Passing this along from homeschool.com, I thought it made some good points.
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Supplementing homeschool education with online classes can help students learn self-discipline, self-motivation, independence, time management, and 21st century skills. Your students will learn how to find information, synthesize it, and formulate an answer to any question type on their own.
1. Students share perspectives
Online courses can provide students with discussion boards and chat functions that allow them to share their own perspectives. Students can view responses from others, and learn through exposure to different ideas. This benefits students because they can evaluate new opinions alongside their own, and develop a solid foundation for learning.
2. Students experience a sense of equality
Web-based learning tools give all students a reinforced sense of equality. Each student has the same opportunity to "speak up" without fear or embarrassment. Shy and anxious students feel more comfortable expressing their ideas via online posts; studies prove that online discussions provoke more direct communication between students.
3. Instructors are more accessible
Online learning also benefits students by providing an additional avenue for instructor contact. This is particularly helpful when a student's schedule conflicts with a teacher's or tutor's hours, or when a question arises at the spur of the moment.
4. Accommodations for different learning styles
Every student has a unique learning style. Some students are visual learners and some learn better with a "hands-on" approach. Web-based learning environments often incorporate a variety of resources into a single course, allowing students to utilize materials according to their learning style.
5. Provides opportunities for exploration
Online learning provides an increased opportunity for student exploration and activities by incorporating related Web sites into daily lessons. When courses reference these types of Web sites, content reinforcement is provided as students can see how course material is utilized in "real world" situations.
6. Encourages additional information rehearsal
Additional benefits for students who learn better with a hands-on approach occur when students participate in online discussions since they are exposed to an extra period of information rehearsal. Typically, students rehearse information when they study for exams or complete assignments. However, they also rehearse information when forming thoughts into sentences and typing those thoughts into the computer. This results in reflection and articulation of content, as the very process of reporting and writing about what they have learned engages students in an active learning experience.
7. Provides 24/7 accessibility to course materials
Some students work best in the morning, some in the evening, and some throughout the day. Scheduling time for homework and projects can be difficult depending on each student's classes, outside activities, and personal responsibilities. Online learning eliminates the need to conduct lessons at a specific time and allows your child to work when it is convenient for her/him.
8. Continual access to materials
When course content and activities are provided online, students no longer need to worry about accessing course materials in a traditional manner. Continual access to course documents ensures that students can obtain materials at any time, removing the opportunity for frustration, such as "The library was closed."
9. Provides just-in-time methods to assess and evaluate student progress.
Assessments are essential in education; results inform the parent whether teaching methods and course structures are successful. Assessments also determine if student progress is satisfactory.
10. Added educational benefits
Web-based testing features also have many other educational benefits. Practice exams and end-of-chapter reviews can be quickly analyzed to provide you with immediate results. Students can access these tests at any time, and since grading is computerized, students receive immediate feedback. This may also help students who suffer from test anxiety to relax and help to minimize embarrassment for those that do poorly.
