Student comments on Virtual Learning

I took one English course with VLC and I was hooked. It was easy to understand and navigate and the deadlines helped me to stay focused.

Some of the courses were good, and the livemeetings amazed me. "This is the only time I say school is amazing)

I like the way things are set up, and how nice the staff are, and how helpful they have been.

The teachers I have had this semester are exceptional at what they do. I found them all very kind, gracious, and interesting.

I was very satisfied, because it was well put together, and easy to follow.

I have found everything with VLC awesome! Everyone is so nice and the teachers are exceptional!

VLC's live Canadian History, Identity, and Culture (CHI4U) far exceeded my expectations for a virtual course. I'm not new to virtual high school courses, but the live component of this one made it a truly unique and rewarding experience that I wouldn't hesitate to repeat. The daily interaction that I had with my teacher and classmates really helped me feel connected and motivated throughout the entire course. Debates, discussions, group projects, and live student presentations were a daily source of enrichment that greatly enhanced the course experience, making us all feel involved, allowing us not only to hear each other's opinions, but also to
benefit from other's responses as we voice our own. If you are able to commit to the constraints of a daily class period, I highly recommend taking a live course. The level of interaction and quality of the course content rival even that of the traditional classroom.

I think that online courses have their advantages and disadvantages but this is like any school setting. Some of the things I have liked about the course are that there are not set hours as to when I have to do my work as long as it gets done. I also like how there are still due dates to ensure things get done on a schedule and not feeling pressured to hand in all the assignments at once. I don't like the lack of socialization from school friends throughout the course. I think it is important to communicate with people face to face and the virtual school doesn't offer that. However it is good that there are chats and discussion with teachers and classmates. I think that I learned more online then I would in a regular setting as I had fewer distractions. I don't feel like my computer skills have improved a lot. I would improve the course by having a team project so you could interact with more people on a semi regular basis. I would recommend online school for some and not for others. I think that people who are involved with a lot of activities and who gain social skills outside of school the courses are good. Other people though who don't talk as much or have as many friends I think should be in regular school where they are forced to be around people for a certain amount of time each day.

As I have almost completed this course from the Virtual Learning Centre I would have to say that I have enjoyed the experience far more than taking a course in school. For me there have been many advantages of taking an online course because I have been able to continue working while still keeping up with the assignments. Since I will be attending university next year it was definitely beneficial to be able to attain another credit while making money as well. Another advantage to this online course is that the work can be done on your own time instead of “in the classroom” like it would be at school. After looking at the assignments each week I could arrange my week depending on the workload. One disadvantage that I found, which I'm sure is the same opinion most people have when taking an online course, is that there is no pressure to complete the work. It was so easy to just leave all the work until a few days before it was due, then have to finish it in a hurry. I don't necessarily think that more people should take online courses, but I think that people should be informed that they are available to take if and when needed. I think that many people don't really know about online courses and their availability. I think that I probably learned less taking the online course; however, only because I spent much less time doing the work than I would if I was actually in school. While attending school takes place five days a week with an hour and fifteen minute classes, time spent on the online course was usually only on my days off or at night after work, not nearly the amount of time as when I attended school. I found that my computer skills have dramatically improved over the past few months while taking the online course and I have definitely become a more independent learner. I had to become much more motivated in order to complete the assigned work. I enjoyed the discussion board because it gave me the chance to get other people's opinions on my work as well as give my opinion to others. I don't think that this course needs any improvements at this time, I found it to work well for me and I didn't have any problems with anything.

My experience in taking this course on line has been a very positive one, and I really enjoyed doing it. There are many advantages to doing it on line, one being that I could work at it any time of the day, and for any length of time that I wanted. I liked working through the module at my own pace. The other major advantage is that it taught me to be more responsible, as I knew I had a deadline to meet each week. This was good for me, as I usually tend to put things off until the last minute. This way I knew exactly when it had to be done by.

The disadvantage was that I sometimes missed the personal contact with other students and the teachers help. Not having anyone to actually talk to made me figure out my own problems though, which is really an advantage.

I think learning on-line is a good experience, but maybe it isn't for everyone. I feel that you have to be responsible enough to get the work done and submitted on time each week, and some people may not be able to do this.

I found this course and the different modules very interesting and they related to real life problems and issues. This was better than just learning numbers and formulas.

My computer and typing skills improved and so did my ability to do research over the internet. Once I figured out how to use the discussion board, I found the comments and paragraphs written by the other students very informative.

