Online Classes So Important: Mandatory for Graduation

Times have certainly changed for high school education. Alabama, Florida and Michigan are just some of the states that now require students to take at least one online course to graduate. According to the article 10 Online Ed Trends Coming to a High School Near You, “Administrators believe that getting students to take online courses will better prepare them to work with the technologies they’ll face in college and the workforce.”

In Memphis online classes were increased due to an upswing in the desire by students to take these courses. Online courses are available for both high school and middle school students. An advantage for the schools is that they are less expensive. In the article Online Class Required for Graduation in Memphis, the author points out that there will be some stringent requirements. “The structure calls for accountability requiring students to log on, finish assignments, and participate in hour-long live chat sessions with an instructor and classmates. Teachers speak with students after each module to verify their identity. Proctored semester exams are administered on school grounds.”

The number of states adding online requirements continues to grow. Idaho has a tech-focused school reform program that will require students to take two online courses. Indiana has also jumped on the technology bandwagon. Indiana state superintendent, Tony Bennett, recently announced that students will be required to take at least one online course in order to graduate. In the article United States High Schools Including Online Coursework as Graduation Requirement, the author stated, “Mr. Bennett explained his rationale for an online course requirement by stating that he felt like experiencing an online course would help to prepare Indiana students for the technology they will be using at colleges and universities, as well as in the workforce.”

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