E-Challenges

= The Challenges of Educating At-Risk Learners =

There are obviously criticisms of e-learning overall, and much of this comes from instances where it is not well-used (Nichols, 2008). Considering the context discussed here, namely at-risk learners, there is another layer of criticism around seperate alternatives to mainstream education. Not only are the students and the ladnscape challenging, but the diversity of programmes available suggests that '...educators are yet to find an approach that ‘comprehensively addresses the needs of all at-risk students’ (Waston & Gemin, 2008). There are MANY challenges faced by institutions offering at-risk learners online courses due to the complexities of the learners themselves, the prevailing education system and the nature of online education. Some of the challenges for institutions delivering online education to at-risk learners are maintaining student engagement and motivation, hiring staff who are open and able to build good relationships with learners, providing learners with pre-requisite skills such as time-management or literacy, and gaining support and resourcing from the school authority (Archambault et. al., 2010). While institutions globally will encounter their own individual challenges, I have outlined some broad challenges that most will likely, or have already faced. //**Prior Skills or Knowledge -**// At-risk learners are likely to be below their peers in key skills and competencies, so special attention must be paid to this area. Chen & Hirumi (2004) suggest that one of the primary reasons for school failure is that the students have difficulty with reading and therefore may lack the necessary skills to communicate through a written form such as online learning. They go on to outline a series of comprehension strategies to improve the literacy of at-risk students that are studying online (Chen & Hirumi, 2004). //**Quality Teachers -**// Many school districts in the US make the assumption that the skills and abilities of great classroom teachers will translate into an e-learning context (Journell, 2010), and may neglect to prepare those teachers properly for an e-classroom. In the shorter term, professional development is a neccesity for any teacher who begins to integrate e-learning into their practice. Looking to the long-term, teacher training needs to be remodelled to relflect the increased demand for online-courses and virtual schooling options (Gunga & RIcketts, 2006).

//**Changing Paradigms -**// The perceptions of what e-learning is and how it is different to the traditional model of teaching is still unclear. Journell (2010) found that both teachers and students in one class approached online education as a tool for transmission of information and all students felt that the teacher was not a critical part of the learning experience. Hedburg (2006, as cited in Nichols 2008) supports this, finding that 53 percent of students experienced e-learning ‘soley as providing information’. //**Inclusion or Separation -**// de Jong et.al. (2006) outline some broad arguments against removing students from mainstream educational institutions such as withdrawal from mainstream means students may develop more severe anti-social behaviours as they are influenced by others in the programme and re-integration into mainstream schools is virtually impossible for alternative education students. They also suggest that schools may also use alternative education as a dumping ground which can lead to schools becoming less tolerant of culture and difference. //**NZ Culture Gap -**// A reality of education in New Zealand is that Maori and Pasifika students have a disproportionately high rate of exclusions with 5 and 3.4 students respectively per 1000 compared to a rate of 1.3 per 1000 for NZ European students (Ministry of Education, 2008). This cultural disparity may be attributed to a range of socio-economic, cultural, or environmental factors, but it may be more useful to consider effective examples of education for Maori and Pasifika groups. Anderson (2005) suggests that while Maori education is customarily undertaken face-to-face, the tertiary sector offers some shining examples of how asynchronous online education founded on tikanga Maori (Maori customs) can be successful for a community with traditionally low achievement rates. One example Anderson cites is Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi which incorporates face-to-face block courses, student support systems, and online course material.

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