Cyber schools allow for a flexible curriculum that parents (or even older students) can customize. Because they are self-paced, they allow for changes to be made to suit the student's learning style, capacity and interests. This will affect how much the child learns and retains for later use. Because digital media can be easily integrated into the curriculum, learning becomes a much more accessible and fun event. Most cyber schools encourage the use of videos, audio materials and forums to facilitate learning and comprehension. Many also push for taking to the outdoors as a way to get a real-world understanding of the concepts learned in cyberspace. Both elementary schools and high schools can be completed completely online with no specific time frame required, which means students can graduate as early or as late as their schedule requires.
A commonly quoted advantage of cyber schools is that lessons can be taken anywhere where a computer and Internet connection are available, making it easy for those in rural areas or who travel frequently to still obtain an education without interruption. While in the past long-distance schools have been criticized for affecting socialization skills, cyber schools now offer forums and virtual meeting points where students can talk to each other and to the teachers, which not only helps clarify confusing points from their curriculum, but also foments socialization and interaction.
Cyber schools often rely on the use of assignments, investigative reports and written presentations to grade students. This facilitates reading comprehension and pushes students to question, research and understand a topic, rather than simply memorize a list of dates and facts. Open-book exams, which are also popular with cyber schools, also have their purpose. Students still need to know the material fairly well by the time the exam date comes along, as it would be practically impossible to locate answers if the books hadn't been read prior to that day. Again, open-book exams also foment understanding the material, rather than simply memorizing it. For those who prefer a more traditional approach to education, many cyber schools have testing centers to which students must go when it comes time to pass their final annual exams.
While public schools are technically free to everybody, there are still tons of expenses involved with attending school. These range from simple day-to-day spending money to snacks, transportation, clothing and materials. Cyber schools are 100 percent free to students, as all material is either available directly on the school's website or easily found by searching online. There are no travel expenses and no special uniforms are needed.
While many may worry that online students may be lost without teachers' guidance, most cyber schools offer more personalized attention than their brick-and-mortar counterparts. Teachers in cyber schools often organize chats, interact with students via email and are always ready to answer specific questions about assignments and reports. Because there's no classroom disruption and one-on-one interaction is highly encouraged, students tend to get more out of the lessons than they would in a large class.