Web Based Learning

I am still on the fence when it comes to learning online. I lean more towards seeing it as a good thing rather than bad.

With saying that, there are different instances where I would not be a fan of online learning. Using online courses for early and middle years students would not be beneficial in my opinion. I just honestly cannot see this working for many reasons such as using a computer in an effective way. I think using technology in your classroom would be beneficial for these years, just not actual courses.

I believe that online learning could be and is beneficial to students in high school. I have seen many students use the resources Shannon and Chris discussed including TMO, SDLs, and online courses. I think whether the student partakes in these courses should be at the discretion of the teacher and principal. Students who are in high school and in need of a certain credit but cannot enroll in the course at their school if it is even offered now have the option to take the courses needed through the internet or phone.



One thing with students taking these online courses that could be trouble is their own motivation to actually finish the course(s). This is an issue for many students, but if they are taking a course that they are actually interested in or prefer that type of instruction, they are more likely to complete the content and engage with it. At the same time, they may enroll in the online course and find that it isn't for them and either want to drop it or not complete the course, wasting a lot of time for their learning.



Another reason that I am for distance learning ties to rural schools. I come from a small town school where there was not near the same amount of courses offered to the students when compared to a school in a city. It's not that the schools in rural communities do not want to offer these courses, they just don't have the staff or money to do so. I know one way that the high school I attended combats this is through Skype. A teacher is hired to teach classes via Skype and alternates his classroom between schools in the division. Through this method, the school is able to offer more options that interest the students. Distant learning allows for students to explore their interests more which is great!



Here is the link to Distance Learning Manitoba for more information on the different services they offer!