I really enjoyed this type of learning and would recommend it to anyone.

Over the last year I have taken a three virtual learning courses. I have had a very good experience. I like very much the style of the course. You are marked on a more steady basis and instead of having tons of little assignment you have larger weekly assignment. I like this very much. It is very predictable and organised. One advantage to VL is that you can hand in assignment late at night and also because you hand in assignment though the drop box instead of in person, you save a lot of paper and ink. I believe virtual learning is great, but only for students who have a certain amount of discipline. Over the course of a week you could forget or procrastinate about an assignment and then hand it in late because there is no one there but yourself to remind you that you have to get an assignment done. I have seen a steady rise in my type typing speed and I find that my organizational and research skills are improving. I also find that I'm not turning to all my friends for explanations on how to do things, I rely on myself to figure things out. I like it much better this way. This course by far has been my favourite. I am currently taking a Biology course at my school and this course goes hand in hand with it and goes more into the social effects of the matter. I am glad that I went a head and took this course.

I am still finding it hard to believe that this semester courses have finished, I have never felt more relaxed about exams. At my old public high school everyone was always so worried and nervous for exams it made me nervous but seeing as how I am the only one here I feel every confident because I know what I have to study to do well. The advantages outweigh the disadvantages by far, I have always been an independent learner and found it much easier to understand if I was just given a text book and questions, I can usually figure it out on my own somehow. I think more students should take this courses if they are disciplined learners however if they just want to take online courses because they don't want to be in school then that is the wrong idea. I don't know if my computer skills have improved but my internet researching skills improved a lot, especially in this course. I enjoyed the discussion boards and think they are a good idea because when you don't meet the other students you can sort of get to know them by reading how they feel about certain topics. Overall a very successful semester and I am very happy that I took this course as my first online course.

This was my first time taking courses from the VLC . In the past I have taken two other online courses with the Durham Virtual School . VLC was a very different learning experience. I noted that with the VLC there was more interaction between the teacher and the students than Durham VC. The advantages of working online are that you get the benefits of being able to have access to so much information with the internet. Also, you are able to work on your assignments at pretty much anytime, as opposed to being tied down to having to commit yourself to attending a class at a certain time. The disadvantages are that you don't get the same student to student interaction and sometimes it can be harder to get a hold of the teacher or other classmates. For me, I think that I learn more from the online environment because I don't have the distractions of the classroom. Over the past two years of taking online courses, my computer skills have definitely improved significantly. I feel more confident with my computer abilities and I think that I am a more independent learner now because of the online classroom experience. I think that more group assignments might improve this course and encourage students to connect with and learn from their peers. I enjoyed the benefits of the discussion board. It was a good communication tool because it allowed all students to see questions that other students might have had and see the answers. Also, it allowed students to help other students.

I enjoyed the virtual learning program it allowed me to experience one of the many educational options out there. Before my second semester I had taken a math course online, this is something I would never do again. Although I received my credit math has to be one of the hardest subjects to learn online, I needed one on one help to manage my grade and pursue the course. My guidance councilor convinced me that social science would be nothing like my previous encounter. I am currently taking two online courses and am enjoying them very much. Virtual has its advantages such as allowing students to work on their own time, giving them independence. You get acquainted with the internet and many new programs such as the online library, think wave and search engines. You still have communication with teachers and they are very quick to respond. Some of the disadvantages are the fact that it on the computer. Some students may run into problems such as mechanical difficulties, weather and internet connections. Throughout the semester I have had limited experiences with these problems but it has happened. I personally had a problem with due dates for this specific course, last semester they were more lenient as there were three modules due over a period of a couple months. This made it easier to complete the modules but there was less to complete in the course. I just couldn't grasp an assignment due every week on a Tuesday. I was able to over come this problem but some of my assignments were still overdue. I wish more students par-took in virtual learning programs. It is a very productive way to complete courses and a great option with new experiences. I feel that with the online science I learned more then sitting in a classroom only because I could read and study the notes as much as I wanted to. There was no worrying about copying down thorough notes or reading out of a text book. I have always had strong computer skills because I have taken computer courses throughout high school. I enjoyed this class very much and appreciated the think wave.com option; it allowed me to learn about a new website. The discussion board was interesting to read, it was nice to know what other students thought and how they interpreted and answered the questions.

