As the costs of education in the United States keep rising, more and more parents are looking to affordable alternatives to secure a high-quality education for their children. During such times, the important benefits of private online schools cannot be overlooked. While most people are familiar with distance education programs, online platforms have just begun entering the limelight. With the help of advanced technology and affordable hardware, students can now access a high-quality education from the comfort of their own homes in virtually any part of the country.
While there are many benefits to studying online, here are 5 major benefits that make online homeschooling worth considering over traditional schooling.
1.Self-paced learning
One of the most significant advantages of studying online is the ability to set the pace of learning as you see fit. Online platforms allow students and parents to vary the pace of learning according to their own specific needs. Each child has different strengths, and must be equipped accordingly.
With online learning, students have the freedom to spend more time on topics they find difficult to grasp, and they can then speed up when studying topics that they are more comfortable with. This allows them to focus on learning as opposed to trying to keep up with the rest of the class.
Additionally, many students have the fear of being ridiculed by their peers. This often acts as a hindrance to the learning process since it fosters a fear of asking questions in front of the entire class. Online platforms take away that fear by allowing students to explore their course material at their own pace and freely ask as many questions as they like without the fear of being ridiculed by their peers.
2. Flexibility and convenience
Another important benefit of learning online is the level of flexibility and convenience it offers you. With virtual learning platforms, parents can schedule classes around their own work schedules. In some cases, parents even choose to combine study-time with educational road trips. This allows them to help their children complete their coursework online while also setting aside quality time for family and friends, as well as extracurricular activities.
For students, having access to an online platform means having access to their course material anytime they want. Since all you need is a computer and an internet connection, students can access their coursework from anywhere, anytime. This offers you a level of convenience and flexibility like never before. Studying online enables you to transcend all kinds of physical boundaries and engage with your course content 24/7. This is the main allure of online platforms in terms of flexible scheduling and convenience, thereby allowing you to complete your coursework at your own pace.
3. Accredited education
What puts online platforms on par with traditional schools is their level of accreditation. Private online schools are required to adhere to the same federal and state standards for education as traditional schools. This ensures that the diplomas and degrees awarded by online schools are treated the same as those awarded by traditional schools and are accepted nationwide by other schools and universities, as well as employers.
Students graduating from accredited online schools can apply to colleges and universities for higher education opportunities. They can also seek out employment opportunities or join the military if they wish to do so. Due to statutory accreditation, students can even transfer back to traditional schooling if they wish to do so at some point in the future. This however, is subject to certain terms and conditions since each school has its own policies regarding course transfer.
4. Holistic learning environment
There are several limitations to traditional schooling environments. One major objective of online learning environments has been to not only overcome these limitations but also to provide students with a holistic learning environment that focuses on overall development. With the help of modern technology, online platforms have been able to deliver engaging content via multimedia resources and various other online tools.
This has been credited as a major contributor to the marked increase in student engagement. For years, educators have lamented the student dropout rate. Well, with engaging course material, now they can look forward to innovative, new ways to deliver a quality education that will instill in students a love for learning.
4. Affordable education
With the rising cost of education over the last few years, affordability is an increasing concern for parents these days. Many parents wish to secure a high-quality education for their children but without the added burden of heavy financial costs. This is where virtual learning environments play an important role.
They offer parents viable alternatives to traditional schooling at very affordable rates. Moreover, they even combine added benefits such as providing students with access to a much larger set of online courses to choose from. These courses may have been out of reach for most students in the past because of certain physical constraints at their local school.
Overall, there can be no denying that online avenues for education are fast gaining ground and it is up to us to make sure our children have access to the best possible opportunities. Given the rapid pace of change, it is imperative that we embrace technology and leverage the opportunities it provides us to improve our lives.
Private online schools like The Ogburn Online School have been pioneers in leading that change in the field of education. If you’d like to know more about how you too, could benefit from the use of online platforms, give us a call today.
