How do online schools work? Is there a virtual classroom where everyone enters into a chat room or do students Skype with the professor? How much freedom do students have? Are there assignments and tests like regular schools? Can I receive a high school diploma with an online school? Are online college schools accredited?
Online schools have a variety of delivery methods but there are several common features and characteristics that most online schools share:
- Classes are asynchronous: Online schools can feature live chat rooms where the professor or facilitator is giving a lecture that includes discussion and feedback among the students. However most of the class discussion, assignments, and exams are asynchronous, which means that each student does work independently and on their own schedule.
- Students have flexible homework schedules: Because of the asynchronous nature of online schools, students can log in at a time of their choosing, view the assignments posted by the professor/facilitator, and complete the assignment by a certain due date. This flexibility is a great advantage for the non-traditional high school student or college student whose lifestyle or personal preference makes traditional schooling disadvantageous to learning.
- Programs and schools are accredited: Many online schools are accredited, which according to the U.S. Department of Education, is “to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality. Accrediting agencies, which are private educational associations of regional or national scope, develop evaluation criteria and conduct peer evaluations to assess whether or not those criteria are met.” Online schools that are accredited meet the same standards as any traditional school that is accredited.
- Graduates receive diplomas or degrees: High school students can receive diplomas for graduating from an online high school and college students can receive degrees from online colleges. These diplomas or degrees are just as valuable as diplomas or degrees earned at traditional schools and many online schools have formal graduation ceremonies.
In summary, an education earned at an online school has the same end result–graduating with a diploma or degree–as any educational institution offers. The only difference is the delivery method.
