Senior Elizabeth Flint lounges on her sofa in front of her laptop screen, with an apple and a box of crackers on the side. She sends a text message on her phone, then minimizes her Facebook page. Class has just begun. However, Flint does not have to worry about making her way through the hundreds of students in the hallway to get to class before the late bell rings. She is taking a class online, allowing her to make it on time simply by signing in to her “Elluminate” account.

The classmates in this class come from all around Fairfax County, none of them having ever seen each other in their lives. This is Flint’s World History class, where she is taught the same curriculum that can be offered at any Fairfax County school. A student types a question to the teacher, who immediately replies through a video blog. This is basically a virtual class experience where everything almost stays the same — except the location.

“An online class is definitely a lot of fun and is a new experience for me but just requires some responsibility,” Flint said. “The only hard thing is being able to fully communicate with the teacher and getting help from classmates when I don’t understand something. People who choose to take an online class have to be prepared and prompt with their work every day for class. I prefer that learning environment because it is much more organized and there aren’t any stray papers or materials to be bought.”

Online classes are gradually becoming a more common, accessible option for students. This is ultimately FCPS’s way of providing an alternative to high school students who choose to study outside of the traditional classroom setting. These online classes may serve as standard or Advanced Placement courses or electives, which operate under the same curriculum and teaching expectations as a customary classroom.

One of the primary reasons students take an online class is to re-take a course over the summer instead of finding a ride to the school in which it is offered. These classes are also taken by students who can either not fit a course into their school schedule or those who generally take an after-school class to earn the required credits for high school graduation or college. Lastly, an online class is an option that students can turn to which may substitute the same class that can be taken at school.

According to e-Learning Specialist for the FCPS Online Campus Sandy Todd, the online class enrollment for the 2008 – 2009 school year was just over 900 students for the regular school year and close to a thousand for summer school. Only about 4% of students failed an online course. Further, 12% got a D while 84% passed with an A-C.

“Students, looking at last year’s statistics, tend to do well in their online classes. The passing rate for the SOL’s is a 95%. Over the summer, classes run for six weeks. For the regular school year, students get started in mid-September and finish on June 5th, before regular schools, so seniors’ grades are sent to their school for graduation,” said Todd.

AHS teacher Elizabeth Edwards has been an online Biology teacher for seven years and is familiar with how an online class operates, being the principal of online classes for Fairfax County this past summer.

“Students who take an online class definitely need to be self-motivated and disciplined to get the work done. A lot of responsibility goes along with making sure all assignments are turned in on time and that class, if missed, is made up. Overall, the instructional program is the same,” Edwards said.

The path to success in an online class truly goes down to a student’s learning style and whether or not they are willing to sit at a computer at designated times and study, opposed to learning face-to-face in a real classroom.

“A student might have more trouble understanding a concept over the computer, however online teachers help kids know if they want to do this,” Edwards said. “We also have prep classes that prepare kids for the actual class to see what is expected of them and if they really want to do it.”

Fairfax County’s preparatory classes are offered to students before the actual class is taken as a way to provide the full experience to students ahead of time to help them finalize their decision about taking that class.

“Students are bound to take online classes sometime after high school for college or their jobs. Also, it is always a good idea for students to take advantage of all the educational opportunities FCPS offers to them,” said Edwards.

Junior Anne Hruskoci is a student who is considering taking an online class next year. “I want to take a class online to have space for an extra elective at school. I also think it’s a more organized way to learn the curriculum of the class. It seems like it would fit my learning style better,” said Hruskoci.

Over time, online classes have transformed from something unheard of into a more diverse, unique way to take a class. This has been proven through the thousands of students that take these classes each year as well as the growing number of people considering to this exclusive option. Their requirements of responsibility and self-motivation are sure to help students in the future in terms of technology as well as the rapidly growing world of online learning.