While Taipei American School already offers a multitude of courses students can take, online classes allow students to extend their learning experience and education. TAS should work with other programs, such as the Global Online Academy, to implement online classes into its curriculum.

GOA is an accredited nonprofit organization with which schools can partner various learning projects. GOA works with different schools around the world such as the Harker School in California, Hong Kong International School, and West Point Grey Academy in Canada.

In TAS, students often cannot take a class because they have to take another class, or their schedules simply do not work out. However, online classes can reduce course conflicts, since they both offer more course options.

The flexibility that online classes offers allows students to plan their study around the rest of the day instead of the other way around. Following this,  many students are limited in what courses they can take, even if it is offered at TAS. For example, Mary Park (‘21) wanted to take IBSL Dance in her sophomore year, but was forced to give the course up.

Demands students cannot meet directly can be met through online classes. “If there was a course that was not offered at TAS, I would love to join an online program that offers marine biology,” Claire Hong (‘21) said.

Through online classes, students are able to meet people with different pedagogical objectives through working with peers across the world. Since TAS is an international school, we are, already exposed to many different cultures. However, participating in something like GOA, where students are made up of people from different schools around the world, would provide experiences students might not get elsewhere.  

Some say online classes would add on to the academic pressure students of TAS are already facing. Nevertheless, there are still students that are capable of taking online classes in addition to the eight courses they take normally. 

There is certainly no one course catalog that fits all students, which is why TAS should work with an online program to allow students to take courses they are capable of taking as well as having scheduling alternatives, increase of courses, and meeting different pedagogical objectives.