Benefits of Online Education for K-12 Students

Benefits of Online Education – Online education has slowly become an accessible mode of learning, but it’s not a new practice. In fact, online education for K-12 students began in as early as the 1960s. The University of Illinois was at the forefront of online education implementation in the U.S.

Their efforts ensured that by 1999, the number of online students had grown by 187%. Today, the numbers continue to grow, and many consider online education to be a viable channel for students all across the globe. A significant reason behind its easy adoption is that it has a lot of benefits to offer, particularly for K-12 students.

The following are some of the significant benefits of online education for K-12 students:

More Individual Attention for Students

While schools like to have large classrooms to show-off their enrollment rate, data has shown that smaller classrooms are better for the students. This is because the teacher can then provide individualized attention to each student. With larger classrooms, this is not possible.

Students from K-3 who received more attention performed better in maths and reading. While schools are still trying to offer individual attention, with online education for K-12 students, this is easily achievable. The Online sessions are usually personalized with assignments given to the student and more time and room for discussions. 

Better for Interpersonal Communication

In classrooms, many students can often hesitate to communicate and participate in discussions. Moreover, in larger classrooms, students do not get the opportunity to even partake in these discussions because of time constraints. This can hinder the development of their interpersonal communication skills significantly.

With online education for K-12 students, teachers can create discussion boards where students can interact with each other. For shy students, this is an excellent opportunity to start interacting with others without having to deal with the stage fright that classroom discussions can bring. It improves their engagement levels in the class and allows them to become more assertive.

Learning at Their Own Pace

A significant downside to traditional classroom learning is that they usually have to follow the standards of the learning as enforced by the school. This significantly overlooks the personal learning speed of a student. Additionally, teachers are also forced to increase the pace of the classroom, often having to offer slower students classes after school or during the summer.

For a less stressful and more relaxed learning experience, online education for K-12 students is better since it is self-paced. Students can follow the given outline and learn about subjects at a pace that is suitable for them. It also means that if they need to focus on a particular subject, they don’t have to wait for after school classes. The individual attention from the teachers will also benefit them in this area.

Given these factors, it is easy to see that online education for K-12 students is hugely beneficial. It offers a personalized, self-paced study option that can help students learn in a better manner than a traditional classroom.