The Ontario government is making online courses mandatory for high school students starting this fall. High school teacher Gianluca D. Saggese argues it’s an overdue idea that will help students while educator and consultant Catherine Little says more time is needed for proper development of the online programming.

Ontario’s high school landscape will look very different starting in the 2020-2021 school year, when students, with some exceptions, will need to complete an average of one online course credit per year in order to graduate. Education will never be the same.

It is about time.

The introduction of e-learning will allow students to gain the skills they need to succeed in today’s rapidly changing world. In fact, the Institute for the Future estimates 85 per cent of the jobs that will be performed in 2030 have not even been invented yet.

When identifying essential skills required for professional success, the Conference Board of Canada highlights problem-solving, teamwork and continuous learning, to name just a few. E-learning courses will equip our students with the core competencies they need to thrive in the 21st century.

E-learning provides unique advantages. In the traditional classroom, teachers deliver structured lessons and students are rewarded for repeating concepts without truly understanding them. They are not given the space to develop the problem solving and critical thinking skills that they need when they transition from high school to post-secondary studies and the workplace.

The structured classroom conditions students to believe that the answers to all problems lie within explicit boundaries, that they can be quickly solved, and that every piece of required information, nothing more and nothing less, will be neatly presented.

The issues that we face today require us to search for information, filter out irrelevant ideas and come up with outside the box solutions. E-learning is designed to teach our students exactly that.

Critics will argue that e-learning is a rigid option that hurts students’ social development, and benefits some learners at the expense of others. While these opponents have good intentions, their arguments are incomplete.

E-learning is the exact opposite of a one-size-fits-all solution. The digital classroom maximizes student achievement because students and teachers have meaningful interactions that facilitate individualized learning objectives.

Instead of spending time teaching a structured lesson to students with different learning styles, teachers in the online classroom are able to more effectively use their expertise to work directly with students and help them achieve their goals.

Online courses allow students to develop the social skills they need in life beyond school. They learn teamwork skills by collaborating with classmates and teachers on dynamic assignments, which will serve them well when they work on project teams.

Students learn how to solve problems by understanding and appreciating different perspectives, which will help them to navigate personal and work relationships. E-learning integrates academic, professional and social success by facilitating deep engagement with the learning process.

While some individuals may say that e-learning is only suited for motivated and independent students, they fail to point out that the very skills that facilitate success in the digital learning environment are those that are required to excel in the workplace. Teachers have a responsibility to prepare our students for life outside the classroom.

It is true that for some learners, e-learning is not an ideal option. This is why educators will have the option, in some cases, to waive the online course requirement for graduation. This is a suitable solution because it will ensure all students, especially those from vulnerable populations, are put in the best position to achieve their potential. We are putting our trust in the professionals who work hard every day to prepare our students for success.

The Big Debate:

As we move toward implementing this groundbreaking policy, all stakeholders need to work together to ensure that we give students the tools they need to flourish in today’s global economy.

We need to invest in the technological infrastructure and professional development that will make e-learning a reality across the province. Classroom innovation is essential for success.

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Fostering student achievement is the ultimate goal of education. By giving students exposure to the benefits of the digital classroom, we are taking a giant leap forward. It is up to the government to follow through on its promise.

Gianluca D. Saggese is a high school teacher in York Region and co-founder of Foundations for Success, an e-learning institute.

The Ontario Ministry of Education is not introducing online courses in the right way. Requiring four online courses over four years starting in 2020-2021 is overly ambitious as a starting point.

Taking time to address concerns related to access, support for at-risk students and research into the quality of learning achieved via online courses would go a long way toward a more effective introduction.

Ever since sweeping educational changes were announced in the spring there have been concerns about many aspects of the plan, including the e-learning requirement.

In order to access online courses, students need to have good equipment and reasonable online access at school and/or home. Schools already struggle to provide enough equipment and some have instituted “bring-your-own-device” policies to help with that.

While announcing funding to improve internet and cellphone service in rural and remote communities, Laurie Scott, Minister of Infrastructure stated, “Too many people, especially those living in rural and remote communities, do not have access to reliable internet access … It means they can't work from home, stay connected to family and friends, or access public services such as health care and education.”

The funding is good news but likely won’t change much before students are expected to start their online courses. The government acknowledges that rural and remote communities are severely disadvantaged when it comes to internet access and just announced a plan to address this. The right thing to do would be to co-ordinate the requirement for online courses with these improvements.

THE BIG DEBATE: For more opposing view columns from Toronto Star contributors, click here.

There is nothing stopping students from taking online courses if they wish. This year, People for Education reported on e-learning as part of its Annual Ontario School Survey. According to Connecting to success: Technology in Ontario schools, the province’s e-learning strategy was launched in 11 pilot school boards in 2006. “Until 2019, these courses were primarily for students who could not attend physical classes due to personal or timetabling issues, or for students who wanted to take classes not offered at their home school.”

Principals found, “students are keen to sign up for e-learning courses, but at times struggle with the self-discipline these courses require.” The report also cited research “that the lowest achieving students consistently perform worse in online courses than in face-to-face classes.” Currently, about 5 per cent of students are enrolled in online courses. How will schools be able to provide support when 100 per cent of students are required to take them in order to graduate? The right thing to do would be to have an effective plan in place before they start.

Online courses can be convenient and broaden options when schools can’t provide them. However, some question whether online learning is good learning. When I asked my son’s teachers about taking online math or science courses over the summer to lighten his academic load the following year, I was cautioned that they had found some students who had taken prerequisites online were not as well prepared. Ultimately, I was advised that if my son wanted to take an online credit he should consider a subject he didn’t plan to continue studying.

Another red flag was raised when I researched online math course providers and found the answer “Possibly” to the question “Will a university look at an online credit differently?” on the Q&A section of one website.

Determining which courses would be the best candidates for quality online learning before requiring four as a condition of graduation would be the right thing to do.

I’m doubtful the concerns related to access, support for struggling students and the quality of online learning can be adequately addressed before the 2020-2021 school year. If the rollout is not done effectively and students find themselves struggling to complete these courses, it will be the most demoralizing for the most disadvantaged students. Why take the chance?

Starting with one mandatory course after the connectivity issues for rural and remote communities have been addressed would be the right way.