Authenticity, engagement, and performance in online high school courses: Insights from micro-interactional data

Increased reliance on online course-taking in high school may have a negative impact educational opportunity gaps by exposing students belonging to marginalized subgroups pedagogy of poverty. Employing mixed method design, I documented the prevalence and form authentic work asynchronous, vendor-developed courses used primarily for credit-recovery large, urban district serving predominately low-income, minoritized student body. Rather than facilitating higher-order thinking providing real-world relevance, lessons most often required recite information. However, through qualitative analysis, identified that some types were feasible within asynchronous course structure integration student-directed research, writing-based tasks, interactive assignments. The identification only small magnitude associations with achievement indicates should be viewed less terms closing gap more as necessary remedy gap. Findings identify instructional practices likely improve authenticity, rigor, relevance students’ experiences online.