Educational equity has always been a goal that nations all over the globe share. And the US is no exception. As of lately, the idea that open learning resources and online learning methods may be the most efficient methods education institutions can implement to close the gap. Traditionally, education is achieved by attending classes. But in many areas of the world, this is a distant dream. Children in areas that struggle with high poverty rates and poor infrastructure are the most vulnerable. Besides, children coming from unfortunate social and economic backgrounds are more likely to be left behind by their peers in the scholar achievement journey.
But a string of hope starts to appear for these students, disguised as online learning. Such courses can help children reach their true potential and achieve more academically. But how? Below we will analyse how can the US education system use such tools and methods to make children perform better.
US Education System Data and Statistics
The US education system is one of the world leaders, but nonetheless, there is room for improvement. The total number of schools in the US reaches well above 130,000, coming close to 133,000. Out of those, elementary schools account for nearly 89,000 institutions while secondary schools pass 25,000. The US has only 16,511 combined schools, and other forms of educational institutions account for almost 700.
Only a little over 20% of the schools across the US offer online courses as part of their educational offer.
In this context, we can clearly see how the US education system could close the achievement gap by increasing the online learning offer. It has been proven that in most cases, online courses help increase student engagement while offering them access to different learning tools. This may help students find the best tool for their particular case.
Closing the education gap with the online learning
But how can this new technology help educators and students achieve higher standards and education levels? The answer is quite easy to understand and it comes from social and economic disparities that can now be overcome with the help of online courses.
This study shows that over 10% of low-income first-generation students are likely to fail to obtain their degree within six years.
Generally, this doesn’t speak of a lack of effort on their part. The issue mostly comes from their lack of knowledge in terms of expectations. In most cases, these students are underprepared for college assignments and they fall behind with their studies.
When used correctly only courses using adaptive learning software can help students overcome similar challenges. Such systems can help students by offering them a personalized learning experience, with emphasis on cultivating their strength and improving areas where they lack proper levels of knowledge.
Besides, online courses eliminate some of the social pressure felt by low-income students. When using similar learning methods, students feel more comfortable with the feedback they receive from their trainers, they feel more comfortable asking questions and following the curriculum at their own pace.
From student support to student success
Online course developers today focus more on offering a streamlined and rewarding overall experience. It has been proven that course quality is not the only metric to evaluate how successful and useful these courses are perceived by students. Many learning institutions have identified the need for a sustainable online course, which can also be used by on-campus student services. By doing so, these platforms are now able to gather and analyse data as students advance with their courses. Depending on the data they receive, these platforms can adjust the course material on the go, to support better student knowledge development.
Moreover, these platforms can easily see which student needs support and further details on the curricula, what are the best approaches to improve their knowledge base, but also more detailed insights such as the quality of the housing conditions of the student (the lack of work on assignments may suggest poor or lacking Internet connection).
Each instructor can help their students by guiding their studies and helping them to make informed decisions. This can boost graduation chances significantly.
An online community for students
For centuries, student support services have been offered by independent organizations, with no affiliations with the educational provider. Traditionally, tutoring centres, career advisories and other similar have operated independently. In times of need, students were the ones who had to get in touch with these centres. As expected, students are unlikely to seek help from such places, which impacts their academic trajectory. Most often than not, they fall behind with their studies and become less likely to graduate by the day.
In online learning platforms’ presence, a sense of community online can be easily created. This will help students thrive at their own pace, without feeling inferior to others who perform better than they are.
A University that has successfully created a sense of community on the portal is the Western Governors University. The university of completely online-based and it has succeeded to offer students a highly developed sense of community. The establishment has successfully implemented a smart way to allow students to enrol in different courses and learning communities. They can connect with other students in the same fields and they can easily get in touch with their mentors whenever necessary.
Besides, the university also offers students the opportunity to get involved in online studying sessions, get the necessary guidance and support they need, when they need it the most.
Many online course creators today seem to shift their approach to a more holistic learning style and method. This can help students from less fortunate backgrounds overcome the burden of coming from a low-income household. In this context, students can overcome socio-economic limitations and achieve higher education standards.
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