Virtual high schools are preferable for many students

With e-learning on the rise, many students and parents are looking to virtual study as a way to supplement or even replace traditional learning in a brick-and-mortar school.

Below, we break down some of the key advantages of e-learning and the specific types of students who will benefit from them.

Learning at Pace

Compared to a traditional day-school, virtual high schools allow students to learn at their own pace. Some students might be looking to fast-track their education to graduate sooner, and are looking for a school that allows them to complete a credit is as few as four weeks. Another student might really be struggling with ENG4U — that vital English credit that is a requirement for most university programs — and might appreciate a school that lets them take up to a year to complete a credit.

Accessibility and Mobility

With no geographical boundaries involved, one of the main advantages that come into discussion is accessibility. For some students, moving to another country to study is simply not an option. E-learning eliminates all restrictions, allowing individuals from all over the world to complete the courses or training they’re interested in.

Those who are either physically or psychologically unable to be present in a classroom can continue their educational development through online courses, as well.

Combining education with work or other activities can be often challenging for many. One of the factors that has brought so much appeal to learning methods influenced by technology is the mobility involved.

E-learning gives students the chance to study at any place and at any time, accommodating their needs perfectly. Today’s learners want a personalized, mobile approach to education, and that is exactly what this option provides.

No Social Pressure

Some students find that learning in a traditional classroom can be a distracting and disempowering experience. Students who suffer from anxiety or a learning disability and who are therefore unable to keep pace with the rest of the classroom will begin to resent the learning experience, causing an even greater divide.

Statistics Canada tells us that 3.2% of all Canadian children suffer from some form of extra obstacle in the form of a learning disability. Put another way, that’s the equivalent of one child in every school bus in the country.

This means that a great many students come to associate learning at a traditional day school with feelings of stress, anxiety, and inadequacy.

Other students suffer from social pressures and bullying, and many begin to fear going to school not because of the classroom, but because of the other adjacent social areas such as the playground. At least 1 in every 3 Canadian students report a past experience with bullying and even a single experience is enough to create a negative association between physical school spaces and victimhood.

Meanwhile, e-learning offers a space for both victims of bullying and students coping with a learning disability to tackle their coursework from a safe, remote space at a pace that complements — rather than impedes — their abilities. Whether they attend virtual school to collect a few credits or make the shift entirely to virtual study, many students find the change invigorating and empowering.

Photo: Peter Miranda on Unsplash