Online schooling has now gone mainstream and very soon onwards might even be referred to as the “conventional” learning system. Comprising of enticing multimedia lectures in video, text, audio and image file formats and an elaborate set of intuitive online tools and resources to make your educational trip simple and smooth, Online high schools are undoubtedly the most engrossing forms of online education. With superb network accessibility and an endless list of interesting courses to select from, the count of online enrollment is sky-rocketing at a bewildering rate. These courses emphasizes on your specialized needs and are subject to customization. A good online high school strives to enrich your learning experience with advanced student networking opportunities via interactive forums, quizzes, standardized tests, online library, tools to encourage live students’ and teachers’ feedback and many other authentic means. Majority of the young aspirants find the online education system to benefit them and readily enroll with these online schools, looking forward to thriving careers. Online high schools also give a chance to students who want to graduate early or earn high school credit points through courses that they can complete on their own terms at their own pace.
Key Differences between Online High Schools and Traditional High Schools:
- Convenience
Technically speaking, the only pre-requisites for an online course are a computer and an internet connection. Be it your laptop at your home or the computer at your school library, as long as it is functional with good internet speed, your job is done. On the other hand, are traditional schools require an actual classroom in the presence of other aspiring students. This setting allows you to interact with your peers and your teachers face to face.
- flexibility :Online classes have characteristic flexibility, much unlike the traditional classes. The online classes can be attended from the comfort of your home as well as from the pleasant atmosphere of a coffee shop or a library. You can resume your course at any time of the day for any time duration. You have the freedom to drive your own course as you like. In traditional classes, in case you miss a class, you have to depend on your peers’ notes or your teacher to conduct an extra class for you, which rarely happens.
- Self-Pace
An online course gives you the freedom to generate and follow your own signature pace. If it gets difficult for you to grasp a topic, you can hover over it and research on it. You can also ask your online instructors to help you in clearing your doubts. So, you need not rush with your course until all the topics are crystal clear to you. In case of traditional classes, it is more about your class of students rather than “you”. So, a general pace is followed and you are generally suggested to keep your doubts pending till the end of the class. The pace is more rigid and is not altered due to one single child.
- Distraction
Where there is face-to-face peer interaction, there has to be distraction. From minute distractions such as back-bench gossips to silent pranks during the lecture in the class, though most times enjoyable for the student, shifts his or her focus completely from the actual lecture going on in the class. Negative peer pressure can cause a dip in self-esteem, poor academic results and deterioration of self-image.
- Safety
Worst cases of bullying takes place within the school premises. School might turn into a horror place for victims of bullying. With lower attendance and lack of zeal to complete their studies, they might experience downfall in grades. Lacking quality friendships, they might even be prone to major depressive disorder and even be suicidal. To get away with all this negativity, especially that gets cluttered in the mind, online schooling is the ultimate liberator. It assures safety of environment such as home and allows students to exclusively focus on their career goals.
- Accelerated Graduation
Students stand a chance of early graduation in online schools, provided he or she excels at his coursework. The earlier he or she achieves his or her diploma, the earlier can he start the race of achieving his or her humongous dreams. High school courses in Traditional schools are of 4 years duration and hardly have any option of accelerating the course in school.
- Vast Array of Options
Much unlike the patent course options available in traditional schools, online schools come up with a brilliant set of exclusive courses. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, an accredited online high school
presents an impressive range of new opportunities for the students to explore and flourish limitlessly.
- Socialization
The means of socialization is contrasting in both the environments. While traditional schools allow you to interact in a much for upfront face to face method, online schools come with several online tools and resources such as discussion forums, collaborative project works, debates and several other fun filled activities.
- Cost
Cutting the budget short by trimming the accommodation, food and transport costs, online schools are the clear winners when it comes to cost-effectiveness and affordability. This is quite a relief for the middle-class families. Also since most of the resources are online, only a countable number of hardcopy of text books are required to be bought, as contrary to a conventional high school.
- faculty support
Specialized online instructors are available 24/7, as opposed to the general classroom environment. You can get all your queries conveyed to your instructor via email, phone or live one-on-one interactions. It facilitates a genuine bond between children and teachers since the students know that they can lean on their teachers at any point of time. Moreover, since the approach is on an individualized level, the students feel free to share their weaknesses and insecurities. In conventional school environment, introverts or students with learning disabilities mostly keep their weaknesses bottled up due to the fear of non-acceptance within the peer groups. In this case, the teachers are accessible only as the long as the school hours persist. So, the bond is shallow.
- Discipline and motivation
Self-discipline and self-motivation though both qualities are required for your entire lifetime, are most importantly required while taking an online course. Too much comfort and flexibility might lead to long hours of self-pampering or unapologetic leisure time. But, keeping the sense of practicality intact, you can get over these bad habits by embracing self-motivation and discipline. Since, in traditional schools, you are often under pressure, you have a sense of reality. Also, you tend to be more dependent on others like your peers, even for trifling matters. No one is born disciplined or full-time self-motivated. But you need to adopt certain measures such as listening to liberating music or reading quality magazines, to bring about the necessary internal change. Online classes also teach you the true meaning of ownership and independence.
The wealthier your mind, the more the opportunities that line-up for your career advancement. With a little upper hand over conventional schooling, online schooling tests your inner qualities and lets you exercise the freedom of choice.