September 2005 — Features
Print this article | Email this articleClick here to receive your FREE subscription to T.H.E. Journal
Building a Virtual High School...click by click
Major Concerns and Disadvantages
System requirements. Student and instructor responses to the written questionnaires most frequently cited computer system requirements as a major disadvantage to online learning. In addition to the requirement of an available Internet connection, specific software programs were recommended due to compatibility issues with the course management platform. This platform d'es not support all Internet browsers, and pop-up blockers interfere with the opening of additional windows that may be necessary for a class. At one point, students were using personal e-mail accounts, and overflowing mailboxes were frequently rejecting e-mails sent from the teachers. Fortunately, students are now issued state e-mail addresses for use with online courses.
Limited access. Because low-income students are more likely to have limited home Internet access (Tom Clark, Virtual Schools: Trends and Issues, WestEd, 2001, www.wested.org/online_pubs/virtualschools.pdf), Rapid City Academy Online students have access to computers and high-speed Internet at two open-lab tutoring locations. The tutoring centers are open four evenings each week, and are staffed with an instructor and student tutors. In addition, the Rapid City Public Library is working in concert with the academy to provide students with computer and Internet access.
“Students who may not normally shine within a traditional classroom may do better in a virtual classroom.“
Computer failures. Teachers and students alike expressed concern that system failure is another major disadvantage of online learning. Unfortunately, this is inevitable in the world of technology. Students especially noted system freezes and crashes that caused the loss of not only assignments, but also the loss of time spent completing the work and rebooting or repairing computers. One student even mentioned that the frustration of computer failures was the reason a computer should always be maintained and its system kept up-to-date.
Interaction (or lack thereof). Lack of face-to-face interaction with students and other teachers was noted by 37 percent of the instructors and some of the students. We found that if someone is unable to meet with a student in person,written communication skills are vital for both the teacher and the learners. Some students need that sense of being connected to both the teacher and their classmates;consequently,teachers must maintain regular connection with their students whether via e-mail, journal responses, discussion postings, or announcement postings. A few teachers found that using the phone to speak with a student, or inviting a student to come in for a conference, helped alleviate this feeling of isolation. Conversely,a teacher and student both mentioned that for some, not having to deal with people face-to-face made the learning easier. Students who may not normally shine within a traditional classroom may do better in a virtual classroom. One reason is due to the nature of the online classroom, which allows a student’s opinion to be presented without interruption.
