The majority of families across the globe have been forced into homeschooling their children, and many are finding it slightly more difficult than they initially anticipated.

If you’re working from home it’s a tough balancing act, and even if you aren’t, taking on the role of teacher, or having to persuade your teen to pay attention to online classes instead of their Xbox, is a daunting task.

It’s important to remember that what you’re experiencing right now is ‘remote learning’, rather than the much more evolved, ‘online learning’.

So, what is the difference between remote learning and online learning?

It’s actually quite straight-forward – remote learning is based on a model whereby students are given or sent learning materials which they are expected to digest, before taking an exam or test of some kind to obtain a corresponding qualification.

The responsibility falls on their shoulders. If they don’t manage their time effectively, or put in the hard work, they probably won’t do well. In these situations parents often find themselves having to motivate them to stay on track which can be time-consuming and frustrating.

As Susan Grajek of Educause – the association of education technologists – puts it, remote learning is a “quick, ad hoc, low-fidelity mitigation strategy”.

That’s a lot of pressure (on everyone involved).

Which brings us to online learning. What really sets it apart from remote learning is that it is created with the specific purpose of facilitating learning online.

Classes, curriculum, campuses and teachers all play their part to generate an educational experience that is as close to learning in a brick and mortar environment as possible – and in some cases, even better. 

Online learning incorporates ‘synchronous learning’. This means that the learning process happens at a student’s own pace while also engaging in live classes with teachers, and most importantly, fellow students. 

Founder and CEO of Freedom Learning Group (FLG), Nathan Ecelbarger, outlines the fundamentals of an expertly designed online course:

1. It prioritises engagement by utilising real-world, recent topics and case studies to stir discussion and even emotion while incorporating interactivity and immediate measurable achievement;
2. It makes organisation and navigation easy, removing unnecessary steps and clicks that don’t contribute anything to learning;
3. It allows for rethinking of assessment by encouraging research and original thinking instead of memorisation;
4. and it always answers the “what’s in it for me?” question for students by building intentional learning experiences and getting straight to the point.

All of that sounds great, so why haven’t we been doing this all along?

Turns out, we have.

Institutes like Harvard and MIT, amongst others, have introduced online classes which follow this well-defined, highly interactive and engaging method.

Now for the first time, we are seeing completely online high schools offering a fully-realised international faculty, student body, and accreditation that rivals some of the best private schools in the world.  

Valenture Institute is one such global online high school. 

If you’d like to know more about the Valenture Institute, visit their website and download their info pack. Once you’ve filled out your email address, and phone number, The Institute will forward you a comprehensive PDF of everything that they offer.

The Institute is also offering a scholarship program for the children of South African healthcare providers. Head here to find out how to apply.

These are unprecedented times, and we’re not sure how the next few months, or even the year, will play out.

Putting your faith in tried and tested global online high schools could well prove to be a shrewd move down the line.