Online School Vs Virtual School

Many people read blogs, check the news, and even do their job online. Though they may not realize it, they actually learn quite a lot online. This thought has brought up many questions about the effectiveness of learning online, specifically online schooling. Most kids today go to traditional brick and mortar schools, but some students have tried a different path through virtual school. Virtual and traditional school have many similarities, they are both funded by the state or districts, both of them have the same goals, and both of them have similar structures. Although they have some common ideas, virtual school has certain benefits that traditional schooling cannot provide. Virtual school has more flexibility, it can be tailored specifically

Most people understand the immense amount of benefits of online school for all kinds of people who just want to learn, and college students recognize this. Some colleges have implemented virtual school into their curriculum, letting students see success in college as more attainable than ever before. Nonetheless, many worry that, since virtual school doesn’t involve the physical activities offered in traditional schools, students won’t be able to learn how to apply the skills they’ve learned. As one author working for Florida National University was explaining the benefits of using online school in college, they explained that “This could mean that larger lectures are held exclusively online, and class time would be reserved for laboratory or small group work and conversation that develop students’ collaborative and problem solving skills,” (Florida National University). Reserving class time for activities that actually involve more than what can be offered online would let students be able to manage their time in a way where they can have a job, take notes on their own time, and let professors create a less dreadful environment when teaching. Additionally, students who are unable to attend class one day won’t have to miss a lecture, instead they can listen through their computer or record the lecture so they can listen once they have the time. Another important factor is the speed and quality of learning. One academic writer, while writing about the MOOC model, or Massive Open Online Course, explained that “The MOOC model would promise students faster, more consistent educational engagement with high-quality content, and perhaps most importantly, measurable results,” (Florida National University). With large and open courses, people can learn in a faster, more engaging, and more flexible way while being able to measure their progress. Each course is created to