Virtual Classroom Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Virtual Classroom - Research Paper Example In modern classrooms, learning has become extremely sophisticated due to implementation of technology in learning. Ideally, almost every aspect of learning has been virtualized. Libraries have been made electronic and traditional libraries only used rarely for rigorous research only. Teacher-student communication has shifted from physical to virtual. Many learning institutions have embraced virtual learning through online modules. The library thesis will consist of the selected topic, review of the literature, a hypothesis will be developed, the variable will be defined, participants will be discussed, measurement instruments will be selected, and data will be collected and analyzed. The results will be interpreted. At the end of this research paper, recommendations regarding virtual classrooms will be provided. Virtual Classroom for Middle School There has been a lot of controversy on whether or not to adopt the system of virtual teaching in K-12 industry. Many factors have contribu ted to this unrelenting debate. In a bid to provide solutions to unequal access to education facilities, many proposals kept coming along. In America, public schools mainly get funds from property tax. This factor makes schools in many developing and prominent neighborhoods benefit. The result is that schools in the rich neighborhood tend to perform better than the poor ones (Jarventaus, 2007). The poor and at-risk students are already struggling with other issues of life and therefore, being at the same level with others may be a mere dream. Certainly, education is the engine of mobility and therefore, embracing new technologies in learning seems to be the way forward in realizing mobility in the modern society. However, due to differences in societal issues affecting education, virtual learning comes in handy albeit with some challenges. In order to standardize learning, should virtual classrooms be adopted? Virtual classroom has both advantages and disadvantages if adopted in an institution. Traditional classroom methods will be compared to the virtual classroom method in hope of shedding more light into the debate on applicability of virtual classrooms especially at lower levels of learning. The question remains if the education system is going towards the right direction with the current technological advancement. Whereas it is possible for students at higher levels of learning to handle the challenges of virtual learning, implementation of virtual learning for grade schools remains a controversy. Therefore, a rigorous approach towards demystifying the controversy needs to be taken, at least to bring clarity into this controversial issue. What are the consequences of embracing virtual classroom technology in lower levels of learning? The controversy here lies on applicability of virtual classroom for students at lower levels of learning. The context of study in this case is in middle school level particularly students between sixth to eighth grade. Lookin g down the history, many can see a situation where learning had to take place in a teacher-student scenario. Learning changed tremendously when technology came up with many ingenious ways to communicate, access information, and disseminate knowledge to students (Cavanaugh, 2009). Seemingly, virtual classroom brought a lot of enthusiasm, as one method that would be time saving and less costly (Jarventaus, 2007