When it comes to online learning, parents are often unsure of how they can help their children succeed. Many parents of online students fail to realize that their support, encouragement, and involvement is critical. Supporting your online student is crucial to their success and doing so may be easier than you think.
As a parent, it is important to recognize the variables your child encounters in an online educational setting.
A difference in teaching styles can be an enormous challenge to new online learners. Many students take several online classes at once and have different teachers for each class.
While the basic expectations are the same for every course, each teacher has his or her own expectations, methods of communication, and criteria when grading. These variations can cause confusion and present challenges for new online students.
As you know, technology changes often, and online students need to keep up with these changes, as do their parents.
It’s normal to feel somewhat intimidated by the newest app you child loves; however, it is important for you to remember that the technologies they use for their coursework are the tools of today’s workforce. There is scarcely a profession today that does not use technology.
Learning to use these tools responsibly is as critical to your child’s education as are the three “Rs” of academics. When it comes to learning technology, the guidance of parents is a very essential role for you to assume in your student’s online learning journey.
As a parent, it is important for you to set the boundaries for your child’s use of technology. These boundaries provide a safe environment for students as they learn the skills and importance of protecting their privacy online.
There are also some practical things you can do to enhance the success of your online student.
When using the Lincoln Learning Solutions’ Empowered curriculum, students have access to a pacing guide, for example. Parents can use it with their student to set reasonable expectations for completing each lesson and assignment.
As in any educational setting, traditional values instilled by parents are just as important in an online environment.
As an online teacher, I love receiving emails from the parents of my students. Experience has taught me that students whose parents communicate with me have a 100% successful completion rate in my courses. That is an astonishing statistic, but one that has held true over my years teaching both in a brick-and-mortar classroom and in my online classroom.
Always remember that your role as a parent is the same regardless of the classroom format. Be engaged and involved, ask questions, and enjoy the journey as your child learns and grows.
Are you the parent of an online student? Please use the comment section below to share your tips for helping your child succeed.