Online teaching will continue to become more important in solving some of the major problems of education. This type of education is not for every learner or teacher. However, it provides another choice that can help relieve some of the inequalities in education. While it is not likely that online education will ever completely replace the traditional classroom, quality education over the Internet will continue to grow and develop until it is a viable alternative for all students.

Crowded Schools and Teacher Shortages

School crowding is a nationwide epidemic. Many school districts do not have the money to keep up with growing populations of students and just cannot afford to build enough schools. Consequently, schools become overcrowded. Some turn to solutions like double sessions — half the student body goes to school in the morning and half in the afternoon — but this situation is not in anyone's best interest.

Combine overcrowding with a shortage of qualified teachers, and you have a problem of epic proportions. Online education can truly help this situation. By having students complete work at home or in a school computer lab, more students can be accommodated with fewer resources. If a school sets up a lab and uses online courses, they can hire a lab facilitator who does not have to have a teaching degree and does not get paid a teacher's salary.

A Lack of Choices

While many schools provide students with a wide range of curriculum choices, others offer little more than the core curriculum. Many rural schools are actually “undercrowded” and experience teacher shortages. These schools find it difficult to offer a broad range of classes and may not have any Advanced Placement courses at all. Online education can help fill in the gaps.

One student in an AP U.S. History course with FLVS wrote, “I live in such a small rural town that there are no AP classes of any sort offered in my high school, and FLVS has been a lifesaver. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to take a class I never would have had in high school!” The opportunities provided to this student were unavailable through his local school system. Such students who feel left behind because of their school's limits now find themselves on a level playing field when competing with other students for college admission and scholarships.

Special Education Students

Many students who have learning disabilities find that online education affords them greater flexibility for completion and achievement. Because students can work when they choose, they have the ability to take their time learning lessons. In a classroom setting, a teacher might present information for fifty minutes, leaving some students behind; students online control how long it takes them to go through a lesson. Many online schools, such as FLVS, also have an instructor ready and willing to help students understand any areas where they are having difficulties. The flexibility, extra time, and help can truly make the difference for these students.

Courses at FLVS are compatible with computer programs that assist students with disabilities. For example, “readers” are programs that orally present the material on the Internet to students with visual impairments. The course material from FLVS is written in a logical manner specifically for these programs.

Unique Situations

Online learning has had a huge impact on those students unable to attend a traditional school. For example, sick and homebound students are able to take courses without leaving their homes. Students who have psychological problems, for example, those with agoraphobia (a fear of crowds), can still learn the curriculum while building relationships with others in a safe, online environment.

Students who are excellent athletes or who are working as actors, actresses, or entertainers and who are not home very often find online learning to be a wonderful alternative to tutors. These students can log on from wherever they are traveling and complete their work. They can participate in discussions with their instructors and other students to help them feel connected to a school even when they do not have one in the traditional sense. Further, their curriculum is standardized so they receive the same education as their peers in a traditional school setting.

Online Learning and Homeschooling

One final area in which online learning has made a huge impact is homeschooling. Parents choose to homeschool their students for many reasons. Some parents do so for religious reasons, while others do not want students exposed to dangerous behaviors in their traditional local school. By providing homeschooled students with curriculum based on state and national standards, educators ensure that students receive a quality education even if they are not enrolled in traditional school.