Spark Hybrid High School has been known for their innovative and digital approach to education. They launched a unique hybrid learning model where students can go through a high school experience that is 80% digital and 20% in-person (more about it here). But Spark isn’t just about high school experiences.
They are also offering Self-paced courses – which are individual courses that do not require someone to enrol in the whole high school experience. Instead, these can help people specialise in a certain subject or earn a degree they need for university admission or job advancement. Follow along to learn about the benefits of self-paced learning.
About Self-Paced Learning
Self-paced learning is not something new. You are all familiar with e-books and courses you can buy to learn a new skill; those do not always come with support. It is only you, going through the course or content at your own pace, and guess what? What you are doing is exactly what we call Self-Paced Learning.
In Education, Self-Paced Learning allows you to set your own schedule and pace for learning. You are not required to finish assignments simultaneously with colleagues or learn at the same pace as other students. Thanks to the flexibility, you can advance at your own pace through the topics and chapters.
At Spark Hybrid High School, the Self-Paced Learning Model is considered an advantage because it allows education without boundaries and cultivates skills like time management and prioritization or other skills needed by a student to master a Self-Paced Learning Model. At Spark, they like to call it an extra type of education. One that prepares students for life.
The Benefits of Self-Paced Learning
When it comes to the benefits of the Self-Paced Learning model, many could be listed. However, among the most important ones we can name:
Flexibility – Every student has a unique learning habit and lifestyle. Self-paced learning can offer the flexibility needed by students who have unusual schedules or just want to learn something new without the physical commitment or having to be on time for lectures.
Accessibility – The advantage of Self-Paced Learning is that you can access it wherever you are and whenever you want to. Whether you are a student looking to learn a subject to help with university admission or a single parent looking to get a qualification in Computer Science for a new career path, Self-Paced courses are accessible to you and can be tailored to your needs.
Certifications – If a student chooses to take a self-paced course with an available assessment process attached to it and then successfully completes the examination, they can earn a certification. At Spark Hybrid High School, students who take an exam after completing a self-paced course can earn a Cambridge International Certificate*. This qualification comes in useful for university enrolment or even career advancement.
The Role of a Tutor in Self-Paced Learning
Tutors are the experts who can help us better understand certain aspects of a course and can help us prepare for the examination that comes at the end of completing a course.
Suppose students opt into having a tutor to guide them and help them better understand their subject. In that case, they will have access to 1:1 personalized meetings with the tutor to discuss course material, occasional assignments, additional readings, and anything else the student may find necessary to complete the course.
Tutors’ roles and responsibilities may differ in every school, but one thing is clear – they are there to enhance your self-paced learning process.
Self-Paced Learning Without a Tutor
If students choose to complete a self-paced course without a tutor, they have to check all the necessary requirements that come with the course, such as buying a textbook or checking the syllabus for the course. If there isn’t a tutor to guide or oversee the learning process, students are responsible for organising their time in order to complete the course in a timely manner.
Procrastinating can become easy when there is no pressure or deadlines to meet. And we know very well that procrastination can also be the death of success, especially if the course we aim to complete might help us get into our university of choice. Then, it’s very dangerous to procrastinate, and the encouragement of a tutor might come in handy.
Self-Paced Learning with Tutor Support
The process of Self-paced learning can obviously be enhanced by having a tutor to guide you through the course material.
As mentioned earlier, there are privileges that come with tutor support, such as personalised meetings, extra support, additional resources to learn from, and a general support system to keep you motivated and engaged, eager to complete the course you started.
At Spark Hybrid High School, tutor support is most wanted by students looking to take extra courses, such as courses unavailable at their local schools.
Some courses are needed for international university enrolment, and students choose to take these courses with tutor support to ensure they complete them successfully and secure a smooth university enrollment.
Tutor Support can also be helpful if students are struggling with a certain subject. Enrolling in a self-paced course with a tutor can help them catch up with the rest of the class, or it can help them get to the required level of knowledge needed in a subject for personal reasons or career development.
Next Steps
Whether you are looking for a self-paced language course to go on that vacation you’ve been postponing or a student looking for a subject your school does not offer, Spark can accommodate your needs. This article should help you decide if a self-paced course might benefit you best with or without a tutor.
If you want to explore the courses offered at Spark, you can browse the course level you are interested in on their website. You can find a range of IGCSE, As and A Level Academic courses as well as Non-Acemic courses.
Start learning today!