How to Win at Online Classes

Online classes can be a big boom for homeschoolers — but they can be a real bust, too. Here’s what you need to know to find the classes that are best for your homeschool.

It's no surprise that online class attendance continues to grow — an upward trajectory that Babson Survey Research Group says started 14 years ago — but as more class options become available and the software for these classes becomes more affordable, it can be hard to tell the good ones from the not-so-great.

“We’ve taken online classes, and the experience has been all over the place,” says Faith*, who homeschool her 13-year-old and 16-year-old sons. “We have had amazing teachers whose classes were challenging and en- gaging, and we’ve had classes where teachers were clearly phoning it in or where the technology problems kept getting in the way of class time.”

Faith has found there’s a similarly wide range of possibilities when it comes to teacher feedback, course rigor, and course expectations — and it’s not always clear just skim- ming a class description whether the class will be a good fit. Here are some strategies to help find a class that’s likely to give you what you want.

Look for real-time interaction with teachers and students.

Whether classes are live or recorded in advance, good classes include instructor-to-student and peer-to-peer discussion sessions as part of the class.

Consider the teacher’s background.

Homeschoolers know better than anyone that non-degreed teachers can be as passionate and engaged in a topic as PhDs, so lack of a degree shouldn’t weed a teacher out — but the best online classes vet teachers for experience and expertise. You may find some treasures in online classes that allow anyone to sign up to teach, but you are likely to run into more unsatisfying classes, too.

Look at what feedback a class offers.

A writing class, for instance, that doesn’t offer substantial, written feedback on assignments is less likely to be a good experience than one that does. Online classes should specify what kind of feedback is included in the class. This can be especially important for high school classes, where you may be looking for outside academic confirmation of student’s abilities and quality of work.

Consider the student requirements.

Some classes are fun, dip-you-toes-in introductions and others are more rigorous. Know what you want so that you can make the right choice for your student — and the other kids in the class. Nothing is more frustrating than being the only student in a class who is doing the reading every week.

Be respectful of teacher recommendations.

If there are minimum requirements for a class, don’t sign up a kid who hasn’t covered those bases, even if he’s passionate about the subject. Some classes are set up assuming students have a foundational knowledge base, and coming in without that can make the class frustrating for student and teacher. (If you think your child merits an exception, check with the instructor.)

Make sure you’re ready for the tech.

If a class needs you to have a microphone or to download a specific software, make sure you can make the tech specs work before you sign up.

Ask to “sit in” on a class.

It’s not always possible on the technology end, but the best way to tell whether a class is a good fit is to test it out.

*last name omitted for online publication

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