Internet Learning Volume 4, Number 2, Fall 2015 | Page 14

Meeting the Holistic Needs of K-12 Online Learners: Designing Schools for the Future
The data shown in Tables 1 and 2
reveal respondent attitudes in terms of how
strongly they agree or disagree that online
students need programs that support them
in their social and emotional development.
Many survey respondents noted
the existence of non-academic programs to
support students in their programs. Items
mentioned as being beneficial included a
list of items that included field trips, citywide
project collaboration, social work
groups, peer mentoring, involvement with
the local newspaper, a spiritual life group,
an online talent show, and other activities.
Fewer than half of the survey respondents
(15/31) answered the qualitative question
about non-academic programs provided to
online students, and one of 15 people who
did respond provided an alternate viewpoint
by stating that “families enroll their K-12
children in online schools to get away
from the ‘socialization’ of public schools.
It’s brutal to stand in line in the hall, get
bullied, be lonely on the playground, etc.”
This emphasizes that not all professionals
and practitioners are convinced that social
or non-academic programs are needed or
desired by students and families involved in
K-12 online education.
The majority of respondents
(69.44%) felt that the best delivery methods
for non-academic student supports would
be as a combination of both online and
f2f approaches. The second most common
response was from programs that used
fully online approaches only, with some
respondents commenting that f2f events
were not practical due to circumstances of
the program (e.g., the large range covered by
the online school or other transportationrelated
issues). In considering nonacademic
student supports that are practical
and desirable, the five most commonly
cited activities reported by all respondents
were service projects, clubs, field trips,
orientation events, and social gatherings.
Orientations were offered by most
of the programs, and some respondents
commented that these were mandatory. As
shown in Table 3, many of the orientation
events involved f2f as well as online
elements. Activities that seem to have the
highest level of online-only distribution
included clubs, showcases of student work,
and exercise.
A large proportion of the
respondents also described efforts to
involve parents, guardians, and community
members. When asked to identify any
adult-led groups or individuals that
promote and enrich the school community,
11 respondents reported the inclusion of
parents or community members as guest
speakers. A number of people reported the
presence of a Parent Teacher Association,
and also noted that parents were involved in
field trips, fundraising activities, and special
events. Tables 4 and 5 below show details,
including specific nature of web meetings
and f2f events.
“families enroll their K-12 children
in online schools to get away
from the ‘socialization’ of public
schools. It’s brutal to stand in line
in the hall, get bullied, be lonely
on the playground, etc.”
Conclusion
These data represent attitudes and
information from professionals
working across 20-31 different K-12
online programs nationwide. The goal of
this study was to seek answers to questions
about social and non-academic supports,
and what these supports may look like in
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