In the last several years, many students have adopted a hybrid approach to their high school education. This means that while they still attend a traditional physical school for at least some of their courses, they also take some courses through online schooling options. Students and families who are not familiar with this model may be surprised, but there are many reasons students decide to turn to online schooling, while still attending a regular physical school.
Reaching Ahead from Grade 8 to High School
With the rise of online education options, it’s become increasingly possible and popular, for students in Grade 8 to adopt a strategy that lets them get a head start on high school. With online options like Ontario Virtual School and their Reach Ahead program, students in Grade 8 are able to enroll in one or two Grade 9 courses before beginning Grade 9. Among other advantages, this can allow students to get some mandatory courses out of the way, such as French, Phys-Ed, or Geography, and thus have more room for electives in their first year at a physical high school.
Reaching Ahead While in High School
The same strategy, of course, can still be helpful even once a student has already entered high school. It’s not uncommon for students to wish to take a course that is normally meant for the next grade, such as History, Civics, Career Studies, or English, thus allowing them to pick up extra courses and move forward in their education a little faster. Students can even take these courses at any time of the year. Perhaps they find their first semester course load isn’t overly difficult, and they feel they can handle getting an extra course out of the way. Maybe as the end of the year approaches, they realize there are more courses they want to take next year than they can fit alongside their compulsory requirements. Some students simply wish to use their summers productively and get ahead on next autumn’s work. Whatever the reason, hybrid learning makes this an option.
Timetable Issues
Here at Ontario Virtual School, we’ve heard from many of our students that the reason they initially decided to enroll with us was because their home schools were not able to make their preferred schedules work. Sometimes two courses the student wants or needs are both at the same time, making it impossible to take both. Other times schools are forced to cancel courses, or are not able to offer them in the first place, for a variety of reasons that could range from low enrolment to staffing issues or any number of other factors. Sometimes a student realizes that he or she would like to change some courses around, but the school is not able to accommodate this. By taking some courses online and engaging in hybrid learning, these problems can be solved, and students are able to access courses that they may otherwise have been unable to take.
Difficult Subjects
Several of our students have said that sometimes, if there is a particular subject they struggle with, they prefer to take that course online. With Ontario Virtual School’s format, there are no due dates, and students are able to set their own schedules and work at their own pace. This way students can dedicate more time to lessons or assignments they find more difficult, while also saving time with topics they are able to grasp more easily. Students can identify times when their other courses, or simply other aspects of their lives, leave them with some extra free time, and then complete tests and assignments they might find more stressful during those periods, instead of having the dreaded situation of many tests and assignments all coming up at the same time. In fact, with OVS, students are even able to take more than a full semester to complete their courses. Students can slow down and take a full year, if needed, so that all the material can be fully understood, and all assignments can be completed to the best of their abilities.
International students
International students have many reasons they may like to engage in hybrid learning. Some students wish to earn Ontario credits, while in other countries so that they can then use them towards an Ontario Secondary School Diploma, or even a dual diploma with their home jurisdiction. This can open many more options for employment and/or post-secondary education, including making it much easier to gain acceptance to Canadian universities, especially those in Ontario. Additionally, many students want to take English courses specifically to work on their English literacy skills. This can mean particular English Literature courses, such as ENL1W or ENG4U, or just other courses that interest them and happen to be taught in English. Practising, and having evidence of proficiency in multiple languages can be a very powerful tool for a student looking for post-secondary and/or employment opportunities.
Hybrid learning can be an incredibly useful option for students. Taking some courses online, while still attending a physical school, opens many opportunities without being a sudden and dramatic change to their regular school routines. For students that wish to have a bit more control over their education, hybrid learning may be the answer.