Before enrolling in the VLC program, I had previously been planning to complete my schooling though an American online schooling program out of Arizona . Now that I have completed this program, I must say with all sincerity that it has been a wonderful growing experience that I would not trade. For me, there are few disadvantages to online schooling, the few that exist, are only evident in my other classes, such as: the lack of teacher-student communication, but as I said, with you, there is much student-teacher communication. You have been so faithful to all your students, to provide all the possible help and assistance, and have never failed to be there for us, and for that I want to say thank you for your dedication. There are many advantages, such as: you can work the hours that you need to, you can travel at your leisure, and you can create your own learning environment. As for more students taking more online courses, I think for some it may be good and teach them discipline and how to work on a schedule that you create and keep yourself, although many people would not survive and most likely fail, and others need the social interaction. For me, the majority of my best friends all live in the US , so therefore it helps me see them, not burdens that ability. I believe that I have learned so much more than in a classroom, if you are teaching yourself it is much more effective, and my computer skills have definitely improved. I don't know if it needs to be improved, I definitely learned lots and was fascinated by it. I did not totally enjoy the discussion board, but it served its purpose. Even when I was in a public school, you are by far one of my favorite teachers, and I didn't have many. So Mr. Harris thanks for a great course!

Since I've been taking online courses for several years now, mostly with the Virtual Learning Center , I believe that I have ample experience when it comes to what these online courses deliver. I think these courses, at least for me, have been lifesavers as they enabled me to get the education I needed while still in the comfort of my own home. I say this because I've been having some medical problems for the last few years, and if it wasn't for these classes, my path to University would still be a long way away, since I could not attend actual classes in a high school.

I also feel there are numerous benefits to what these courses provide; starting with the fact that it gives you a sense of independence and maturity, given that you must entirely rely on yourself. While teachers may encourage you to do the best you can, finishing the work is really entirely up to the individual who will most likely never see the teacher face to face. Online courses are also quite flexible, which allows students to work at whatever time they like, but also instills time management skills to complete the necessary assignments. Personally, I also believe that my computing, and with that, my writing skills have improved over the years, and, in a world that is ever increasingly becoming focused on computers and technology, I think that is a very important point. As with everything, there must be a few disadvantages. While the comfort of ones home may sound like the perfect environment for learning, it also prevents students from socializing as they would in a regular classroom. However, this point will become less and less of a focus as more online classes integrate audio/visual chats and sessions. Other than that, I can't see anymore disadvantages on a personal level.

I think that people are often wary to try online classes (I know I was) but once they learn that the basic principles are the same, there is often no need to go back to those overcrowded classrooms. So I do believe that more students should take online courses, but it depends on what type of individual it is. If a student is self-motivating, this may be exactly what they need. If a person is a procrastinator, this may not be an answer for them.

Through the online classes I took over the years, I believe that I have received a better education then I would in a regular class. As a student, I've had great teachers that always responded quickly with any concerns that I've had and were always willing to help. The work, although more demanding than in a regular classroom, has always been straightforward and easy to understand, with assignments that challenge students such as myself. Finally, the environment, at least at VLC , has been laid out in a simple manner, with everything at the student's fingertips.

To conclude, I‘m very happy with what this course had to offer. It was very interesting, and often related many of the scientific ideas to general everyday life. As a CSI fan, I especially enjoyed the criminal investigation modules of this course, and only wish there were more of those. Another point was that it never reached into a boring phase, where it became jumbled with exact specifics of every tiny detail, and I believe that's what kept the nice pace.

I consider myself very fortunate to study at Virtual Learning Center this year. The exceptional education that emphasizes independent study has helped to develop necessary skills to continue into post secondary education. Online education has many advantages, most certain one is time. It provides necessary freedom to keep up with overwhelming schedules such as work and school. Another great advantage is a certain level of communication freedom which can be achieved through writing. I especially found it rather easier to post my work on the discussion board rather than presenting it in front of entire class room filled with students. One of the disadvantages that I've noticed is that some students might develop procrastination habit because of lower intensity, but it doesn't apply to everyone. Another disadvantage can be seen from technical side. Students may run into technological problems such as initial server being down and you are not able to access your work or study.

I do in fact think that more students should take online education; it's definitely a positive and educational experience. I recently had a conversation with my friend about virtual learning, he thought it was a great idea and he's anxious to begin his studies online.

I think that I've learned a lot more online than I would've in class. I find it much easier to study online where I have necessary resources available.

In my opinion it would be a great idea to provide visual recordings or live broadcast to enhance online experience for students.

Overall I really enjoyed studying at Virtual Learning Center . It provides the necessary independence and perfect working environment which I couldn't achieve in regular day school classroom.