I continue to be surprised by the lack of hybrid and online classes offered in high schools. Colleges and universities offer a wide variety of hybrid and online classes and degree programs. I taught my first fully online class for high school students in the summer of 2009. That’s 10 years ago. Still my son’s high school and several others in the neighborhood do not offer these options.
So, why is that?
I’ve heard a lot of arguments as to why schools don’t offer hybrid or online courses. They range from concerns about cheating to the lack of rigor to the lack of teachers who are willing to teach them to the cost of the learning management systems (LMS). There are some valid concerns here, but there are also some real benefits for students in these options.
In 2010 I was permitted to teach my first fully online class during the regular school year to students at my school after much pushing and prodding and maybe even a little begging. I really wanted to try it. I found it to be challenging, liberating, and a way to creatively solve problems. But, I understand why teachers are resistant. It’s a different way of delivering instruction. It is unfamiliar and maybe even a little scary. Over the years, I have observed how online options were beneficial for many athletes, students with outside responsibilities, and generally for those who needed flexibility in their schedules. I now see that these online options also offer a way of increasing equity for many of our students.
My college students have just finished reading Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink. In the Afterword, Gladwell discusses why he believes defendants in criminal cases should not be present in the courtroom. He argues that they should respond to questions via “email or through the use of an intermediary” and that “evidence and testimony in a trial that tips the jury off to the age or race or gender of the defendant ought to be edited out.” This has me thinking about the effect evaluating student work in online classes. Yes, we may have biases about students based on their names. But, without seeing them in person, some of our inherent biases are removed. This seems to me to be one way to provide equity.
But, equity isn’t solely about addressing racial or gender bias. It also seems that hybrid and online classes offer a way to be more inclusive for introverted students. There is a current trend in education to focus on collaboration. While practicing working with others is an important skill, for many students (and adults, I might add) it can be exhausting. There are approximately 3,000 students at my son’s school. Imagine attending such a huge school and then having to work in groups in nearly every class. It’s no wonder many teens want to go straight to their rooms to be alone.
Most adults (unless they work in a school) haven’t spent time in a high school class since they were in high school. Let me tell you that high schools are full of energy, hormones, emotion, and noise. I loved working in a high school for many years. But, the constant interaction with so many humans and the level of sensory input can be very draining . . . especially for introverts. This is where hybrid or fully online classes can provide some relief. Students can focus and work on their own. Yes, good online classes are interactive, but generally students can decide how they spend their time. They can move on when they are ready and slow down when they need to. And, they are not required to socialize as part of an assignment. They can focus on the task at-hand. They get a little break from the energy and noise of a traditional classroom. This allows students to recharge. Shouldn’t they be given that option?
There is quite a lot of discussion around the subject of equity in educational circles, but I rarely hear a case for why online course offerings can be tools for equity and inclusion. Maybe it’s time to start the conversation.
Update-Ed 
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