Students who might not otherwise participate in traditional classrooms can engage in email threads and discussions that transcend communication differences. Enrolling in a Virtual High School class has allowed Kimberly Leigh Clapp, who attends an all-deaf school in Maryland, to participate in class discussions without an interpreter. Asynchronous, rolling discussions provide a more democratic classroom, said Virtual High School director Bruce Droste. Without front-row students dominating conversation, students who are afraid to take risks in front of peers can easily contribute. Student-teacher interaction across different time zones can be difficult.
Time management is another challenge.
Students must keep track of their schedules and course requirements, balancing weekly virtual courseloads with daily in-class assignments. So a certain amount of self-discipline is necessary. With a growing number of online courses requiring time-intensive teaching, distance learning has raised quality concerns among educators. The major problems in implementing online courses have been technological, Droste said. Schools providing computer access must deal with system crashes and program glitches.