Columbia Public Schools (CPS) Online ended the year with the highest ever semester course completion rate with more than 900 total course requests, more than 30 percent from last semester, CPS Online Coordinator David Bones said.

CPS Online classes vary from Digital Media to Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science and are available in semester-long or year-long courses. Bones said the CPS Online curriculum offerings have increased over the years to meet the student demand for particular classes. 

For example, Forensic Sciences and Astronomy, which were previously only available as in-seat classes to Battle and RBHS students respectively, are now open for any CPS students to take online in the 2019-20 school year. Despite the course increases, Bones said he does not think CPS has encouraged online classes more than any previous year.

“I would say that CPS recognizes that it is an option out there for students, and more students are interested in the flexibility and the options that online provides,” Bones said. “We just want to make sure we can provide online as an option for students and families that want to take advantage of it.”

Bones said many students choose to take online classes because they can experience more niche, or otherwise filled classes. Junior Andrew Kim studied online Computer Science Principles A this semester. He said his counselor suggested he take the class online because the in-seat block was full.

“I was asked to take it because I was just trying to get the in-seat class, but they only teach it one block,” Kim said. “They also wouldn’t let me switch my AP U.S. History class, [taught during the same block as AP Computer Science], because it was already full.”

Bones said counselors and teachers also often suggest students take courses online to earn credits necessary for graduation without adding an extra in-seat class to their schedule. 

Sophomore Riya Amin took Online Physical Education (P.E.) during second semester her freshman year. She said although the coursework was not especially hard, she found the Polar Flow monitoring system complicated to manage. 

“I thought I should get half of my P.E. credit out of the way,” Amin said. “It wasn’t difficult, but since all my P.E. is really based on technology and heart rate, I had a bunch of technology problems with the watch not working properly.”

As the semester draws to a close, Bones said sometimes students need to put in extra effort in order to catch up on procrastinated work. Although Bones said some students finish their online course early in the year, many others allow it to become burdensome. Kim said he spent hours trying to catch up on his course in the last few weeks of school. 

“It’s very structured, and so if you are motivated to stay on track, it shouldn’t be bad,” Kim said. “The only problem with that though is that it’s very difficult to talk to someone if you need help. [You can experience] a domino effect where you’re constantly getting more and more [work]. But I found over Thanksgiving break I just spent 10 hours doing the months of work of homework.”

Although online classes can serve as opportunities for students to take otherwise unavailable classes, those interested should consider their strengths before signing up for an online class, Bones said.

“One of the challenges to taking an online class is students [need to be] self-motivated, organized, an independent learner and responsible,” Bones said. “All those things help, but it just comes down to what you prioritize. The in-seat classes, you’re there every day so it’s easier to prioritize those, so sometimes, maybe, some of the online stuff slips away and ends up piled up at the end of the semester.”

Despite the required time management, Kim said his online class provided him with a comparable curriculum and education quality to an in-seat class. He said he was concerned about his preparation for May’s AP test but felt he learned several new skills by taking the class.

“I feel like the course gave me all the [information] that the in-class course would have,” Kim said. “Given the amount of time and effort, the class was pretty manageable.”

Overall, Bones said CPS Online strives to make in-seat classes as similar to in-seat classes as possible by only hiring CPS certified teachers. Bones also said he believes the online curriculum is important to ensuring all students have access to the classes they’re interested in and hopes to continue to meet the needs of CPS students. Since he began working as the CPS Online director, Bones said he has seen significant development and increased interest of the online curriculum.

“My hope is that we can continue to meet the needs of our students and families,” Bones said. “So, if there need to be [online courses] added, then that’s probably a thing for the program to do.”

Do you think online classes are comparable to in-seat classes? Let us know in the comments below.