Reynoldsburg Teacher Strike Puts Focus On Computer-Based Learning

During the strike, Reynoldsburg administrators have relied more on computers in classrooms to keep students learning. The district scrambled to purchase enough computer tablets to supply each high school student. For nearly three weeks, Reynoldsburg teachers have walked picket lines. But schools remain open, thanks to substitute teachers and technology. Just as the strike began, the school board bought additional computer tablets - one for each student at Reynoldsburg High School. Board president Andrew Swope says the tablets are part of a long range plan. "All the things that we're trying to do around a blended learning environment with the strike as it is now we've just accelerated our plan," says Swope. Like many districts, Reynoldsburg is integrating online and classroom instruction. The district purchases educational software that allows for more individual paced learning. Junior Trieton Shannon says during the teacher strike he's trying to adjust to the new classroom while still keeping up his grades. "We're doing online learning you could say." Junior Madison Spicer is less enthusiastic about the emphasis on computer learning. "You know I'm here to be in a classroom environment with teachers that are ready to teach me what I want to learn," says Spicer. Ohio State University education professor, Kui Xie says online learning for high schoolers began 20 years ago. But, research on its effectiveness is inconclusive. "Especially high school students, they have less, what we call self-regulation skills," says Xie. "And if you put them into a self-paced online learning environment...they might feel challenged." Xie doubts classroom teachers will someday be replaced by online learning. But, as technology advances, and more research is done, schools, including some in Central Ohio, are turning to a concept known as 'flipped classroms'. With a flipped classroom, the student watches the lecture on-line at home and completes homework assignments in class, with the teacher standing by to help. Xie says "flipped classrooms" can expose a highly effective teacher to more students. "By doing that we actually can duplicate those excellent lectures." adds Xie. "What if you just had a bad teacher doing the lecture, then you don't have the opportunity to see the other excellent teachers. So by bringing this type of flipped concept then you can produce really high quality and engaging lecture and then disseminate that to hundreds of kids instead of some of the kids not lucky enough to be in those excellent teachers' classrooms." Xie says educators need more research to measure the effectiveness of 'flipped classrooms' and other computer-assisted learning. But Reynoldsburg High School students might give some early clues when they take academic achievement tests. The results could help researchers better understand the effectiveness of computer driven learning.