Artifact Reflection Tag

Name: Tammy Kinnetz

Artifact submitted for course: Ethical Issues in School and Society
Instructor: Darren Hanna
Semester/Year of Course: VU Spring, 2016
Date this artifact was created: March, 2016
Artifact Title: Pros and Cons to Online Learning
Artifact Summary
This artifact is a research paper that covers an ethical issue in schools today. The paper describes
the pros and cons that online learning has on students and the effects that are being felt by the
students in the building where I teach.
Course Outcomes
I have to work within the learning community in my building to address the needs of
students to achieve specific educational outcomes.
It can be difficult to pin point the needs of all the students that I am entrusted to. It is
important to be an advocate for the students with special needs to take advantage of the
accommodations that they are entitled to.
Determine the ethical advantages of recent educational reforms and practices in light of
the inclusive classroom and their impact on how I educate the students I am in charge of.
Impact on Present Teaching
Students come to the Alternative Education Program where I teach for many reasons. Within our
program over 50% of the students have an IEP or 504 plan. The Alternative Education Program
is an online learning community with a blend of teacher taught courses. At one time the entire
building was online core class learning. I am very proud of our staff of core course teachers that
fought to bring back teacher taught classes to our students. Their advocacy for our students
played such a huge role in the success of so many students. Some battles are worth fighting for.
This class has made me realize the importance of my role as an educator and the moral and
ethical issues that I face have been an ongoing battle. Through all the societal and academic
issues I need to keep site of my students and meet their needs.
Impact for Future Teaching
I will be a voice for students who cant speak for themselves and assist to research their
educational choices.
Continue to work with the learning community to strategize to achieve the best
educational outcomes for students.
To fight for the mindset that one size does not fit all learners!

PROS AND CONS TO ONLINE LEARNING

Online Learning Pros and Cons

Presented to
Darren Hanna
Viterbo University
For
Ethical Issues in School and Society

By
Tammy L. Kinnetz
April 15, 2016

PROS AND CONS TO ONLINE LEARNING

Abstract
This paper examines the pros and cons to online learning to better understand the effectiveness
and challenges that come with online programs. Online learning is replacing the traditional text
book, paper, and pencil classrooms. School districts across the nation are turning to online
learning to fill the gaps that traditional schools have been unable to fill. Students are able to log
on anywhere and anytime to pick up where their education left off as a result of the convenience
and flexibility that online learning programs offer students. Literature supports the .positives that
online programming offers. However, literature gives a negative aspects that must be discussed
before the effectiveness of online programming can be determined. The pros and cons to online
learning you decide.

PROS AND CONS TO ONLINE LEARNING

Stating the Issue to Online Learning Pros and Cons

Delivery of learning used to require a teacher, a textbook and whatever support materials
the instructor was able to put together. Cyber schools, online teaching, e-learning initiatives are
emerging and redefining how education is provided. As online education programs continue to
grow in both popularity and number the traditional classrooms of today has a much different
look than it ever has before. With the changing student demographics across the world, online
learning programs have become essential as they transform education from service delivered at a
single location and moment in time to one available via technology anywhere any time (Clark,
Ahten, & Werth, 2012, p. 150). Students are given access to challenging courses and academic
material however, there are unanswered questions about this way of teaching and learning. This
paper examines the pros and cons to online learning to better understand the effectiveness and
challenges that come with online programs.
Pros
There are many reasons online learning is an effective way of teaching and learning.
One reason is the use of technology based programs are great options for credit recovery. Under
pressure to raise graduation rates, some high schools are turning to online courses to help get
struggling high school students back on track and recuperate the credits they need to earn their
diplomas (Trotter, 2008).
Online learning is a great way to address different learning styles with the use of
audio, video, graphics, images and animations. Literature supports the use of technology to
engage learners through games, simulations and real world scenarios (Oltrouse, 2011). Through
the use of technology different learning styles can be addressed through differentiation of
instruction which assists students who read below grade level through the audio features or for

PROS AND CONS TO ONLINE LEARNING

the student whose second language is English (Trotter, 2008). Online learning also offers
individualization of instruction through assessments that are offered for online learning that can
target students skills and learning gaps and allow them to skip mastered units while given
immediate feedback (Oltrouse, 2011).
Flexibility, self-paced learning and convenience are all appealing features that online
learning offers. Student with physical disabilities, athletes with demanding practice schedules
and gifted students who want to complete courses at an accelerated rate benefit (Oltrouse, 2011,
P. 1). According to a student at Expo Alternative High School, I like online classes. I can work
as fast as I want to (J. Doe, personal communication, March 22, 2016). Students can log onto
computers whenever its convenient for them. It allows the student complete time and freedom.
Finally, online learning levels the playing field for less populace school districts. In many
urban school districts, the educational offerings are substandard compared to the wealthy
suburban districts. With online learning curriculum the smaller districts can offer a variety of
foreign language opportunities and advanced placement courses without the expense of hiring
staff (Oltrouse, 2011).
Online learning has opened doors of opportunity for students for academic success, has
many appealing features for students, and assisted teachers in differentiating instruction.
However, online learning has many educational drawbacks that need to be addressed.
Cons
Online has many appealing factors there are some shortcomings that need to be
discussed. In their study Miller and Young-Jones ( 2011) found that about a third of academic
leaders perceive online outcomes inferior to traditional classes due to that faculty members
misgivings about online course work, and students have more opportunities to cheat ( p. 138).

