Today more than ever, we are seeing the value of e-learning. As the learning landscape continues to change, education must learn to adapt. For students applying to post-secondary institutions, earning credits from the right online high school can help you stay on track, even as schools remain closed.
As author and St. John’s Fisher College professor, Brittany Gilbert writes:
“The expansive nature of the Internet and the accessibility of technology have generated a surge in the demand for web-based teaching and learning. Online education is quickly infiltrating into school districts and colleges across the nation.”
To appreciate why this is, we must understand the benefits of e-learning and how it fosters independent study for the future post-secondary student.
Challenging Students to Work Effectively
As the field of e-learning has expanded, so too has the number of students participating in its various facets. According to Babson College, there are at least 7 million higher education students taking at least one online course. E-learning is an asset for students pursuing higher education because it challenges them to manage their time efficiently and prioritize their workload outside of the traditional construct of a physical school day. By taking courses at Ontario Virtual School or a similar online institution, students learn the invaluable skills of self-reliance, organization and time management in ways simply not feasible in a traditional day school environment.
Creating Confident Students
Confidence is another key benefit of e-learning. Students who pursue credits online are often better equipped with the tools needed to handle the technology frequently used in post-secondary institutions. Today, colleges and universities often rely on online portals, virtual learning platforms, shared e-workspaces, and out-of-class study groups. Pursuing credits at an online high school gives students a crash course in the kinds of digital learning habits they will be expected to use throughout their post-secondary studies.
Designing A Study Environment That Will Yield Results
E-learning encourages students to identify the environmental factors that lead to their optimal productivity. Learning outside of a traditional classroom requires students to create a positive independent study environment in order to be successful. This means finding a quiet learning space with minimal distractions (i.e. no cellphones, family or roommates to interrupt your studying) and avoiding non-essential computer programs and websites. Finding your ideal ergonomic layout and lighting levels is allow essential to creating a focused and productive work environment. By recognizing the various factors that optimize individual learning at the high school level, students are able to work with maximal efficiency by the time they reach college or university.
Accredited online learning institutions are about more than grades; they challenge students to think critically, to work independently, and to take responsibility for their time and actions. In this way, e-learning gives students the tools they need to get ahead in today’s virtual world.