Online Learning Reigns Victorious at Olympic Games

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Ben Mueller
Ben Mueller
02/13/2014

The Sochi Olympics are finally here in all of their supremely athletic and absurdly-arranged-bathroom glory. While the living conditions (or lack there of) seem to be grabbing more headlines than the sporting events, there’s one event absent from the front pages that’s immensely popular among athletes—and no, we’re not talking about Tinder. Young athletes use eLearning, sometimes referred to as virtual learning, as a way to continue their schooling while also training for the Olympics. Here are four fun facts about eLearning among Olympic athetes.

1. The lifestyles of young Olympic hopefuls are better suited to eLearning than the average student.

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Notable eLearners include Vincent Zhou, the 2013 U.S. Figure Skating Junior Men’s National Champion, and Alicia Tong, the nation’s second-ranked snowboarder in the women’s youth division of the U.S.A. Snowboard Association.

Dr. Patricia Hoge, executive vice president of curriculum and instruction for Connections Academy, an online public school, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Virtual school is especially well-suited to student athletes who desire to compete at the highest level in their sport, yet do not want to compromise on their academics." After hitting the gym, young athletes can hit the books right next to the Gatorade machine.

2. DeVry University—known for its diverse online education offerings—signed a partnership with the United States Olympic Committee in late 2011. This year, the school boasts 15 students that are part of the national Olympic team in Sochi.

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DeVry offers Olympians reduced or waived tuition. This year’s Olympic students include Steven Holcomb, a gold medalist in bobsled at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and an undergraduate in computer science, and Elana Meyers, a 2010 bronze medalist in bobsled and a student of the Keller Graduate School of Medicine.

Looks like we have to start taking those repetitive late-night ads way more seriously.

3. The Pearson Online Learning Exchange is offering real-time Olympic teaching resources that update along with the games, so teachers can harness student excitement to create teachable moments.

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Free online resources include Sport Activity Packs that teach about snowboarding and alpine skiing, snapshots into the lives of the athletes, and lessons on science, social studies, reading and math perspectives on the games.

4. The absolute coolest Pearson online Olympic lesson? The Science Behind Snow.

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And given the weather in the U.S. as of late, students will find plenty of real-world applications.


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