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Lesson 1: Overview of K-12 Online Education

K-12 Online and Higher Education Online

Teaching and learning online may seem like a simple concept to many of you since you’re already in an online course right now. The development of online courses in higher education is definitely well-established and most university students are familiar with the online learning experience. But learning online for a five year old is a very different experience.

There are many ways in which the K-12 TLO enterprise differs from the more established higher education online learning field.

Click Similarities and Differences to explore a comparison of K-12 and Higher Education TLO.

SIMILARITIES

Similarities Between K-12 and Higher Education Online Learning

  • K-12 online learning relies heavily on discussion forums.
  • Content is delivered primarily through the Internet.
  • Students interact with the content independently.
  • K-12 online learning takes a lot of time for both the teacher and the student, though both may imagine it to be easier than traditional classroom learning.
  • K-12 online learning can be tailored to learner needs either by the learner or by the instructor more easily than large traditional classroom delivery.
  • It is a struggle to make certain kinds of learning available online (e.g. science labs).

DIFFERENCES

Differences Between K-12 and Higher Education Online Learning

  • K-12 online classes must be tailored for the young learner, making them very different.
  • They are more interactive.
    Significantly more live teacher time is required.
  • They tend to rely more heavily on images, video, and audio and far less on text.
  • Free online K-12 courses are usually paid for by tax-payers.
  • Surrounding districts usually pay for K-12 online classes.
  • They may evidence much more marketing, advertising, and lobbying than traditional online higher education and certainly more than surrounding traditional schools.
  • K-12 students under age 12 must have supervision at all times.

These are just a few of the ways that K-12 learning online is similar to and different from higher education online learning, with which you may be far more familiar.


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