Socialization of Students Enrolled in Full-Time Online Public Schools - Thesis Example

It is widely believed that the face-to-face teaching-learning methodology remains the best in developing social skills in children because only this mode can provide both the verbal and non-verbal (especially touch) interactions. With the dramatic increase and popularity of online education due to its boundlessness the traditional way of learning is now greatly challenged. Likewise, achieving the desired social skills in asynchronous online learning, where there is no physical presence neither “close proximity” (Peters, 2001, p.18), and where there is a lack of non-verbal communication, is also under fire.

Aside from this, it is also believed that other negative emotional distances may also be developed due to “a personal mode of communication mediated by technology (Keegan, 1996, p.8).”However, acknowledging the fact that e-learning or virtual schools provide learning options very favorable to parents who prefer educating their children at home due to many different factors, especially those parents whose children have special needs, it would be best to develop online learning in such a way that it could provide activities that would bring about and develop in the learner the social skills required by modern society.

Generally, the research study would like to find out: What activities do parents perceive to have an impact on the acquisition and development of the student social skill? In relation to this, how do parents view full-time online public schools in relation to the development of the student social skill? To better understand the parent’s perspectives, part of the research study is also to find out what influences parent views.Specifically, the research study would like to answer the following related questions:1.

What social skill is valued by most parents?2. What type of activity do most parents find most desirable in relation to social skills?3. Which among the defined factors: (a) educational attainment, (b) geographical location, (c) gender, (d) sex, and (e) employment influence parent’s views?