Is online learning beneficial?
Photograph obtained from InsideSchools
Silent Commons, Room 405. Here, students come to complete their work without any distractions in the quiet environment.
January 9, 2017
Walking into the iSchool, you may be surprised at the site (ha, get it?) of students overflowing into the hallway with laptops in hand. Some carry cameras for a project; others wear headsets fitted with microphones as they finish an oral exam for their Spanish course
online.
You venture further into the school, and eventually wander into the Silent Commons: Room 405. Perhaps you thought you would be met with a small-scale library with a few small desks and beanie chairs (Hey, it does sound like a good idea for the future!).
Instead, you are met with the sight of 50+ office-like carrels, each of which are occupied by students who silently complete their academic responsibilities before the end of the school day. By now, it must be obvious that the NYC iSchool revolves around online learning.
The NYC iSchool was founded in 2008 with the sole purpose of being unlike any other public high school in New York City. Rather than following a strict curriculum and having classes replicate lectures, the iSchool moved quickly to implement an online learning system that has proven to become the essence of the iSchool.
Many embrace the culture of online learning. Mehdi Mostafa, a junior at the iSchool, recognizes the benefits of online learning, stating that “Online learning is good for time management; It teaches you to be responsible.”
The Commons, located on the 5th floor, is another place where many students go to complete online work, with the added benefit that conversation is allowed.
Teachers at the iSchool also acknowledges the benefits of online learning. Physics teacher Mr. Smolka says that using computers to help teach a subject is great to bring real-world problems into a classroom. “There are things we can’t do in the classroom,” he states. “So, the [Kerbal Space] program allows us to simulate things were couldn’t otherwise do, making the classes more authentic.”
Nonetheless, some iSchool students do not like the online learning programs offered essentially with some yearlong classes, such as Global History and Living Environment. Andre Schoolman, another junior at the iSchool, does not like the thought of taking classes that require an online portion. “Personally, I hate the classroom” he states. “I prefer to learn outside the classroom, where I am comfortable.”
It’s not only students who complain about online learning programs. Mrs. Charter, one of the Spanish teachers at the iSchool, is notorious for her complaints against Powerspeak (No longer in use) and EMCL Passport. “With online languages, there is no feedback”, she voiced. “You are not learning the language. Instead, you are just memorizing the language.” She believes that language learning works best when students get to practice with one another. “ The best way to practice is not online, but through actual conversation.”
Do you believe that online learning is beneficial?
