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Upward mobility. DL enables students to take courses at a level of study more advanced than their current grade level. With approval from their counselor, high school students can take college level courses or study subjects not offered at their school, such as a world language or advanced math course. Since you can set your own schedule, it’s not hard to take a DL course in addition to your regular courses. Remediation and Credit Recovery. DL is popular option for students who need to repeat a class for credit recovery or to remediate skills before moving to the next level in a subject.
The challenges of distance learning
Counterbalancing the benefits are some obvious and not-so-obvious challenges you should be aware if you’re assigned to a DL course: System requirements. Obviously, students need access to a computer or smart device with a reliable internet connection. In a few rural areas in the U.S., the internet connection is still spotty, but those problems should resolve as broadband expands into even the remotest of locations. Most DL courses require the user to download a plugin to work. Most DL courses can also be delivered through mobile devices including smart PRODUCT PREVIEW phones, tablets and iPods. In fact, virtual delivery of content is getting so popular that many high schools are turning to BYOD or BYOT (Bring Your Own Device/Tech) programs, allowing students to use their mobile device in class to access digital content. Program navigation. In a traditional classroom, students walk in, sit down and have a pretty good idea of how the lesson will be presented and what is expected of them. Not so with DL programs. There isn’t a standard DL course design and some programs can be trickier than others to navigate. When you enroll in a DL program, plan on spending time learning your way around it. Take the recommended tutorial. Watch the demo. Check for download and system requirements. Try out the links, access the discussion board, learn how to post a message and contact the instructor. Know how to file an essay, take a quiz, track grades, and get the instructor’s feedback. Fumbling your way around a DL program when you need to do your reading or post an assignment can make the DL experience frustrating. Submitting work. Have you ever accidentally deleted a document, or lost your work in cyberspace? Everyone has. DL programs suffer occasional tech glitches. Users can be timed out sooner than expected, or by going back a page, inadvertently delete work. To avoid this, always compose extended responses or essays in a word processing program outside of the DL program, then copy and paste the response into the response window. Some DL programs have a dropbox feature enabling students to file papers and essays by attachment. Before you click “submit” save copies of written work or posts. DL courses can be delivered through most mobile devices, as long as there’s internet access.
Chapter 24 | So Close Yet so Far… Distance Learning 222
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