PROS AND CONS TO ONLINE LEARNING

By using technology online learning creates a student directed environment with little facilitation
or guidance (Olthouse, 2011). The lack of guidance has created a hostile working environment
for some students. Cyber-bullying has been seen as a drawback for student in the online learning
setting. In one study, 283 students and faculty were surveyed and the findings revealed that 8.6%
of the participants had cyber-bullied someone else, 21.9% had been cyber-bullied, and 38%
knew someone who had been cyber-bullied (Clark, et al., 2012, P. 150).
Critics are concerned that the online credit-recovery options run the risk of simply
shuffling students out the door without their having received the full value of a high school
education. There are concerns that higher level thinking such as discussions, laboratory
experiments, and socialization are missing in the online programming (Trotter, 2008). The result
is limiting the ways teacher that teachers can customize the curricula which teacher proofs it in
a manner similar to some textbook-based programs (Olthouse, 2011, p. 5).
Finally, some online learning programs operate under the assumption that a computer
replaces the need for qualified trained teachers. Many labs are staffed with aides or hire teachers
part-time. Many teachers under these conditions are the only staff member assisting as many as
60 students (Olthouse, 2011). Qualified teachers are being sidelined by computers and their
training and talents underutilized in the online programming setting.
My Stance on the Issue
The research that I have included in this paper has some amazing literature to support the
online learning programs. There are valid reasons that online learning can be seen as a legitimate
way to for students to recover grades, for teachers to differentiate instruction, assist in aligning
smaller school districts academic offerings with larger more affluent districts and offer flexible
self-paced learning environment. There are many positive outcomes that online learning has

PROS AND CONS TO ONLINE LEARNING

offered the students where I teach. I have seen recover credits and graduate with their cohort
group. I have seen how it has developed skills and work habits in some students. I do wish that
the positives were the norm. However, I am not a fan of online learning. In the alternative
educational setting where I teach I have seen the pitfalls of online learning.
There are academic, social, and general concerns that I have regarding the online learning
classroom format. There are students that are very successful in the online learning program.
But, students that come to the alternative education setting already have issues with school. Our
at risk students read below their cohort group, some students are English language learners, and
some students have learning disabilities that have caused them to fall behind in school. Many
students schedules have an online class at least 2 to 3 eighty minute blocked classes per day. It
can be daunting for our students that sit behind a computer screen for at least half of their school
day. Students are not completing credits in a timely manner and have fallen even further behind
due to their inability to keep up with the amount of reading that is needed for come courses.
The social concerns are just as alarming to me as the academic. Students that come to the
alternative setting need the proper socialization, communication, and etiquette that a traditional
classroom can offer. To put these students, sitting behind a computer for over half their school
day is not meeting the stated needs of our students. Students can manipulate the security systems
that we have in place and access social media sites. This can be an avenue that can fuel the
problems that our students experience outside the school setting.
Finally, students can easily cheat in online learning format, I feel there are gaps in
learning in some courses and critical thinking skills are not being fostered. Students have been
caught using other website during testing to find answers. Students have logged on as another
student and was paid to take tests for them. The history classes do not have the audio feature

PROS AND CONS TO ONLINE LEARNING

where the material can be read to the students. For some students this has caused many academic
concerns due to their low reading level. I feel that students are not being taught some skills in the
English curriculum due to how the online programming is designed. Students are not learning
how to write a research paper. Students writing skills are very concerning.
Online learning at the alternative education high school where I teach is successful for a
lot of our student body. I have seen successful students go on to higher education and succeed at
the next level. It is the cons to online learning that has me thinking of the students that are falling
through the cracks. We need to ensure their success and find the best format for education that
meets all students needs.
Conclusion
Online learning is not for every student. We need to get out of the trap that a one size can
fit most learners. At Expo Alternative we do a great job of trying to meet the needs of all our
students. However, the main classroom format for the core curriculum is taught online. For
students to be successful we need to creating a positive learning environment and establishing
and enforce clearly defined course and behavioral expectations, norms and consequences.

PROS AND CONS TO ONLINE LEARNING

References

Clark, C. M., Werth, L., & Ahten, S. (2012). Cyber-bullying and incivility in the online learning
environment, part 1: Addressing faculty and student perceptions. Nurse Educator, 37, 150150-156.

Miller, A., & Young-Jones, A. (2012). Academic integrity: Online classes compared to face-toface classes. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 39(3), 138-145 8p.

Olthouse, J. M. (2011). Teaching in Blended K-12 Classrooms: Problems and potential.

Meridian K-12 Schools Computer Technologies Journal, 14(1), 1-8.

Trotter, A. (2008). Online options for "credit recovery" widen. Eric, 27(38), 1-12.