New statistics published by Pamoja Education, the only provider of online subject courses for students studying the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), show that enrolments have increased 30% in the last year.
Online learning for the IBDP has been available to students aged 16-18 years old since 2009. Online enrolments have reached a record 1,400, with expectations that they’ll rise to 5,000 within the next four years according to Pamoja.
The online service is meeting the demand for an international education among secondary school students. More than 80 countries are represented by the student population, up 20% since 2012.
“As the use of online learning continues to escalate in higher education, within the workplace and for lifelong learning, the benefits of gaining rigorous and well supported online learning experience during the senior school years is becoming increasingly valued,” the company said in a statement.
The number of schools offering online courses for IBDP is also up 25% on last year. North American schools are showing the most interest with 100 new schools participating followed by 15 in the UK.
Online teachers are also based around the world and are qualified IB instructors
Paul Morris, the Head of upper school at the International School of London says the online learning environment aligns with the “increasingly online-oriented world view that a lot of our students have”.
“The students have benefited from working in the online environment because it has brought them into contact with perspectives and points of view that, even in an international school such as this which is very diverse, they may not have otherwise encountered,” he added.
Advocates of the online learning method say it cultivates transferrable skills such as time management, organisation and self-regulation.
Online teachers are also based around the world and are qualified IB instructors. They introduce the weekly lessons, guide discussions, provide feedback and one-to-one contact to students.
Classes are no more than 25 students and there is no differentiation of IB qualification certificates if the subject is taken online or in traditional classrooms.
According to Pamoja, even though IBDP online is operating with a non-selective admissions process, students achieve a higher pass rate (83.5%) than the IB international pass rate of 78.5% (Grade 4 or above).
The International Baccalaureate is a Swiss-based non-profit educational foundation founded in 1968. It currently works with 3,717 schools in 147 countries to develop and offer four levels of programmes to over 1,162,000 students aged 3 to 19 years.
In 2013, 48,637 IB diplomas were awarded to students around the world.
