Henderson, NV, Jan. 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- International Virtual Learning Academy (IVLA) has announced the launch of its own chapter from the National Honor Society. While the NHS is common in brick-and-mortar schools, its availability to many online schools is limited. IVLA believes the launch of its own NHS chapter will further distinguish IVLA as one of the premiere online schools.
“IVLA is thrilled to offer the wonderful honor and opportunity that comes with NHS membership for our students across the globe in an innovative, virtual environment. We look forward to the ideas that our first chapter members and future members will bring to continue to grow our chapter and be a part of making IVLA grow and thrive for years to come.” said Allison Halstead, IVLA High School Lead Teacher and NHS Advisor.
Online learning has undoubtedly become not only a viable option to receive an education, but a widely accepted format to complete coursework and participate in educational dialogue. More notably, this has become an accepted norm for collegiate education. However, as educational technology and public experience progress, this format is also becoming increasingly popular in the K-12 education space.
The tremendous growth in popularity for the K-12 online space should greatly benefit societies like the NHS by providing them access to the student talent currently enrolled at online schools such as IVLA. A 2019 Forbes article1 reported about online learning and its dramatic usage increase in the K-12 education space. Forbes stated that “Online learning at K-12 level has grown from an experiment to a movement. To improve the educational outcomes, many school districts and states in the USA are turning to online learning.”
While an argument can be made that the first attempt to implement an “online” education started at the University of Illinois back in 19602 (via an Intranet), online education as we know it today didn’t begin until much later. By 2009, over 5.5 million students worldwide were taking at least one online course. Just 5 years later in 2014, 98% of universities began offering online programs.3
It’s no surprise that now, in 2020, the opportunities for online education have expanded from collegiate programs to include vast options for the K-12 space as well. As such, K-12 virtual education programs have become quite competitive. Online K-12 schools are now able to successfully compete with traditional brick-and-mortar schools, with many online schools now providing more resources than many conventional institutions. For example, online schools may now provide resources such as options for increased flexibility in work-life balance, one-on-one attention for children with special needs, and advanced educational opportunities for students interested in more diverse or challenging coursework.
As the number of educational options increase, it becomes more crucial that long-standing organizations like the National Honor Society begin recognizing accredited online schools with their own NHS chapters. With online schooling providing nearly endless opportunities to pursue unique family dynamics, niche hobbies, demanding career paths, etc., time-honored organizations have also adapted to further enhance the online education experience.
It’s clear that online education provides students the flexibility to customize their education based on their individual needs. However, in the past, online schools have been criticized for their lack of socialization and service opportunities. Schools like IVLA have helped combat this drawback by incorporating social clubs, homerooms, NCAA accreditation, and now an NHS chapter.
1 “Disrupting Education. The Rise of K-12 Online and the Entrepreneurial Opportunities,” Forbes, Aug. 14 2019, https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernhardschroeder/2019/08/14/disrupting-education-the-rise-of-k-12-online-and-the-entrepreneurial-opportunities/#302442d448a2
2 “The History of Online Education,” Peterson’s, Nov. 29, 2017 https://www.petersons.com/blog/the-history-of-online-education/
3 “A Brief History of Online Learning Infographic,” Straighterline, July 11, 2014 https://www.straighterline.com/blog/brief-history-online-learning-infographic/