Running head: LITERATURE REVIEW 1
Literature Review of
Beyond the Classroom Walls: Teachers’ and Students’ Perspectives on
How Online Learning Can Meet the Needs of Gifted Students
Emily Saslo
Wilkes University

LITERATURE REVIEW 2
I. Summary
The article Beyond the Classroom Walls: Teachers’ and Students’ Perspectives on How
Online Learning Can Meet the Needs of Gifted Students by Dana Thomson began with a review of literature on gifted students and online learning. Specifically, Thomson described studies that examined the learning styles and personalities of gifted and nongifted students. Among many other findings, these studies concluded that gifted students favored independent, non-structured learning that was hands-on (Thomson, 2010). As a result, some gifted learners may learn better outside of the regular classroom. Thomson then described practices that should be utilized when teaching gifted students. These practices included providing students with experience with higher-level content, allowing students to work at their own pace, utilizing student-centered learning, providing interactions with other gifted students, and creating teacher-student connections (Thomson, 2010).
Next, the article explained benefits, drawbacks, and best practices of online learning. The use of online learning provided students with opportunities to explore more advanced curriculum, access to more educational opportunities, and contact with more resources and teachers (Thomson, 2010). Additionally, those students who participated in online learning usually achieved higher on assessments (standardized and other) (Thomson, 2010). Although there are many benefits to online learning, there are also drawbacks. Communication misunderstandings can occur with online learning, as well as a disconnect between students’ learning styles and the online learning classroom (Thomson, 2010). In order to best teach an online class, instructors should provide students with a course timeline that allows for selfregulation of learning. Expectations and instructions should be clear, and communication between teacher-student and student-student is essential (Thomson, 2010).

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Thomson then goes on to explain the study that she completed to explore online learning for gifted students. Study participants included instructors teaching an online class and students, in grades 3-12, taking an online class (Thomson, 2010). The study was performed in 2008-2009 at a Midwestern university. Nine instructors participated in an interview, and twenty-eight completed a survey about online teaching and learning. Six students participated in an interview, and sixty-five completed a survey about online teaching and learning. The interview results were utilized to create surveys with a mix of question types. The teacher survey was comprised of nineteen questions, while the student survey was made up of twelve questions. Many results were obtained through this study. For example, teachers stressed the importance of quality teacher-student communication. Also, although course content did not change much due to the online format, teachers recognized the need for specific and clear instructions to be posted on a course site. Further, student-student interaction, although often included, was not an integral part of online learning for gifted students. The participating teachers also recognized challenges of online learning including the need for students to be very self-motivated and the difficulty in catching student misunderstandings without face-to-face contact. The interviews and surveys completed by students revealed that students enjoyed the attention that they received from their instructors and valued frequent communication. Also, students liked that online learning was flexible and permitted them to set their own pace. The drawbacks that students reported included not having immediate and in-person access to the instructor and challenges with managing time
(Thomson, 2010).
Overall, the purpose of this article was to review the current research regarding characteristics of gifted students and online learning, and to present the results of a study evaluating the use of online learning for gifted students. The author made recommendations for

LITERATURE REVIEW 4 using online learning for gifted students based on the results of the study. In order to support the conclusions made, the author cited previous studies and the study she carried out. The study that she carried out analyzed both qualitative and quantitative data. The author was objective in her presentation of facts and data. She presented the results of her study, often quoting participants.
She also provided the reader with multiple limitations of the study, including the potentially limited experience of the participants and the low response rate of students. The information that was presented in the article was relevant to her major conclusions. Her major conclusions were that online learning has potential to be a powerful tool to educate gifted learners and that certain practices are best used to reach this potential (Thomson, 2010). She supported these conclusions by providing both qualitative and quantitative results of her survey. She cited multiple benefits of online learning as noted by the participants. She also provided the percents of respondents who ranked practices on a scale of one to five.
II. Research Design
To complete her study, Thomson employed a quasi-experimental design. It was a quasiexperimental design because it did not employ random selection of participants (Shuttleworth,
2008a). In fact, participants had to meet certain criteria in order to be asked to take part in the interviews and surveys. Additionally, there was no control group, which is necessary in true experimental design (Shuttleworth, 2008a). Thomson presented both qualitative and quantitative research. Qualitative data is data that is not measured, but that is observed and described
(Roberts, 1998). The author utilized this type of data when she conducted interviews of teachers and students. Quantitative data is that which deals with numbers (Roberts, 1998). Thomson

