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Essay on Issue Paper: Information Sciences
Online high schools allow kids to study everything from science and math to history and reading on computers in their bedrooms, at kitchen tables, or wherever else they choose, all in the convenience of their home rather than in conventional brick-and-mortar environs.
The online high school classroom technologies are suited for a learner-focused environment. In this type of environment, the focus is on the student while the instructor becomes more of a guide than a teacher (Bates, 2003). The student thereby takes a more central role in the construction of his or her learning while instructors provide resources rather than delivering content.
Online education courses offer a wide range of technologies, media and forms of interaction that allows instructors to meet a broader range of students needs. While distance learning is not for everyone, many are enjoying the advantages such as flexible schedules, learning at your own pace, and the ability to study from anywhere in the world.
Traditionally, distance teaching/open schools have delivered tutorial support to their students by providing occasional tutorials throughout the academic year at a network of study centers. This support was backed up by allowing students to contact their tutors on a one-to-one basis with particular queries. While this level of support has sufficed for a substantial number of students, it was insufficient for many others and it was one factor which has led to a generally higher drop-out rate among distance education students as compared to full-time third-level students .
The potential afforded by the online high-school technologies to provide timely support to their students has been one of the driving factors behind a general trend among distance teaching/open schools to go 'online'. However, the distance teaching/open schools have realized (as have a number of campus-based schools who have attempted to offer online programs) that the provision of high-quality.................
