Students take online courses for many reasons. They might not be able to fit a required course into a traditional schedule. They have interest in learning from students outside of their traditional school, even from countries as far away as China and Africa. They are pulled by opportunities for dual enrollment and to take elective classes that might not otherwise be possible during the traditional school day, or to gain a competitive edge when preparing for college. They might want to take electives not available in their school course offerings, such as advanced courses when their school only offers the introductory course (e.g., computer programming). Online courses also accommodate students with special needs, such as those with health problems, full-time jobs, family constraints, or those that have fallen behind or failed a course in traditional school settings, and those with heavy schedules of extracurricular activities (e.g., sports with rigorous training and competition schedules with extensive travel involved).
Administrators like that additional courses can be offered (e.g., Latin, German, astronomy, psychology, and advanced placement), which their district might not otherwise afford to do so. Online courses also can help resolve scheduling conflicts and staffing issues. There might not be qualified teachers for a particular subject area, or, even when the qualified teacher is available, that teacher might be needed to teach core subjects rather than an elective in his/her certified field. Online courses also increase opportunities for teachers to teach topics of particular interest to them.
Concerns
Concerns about online learning have a great deal to do with ensuring quality, course development and/or purchasing costs, funding based on attendance in online and blended/hybrid courses, and the need for teacher training (Picciano & Seaman, 2007).
