Driver Education is a key part of the development of
young drivers, so it’s important that the advantages and disadvantages of
online programs are made available to help parents choose an appropriate course
for their teen.
We recently completed a report based on a study of Online Driver
Education programs that was conducted for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. While traditional
classroom drivers ed courses remain the norm, the use of online courses has
been growing across the country.
The study identified 15 states that had either approved
or accepted one or more online courses in‐lieu of traditional, in‐classroom
instruction. While much of the curriculum was similar across programs, great variation was found in the manner in which course content was presented. While evaluating the overall safety impact of online driver education was beyond the scope of this study, the report did analyze strong and weak program characteristics in light of existing research and established standards for online learning in general.
The weaker programs were said to be very text heavy, and offered little feedback, allowed quick completion, and didn’t involve parents at all.
There was also considerable variation in the degree to which states exercised oversight of online driver education, with some only approving one centralized, government-affiliated program and others allowing online courses to proliferate virtually unregulated.
In addition to the full report, the Foundation also developed a fact sheet to help educate parents on this issue and highlight the program attributes to keep in mind when considering an online driver education course.
The strongest online courses contained:
· interactive exercises
· personal feedback from instructors
· timers to prevent skipping over lessons
· integrated behind-the-wheel components
· parental involvement
The weaker programs were said to be very text heavy, and offered little feedback, allowed quick completion, and didn’t involve parents at all.
There was also considerable variation in the degree to which states exercised oversight of online driver education, with some only approving one centralized, government-affiliated program and others allowing online courses to proliferate virtually unregulated.
In addition to the full report, the Foundation also developed a fact sheet to help educate parents on this issue and highlight the program attributes to keep in mind when considering an online driver education course.
I am a Traffic Safety instructor and I have mixed feelings about the move to online Driver Education courses. I understand that young people today have very full schedules and families sometimes find it difficult to fit five weeks of Driver’s Ed. onto their calendars. In my experience, extra-curricular activities like football practice and piano lessons are often given priority over attending Driver’s Ed. class. Online learning means students don’t need to adjust their schedules or arrange transportation to a classroom, which should eliminate absenteeism. However, making the classes easier to attend doesn’t mean that they move any higher on a student’s priority list – many will still view Driver’s Ed. as an inconvenience rather than an opportunity. For those students the option of “attending” class while they watch tv or update their Facebook status will do them more harm than good.
ReplyDeleteI also think there is something to be said for students’ having a dedicated time and place to meet together to discuss and learn about driving. I think it’s important that students interact with their peers throughout this learning process just as they will have to interact with each other on the road. There are social-media tools available to help create a sense of community in online classrooms but they have to be properly applied and moderated. Perhaps the best option is an integrated approach that uses online exercises and resources to supplement classroom instruction. An additional benefit to this approach would be that the online elements would be accessible by students’ parents and might therefore foster more parent involvement.