certain subjects are unavailable, or health, elite sport and distance to school make in-person learning difficult, learning online could be a viable option to consider.<\/p>\n

Because online learning tends to be a mix of live lessons and self-paced learning, online students need to be independent,\u00a0motivated and organised<\/a>\u00a0to succeed.<\/p>\n

The best online learning programs to look out for are those that\u00a0provide<\/a>\u00a0a lot of opportunities for students to learn from each other.<\/p>\n

Online learning should also include an active teacher presence, wellbeing support, and quality, interactive digital resources. There should also be flexible approaches to learning and assessment.<\/p>\n

Author Bios:<\/strong> Brendon Hyndman is an Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE) at Charles Sturt University and Vaughan Cruickshank is a Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education at the University of Tasmania<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone away. What are online schools doing now? What does the research say? And how do you know if they might be a good fit for your child? […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15645],"tags":[9317],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-72558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","tag-online-learning-2"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOnline schooling is not just for lockdowns. 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