LITERATURE REVIEW 5 collected quantitative data when, on the surveys, she had participants rate instructional practices and characteristics of online learning environments.
A reliable study is a study that can be duplicated exactly, and similar results will be found
(Shuttleworth, 2008b). Thomson’s study is not reliable as it would be difficult to replicate exactly, and, because she required participants to rank items using personal judgments, which can vary widely from day to day and person to person. A valid study is one that measures what it states that it will measure. Thomson’s study is somewhat valid because her instruments
(interviews/surveys) were created with the sole intention of identifying the benefits and limitations of online learning for gifted students. However, it was not completely valid because
Thomson did not randomly select her participants and there was not a control group
(Shuttleworth, 2008b).
This study could be improved by having a higher rate of participation among students.
Thomson only had a seven percent response rate with students. She could have followed up with the students and perhaps had more take part. Thomson could have also improved the study by completing it again the following year with the same group of students and instructors, assuming that these students and instructors were still participating in online learning/teaching. Doing so would increase both the reliability and validity of the study.
III. Defend Your Position
I agree with Thomson that online learning has many benefits for gifted students. Aside from her article, many other peer-reviewed articles have been written that discuss gifted students and the benefits that online/distant learning can provide to these students. Specifically, online

LITERATURE REVIEW 6 learning provides students with the opportunity to learn at their own pace, increases student motivation, and provides students with access to advanced content.
Karen Rogers, using much research, compiled a list of five practices that should be used when teaching gifted learners. One such practice emphasizes the need for gifted learners to receive instruction at their own learning rate, not a rate that is slower (Rogers, 2007). Gifted students need to be exposed to material at an accelerated pace in order to make continual academic gains (Housand & Housand, 2012). In the study completed by Thomson, she noted that pacing was a positive aspect of online learning for many students (2010). Specifically, students liked being able to set their own pace for their instruction (Thomson, 2010). Therefore, online learning is beneficial to students in terms of pacing.
Another benefit of online learning, according to Ng and Nicholas, is an increase in student motivation (2007). Motivation is increased because students feel a sense of ownership over their learning (Ng & Nicholas, 2007). They feel this sense of ownership because they are granted control over the pace that they work at and are granted independence over many of the tasks that they complete. Housand, citing a small-scale qualitative study of technology use, reinforced this conclusion by stating that choices provide student with intrinsic motivation
(2012). As a result, student motivation is another benefit of online learning.
Adams and Cross utilized the results of several studies to describe a variety of benefits of online learning (2000). One particularly compelling benefit was that online learning has the ability to provide gifted students with advanced material, when students otherwise would not have access to such curriculum (Adams & Cross, 2000). Such a benefit may be a factor in rural areas that do not have access to gifted teachers in schools. Access to advanced material has been shown to dramatically increase educational gains, particularly when focused on science and math

