Online education allows a student to work on a computer to complete assignments and take exams. The student spends approximately one hour per class online each day. An average school day requires six hours of online work instead of in class instruction. Online teachers hold minimal weekly classes in a virtual classroom. Introverted students fail to develop personal relationships with the teachers and students over a webcam in a virtual setting. Webcast instruction allows no personal interaction. No outside dialogue takes place and no interpersonal skills develop. The introverted student can feel isolated and alone. Parents often opt for online education due to school bullying. A bullied child may be predisposed to greater isolation and loneliness.
The absence of interpersonal relations leads to a lack of motivation. Online instructors address the class as a whole, not individually. Few opportunities arise for a teacher to motivate a student or for a classmate to encourage another student. A student never receives verbal praise or peer acknowledgment. The lack of motivation can result in poor performance. An unmotivated student fails to complete course assignments and keep up with the pace chart. An introverted student needs positive reinforcement and personal encouragement to excel academically, emotionally and socially. A parent may not be able to provide sufficient motivation. Students can benefit from face-to-face interaction with instructors added to the online curriculum.
Students need to develop a sense of self-worth and value from relationships outside the home. Cyberspace schools can prevent an introverted child from finding her place in the world. Few opportunities arise to make new friends, share new ideas or ask questions outside the rigid digital curriculum. The introverted student never steps outside his own circle or interacts with extroverts. Online exploration of various websites fails to compare to hands-on experience in the real world. Traditional schools offer field trips to museums, observatories, colleges and scientific labs. These diverse learning programs expose introverted students to new experiences and encourage them to explore different interests. A positive interaction with a guest lecturer or museum curator can change an introverted students view of the world.
Introverted students lose out on the social benefits of traditional school. They miss recess, lunch and after-school time with their peers. They do not have the option to participate in extracurricular activities, play on a sports team, join school clubs or run for student council. A student who attends online classes is exposed to the same routine, home environment and family conversations daily. She can become bored with online reading, multiple choice questions, short answers, lunch with mom and television with siblings. An introverted student with social network accounts can become more introverted and isolated as she reads about her peers' plans to attend the high school football game, the prom and graduation events.