Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

GWU Launches New Online High School, Grad Study

The trend toward online education is picking up steam, as The George Washington University made a surprising announcement on Jan. 13 — the launch of a fully online-operated high school.

The institution began classes last week and counts 16 enrolled students in nine states, according to The Hatchet, GWU’s student newspaper. The school aims to cater to the needs of students nationwide and provide a research opportunity for the university’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development.

The school will offer 100 Advanced Placement and standard classes for an annual tuition of just under $10,000. It is targeted at students with social disorders and teens forced to move often due to athletic commitments or parents in the military, according to The Hatchet.

In addition to the use of online lectures and exams, the program allows students to participate in both online interaction, including interactive online class sessions, tutorials and one-on-one discussions, as well as offline activities, including access to a summer enrichment program on GWU’s campus, according to a press release from the university. Despite the high school’s novel nature, GWU officials involved with the program believe that students will still receive a balanced education.

“The online experience can enhance and enrich the ‘high school experience,'” Associate Dean of the GSEHD Robert Ianacone said in an email.

Ianacone said that the students will have a high level of interaction with instructors, counselors and other support personnel, as well as with the program’s career counseling service. The school will also focus on new technology that reflects the way young people communicate in today’s world.

The university believes that the project will also give graduate students a chance to monitor the effects of online learning as it becomes more widespread.

“With the exponential growth of online learning as both a supplement and alternative to brick and mortar schooling, it is vital for our best scholars to be involved in research on how people most effectively learn in these environments,” Ianacone said in an email.

This research can help identify what kinds of technologies best support and enhance learning and what designs and implementation strategies are best for online learning, he said.

The cyber-school’s classes are designed for students planning to attend top-tier four-year colleges and universities. The school also offers a four-year curriculum that aims to help students plan for success in college and to foster personal and professional achievement through the development of leadership, problem solving, and interpersonal communication abilities, Ianacone said.

While GWU will actively monitor the program, K12, an online education provider, will oversee the curriculum and coordinate the school. Founded in 2000, K12 is the nation’s largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs for kindergarten through high school students.

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