LITERATURE REVIEW 7
(Rogers, 2008). To further support this claim, Wallace completed a study to examine the use of distance learning programs with students aged five to seventeen (2009). The study revealed that many high school students participated in classes not otherwise offered at their school, and they were able to earn credit and/or placement for taking such classes (Wallace, 2009). Overall, exposure to more advanced content is another benefit of online learning.
The elementary school that I currently work at only has a small population of students enrolled in a gifted program. We have one gifted teacher who works at all of the schools in the district to meet the needs of these students. Due to her busy schedule, the gifted teacher only meets with the gifted students once or twice a week for a short amount of time. The studies that I researched, as well as the results found by Thomson, suggest that students would benefit greatly if more gifted students were exposed to online learning. Although providing access to online learning may not be quickly done in my district, there are other ways of exposing gifted students to advanced content using technology. For example, the classroom teacher, or gifted teacher, could provide gifted students with suggestions of technology resources that would expand upon their learning. These resources include virtual field trips, Skyping opportunities, and interactions with other gifted students from various schools using monitored forums. A discussion with the district’s gifted teacher, revealed that she also believed students would benefit from meeting more frequently and interacting with their intellectual peers (personal communication, December
3, 2013). Unfortunately, due to time constraints, this is not possible; therefore, until online learning is used in my district, using monitored forums is a suggestion she agreed with. Such a suggestion is also supported by research that states that grouping gifted students together has positive social and emotion affects (Rogers, 2008).

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As a result of my research, I would recommend that gifted students in my district be provided with access to online learning. Such learning could be supplemental to the interaction that they receive from the gifted teacher of the district. These students could work on advanced material at their own pace in order to make substantial academic gains.
IV. Conclusion
Reading the paper by Thomson, as well as researching other studies on the topic, I have come to learn many of the benefits of online learning for gifted students. First of all, online learning allows gifted students to acquire knowledge at the accelerated pace that best suits their individual needs. Additionally, online learning can be motivating to gifted students; therefore, they can put forth more effort toward such academic endeavors. Additionally, online learning provides students with access to advanced content that they otherwise would not be able to experience. Although online learning has many benefits, there are also drawbacks. For example, communication misunderstandings can occur more frequently with online learning when compared to face-to-face learning.
More research needs to be conducted surrounding the benefits and challenges of online learning for gifted students, especially those in younger grades. Nonetheless, I expect to see an increase in the use of online learning as time goes by. I believe that this increase will begin at the high school level, and slowly trickle down to other age groups. The current exposure that students constantly have to technology such as iPads and laptops will make the incorporation of online learning more feasible. I do believe that online learning will be best utilized with gifted students as these students are often more knowledgeable with technology and are more selfmotivated to complete tasks independently, both requirements of online learning.

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In order to monitor the effectiveness of online learning, teachers need to be aware of the current research. Studies are constantly taking place on this topic; therefore, teachers must educate themselves on new benefits, challenges, and recommendations regarding online learning.
Doing so is particularly important for schools looking to implement online learning with their gifted students, as the organization of such programs has a lot to do with the success or failure that student participants experience.

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References
Adams, C., & Cross, T. (2000). Distance learning opportunities for academically gifted students.
Journal of Secondary Gifted Education , 11 (2), 88-96.
Housand, B., and Housand, A. (2012). The role of technology in gifted students’ motivation.
Psychology in the Schools, 49 (7), 706-715.
Ng, W., & Nicholas, H. (2007). Conceptualizing the use of online technologies for gifted secondary students. Roeper Review, 29 (3), 190-196.
Roberts, D. (1998). Qualitative vs. quantitative data . Retrieved from http://regentsprep.org/regen ts/math/ALGEBRA/AD1/qualquant.htm
Rogers, K. (2007). Lessons learned about educating gifted and talented: A synthesis of the research on educational practice. Gifted Child Quarterly , 41 (4), 383-397.
Shuttleworth, M. (2008a). Quasi-experimental design . Retrieved from http://explorable.com/quas i-experimental-design
Shuttleworth, M. (2008b). Validity and reliability . Retrieved from http://explorable.com/validity- and-reliability
Thomson, D. (2010). Beyond the classroom walls: Teachers’ and students’ perspectives on how online learning can meet the needs of gifted students. The Journal of Advanced
Academics , 21 (4), 662-712.
Wallace, P. (2009). Distance learning for gifted students: Outcomes for elementary, middle, and high school aged students. Journal for the Education of the Gifted , 32 (3), 295-320.