Virtual Challenge:
Creating Quality
E-Courses
Sponsored by:
View our complete collection of e-learning reports at
www.edweek.org/go/elearning-report
Gerald Herbert/AP
View all upcoming webinars @ www.edweek.org/go/webinar
Our Moderator
Michelle Davis
Senior writer, Education Week Digital Directions
Blogger at Digital Education
www.edweek.org/go/diged
An on-demand archive of this
webinar is going to be
available at
www.edweek.org/go/webinar
in less than 24hrs.
Thanks for taking part today. We really appreciate it.
The Editors @ edweek.org
Featured Guests
Greg Marks
Director of Product Development, Michigan
Virtual University
Debi Crabtree
Coordinator of the Hamilton County Virtual
Schools, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Virtual Challenge:
Creating Quality E-Courses
Greg Marks
Michigan Virtual School
&
Michigan LearnPort
www.mivu.org
Quality?
• Improved student rates of completion, achievement
• Credit recovery students are especially important
Motivational Framing (Crucial)
• A context that works for the student
• Related to real or desired experience
• Or at least interesting
• Show respect for the individual student
• Pre-assess, allow student to opt-out of some material
• Offer multiple, alternative approaches (choice)
Hands-on Practice
•
•
•
•
•
The student manipulates the ideas, concepts
This is active engagement, review, rehearsal
Applying what they have started learning
Experiences trial, error, and learning – via feedback
Often an ideal place for use of technology
Learner Finds a Fit
• Basics of presentation – multiple representations
• Text
• Audio
• Visualizations
• Different reading levels, conceptualization demands
• Good instructional design, UDL, differentiation
• If the learner feels puzzled or confused, that should
be a deliberate intention of the instructional design
Assessment Processes
• Pre-assess to see if the student knows enough
– At unit or module level, not entire course
– Student then has choice of taking or skipping
– Within module, require mastery before allowing advance
• Throughout: automated variations in questions
– Allows the student to take again, with different but
equivalent questions – formative use
– Minimizes copying answers, cheating
Instructor Presence
• Highly qualified teachers, but role may vary
– As an online instructor: discussing, answering,
observing
– As a blended instructor: both online and face-to-face
time in the school
– As a mentor for online students in the school: the local
eyes and ears for the online instructor
• Different instructional skill needed: more diagnostic,
individualized, with communication via computer
Pacing
• Students and schools have strong preference for:
– Starting when they want to
– Completing when they want to (early or late)
– Being able to learn anywhere
• That flexibility can mean disaster for students
without strong study skills and motivation
• Essential to have pacing guides, and instructor (and
on-site mentor) watching
• Flexibility has a downside for student discussion
Modularization
Similar to Units
Often 4 or 5 Modules per semester
Use pre-assessment to allow student to test out
Modules might be ‘independent’, allowing use in
any order (not possible with some subjects)
• Summative assessment within and at end of
module – and perhaps little or none at course end
•
•
•
•
Guiding Inputs
• Alignment with state and national standards
• Common Core Standards
• Instructors and other subject matter experts
• Content input, plus consideration of workload
• Students
• Get input on design choices ahead of time
• Observe workload, other reactions
• Track completion rate, achievement
As a Whole
•
•
•
•
•
A deliberate design process
Refined based on student outcomes
May later update, replace or add modules
Increasing flexibility, opportunity to customize
Opportunity for more contributors to a course
Further Information
• Email Contact: gmarks@mivu.org
• Key instructional design literature
• M. David Merrill paper on First Principles of Instruction:
http://mdavidmerrill.com/Papers/firstprinciplesbymerrill.pdf
• Wiggins and McTighe on Understanding by Design:
http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/pedagogical/understanding-bydesign/
• John Bransford, et. al. on How People Learn:
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=9457&page=2
• URL for PowerPoint, links, and samples
• http://tinyurl.com/mvuexamples
Learner Centric
eLearning



3/23/2016
Debi Crabtree
Hamilton County Virtual
School
Chattanooga, Tennessee
18
Brief history





3/23/2016
District-led virtual school
Have served up to 30 districts statewide
concurrently
Retain flexibility
Address many needs: credit recovery,
teacher shortages, issues of equity,
flexible scheduling, AP, student transfers
...
Two examples . . . Marion/Wilson
19
National Educational
Technology Plan 2010




3/23/2016
“The model of the 21st century learning
described in this plan calls for engaging
and empowering learning experiences
for all learners.”
Individualization of this type only
possible with the use of technology
Many virtual programs too closely mirror
F2F
Flexibility, individualization, engaging
courseware = new model of learnercentered e-learning.
20
Regular Summer
Program



3/23/2016
Engaging courseware from
CompassLearning Odyssey
Robust diagnostic testing
Regular credit recovery learning
paths aligned to standards with
ability to test out of content already
mastered
21
New summer program








3/23/2016
Title I Elementary and Middle Schools
Minimum of 20 of lowest performing
students in the school
Could address both Math & LA
Computer lab with machines running
Windows XP or later or Mac
Lab facilitator - training required
Purchase lunch and snacks
Bus transportation
Email and small refundable registration
fee
22
Nine schools




3/23/2016
3 Elementary Schools
6 Middle Schools
83% successfully completed their
courses
64% received refunds (met
attendance requirement and
successfully completed)
23
The numbers







3/23/2016
227 Course completions
12 Withdrawals
190 Successful completions of this
program
137 Unique students
62% Male, 33% Female
74% African American, 24% White,
.01% Hispanic
How did we do it?
24
Creating the learning
paths


3/23/2016
Schools provided TCAP data and
reading levels of students
Based on this data, learning paths
were created
25
Teacher training





3/23/2016
Monitoring student progress
Making adjustments to learning
paths as needed
Creating assignments to remediate
learning gaps
Meeting the student at his/her
instructional level
Allowing the student to experience
success
26
Communication
 Weekly Communication with




3/23/2016
Student
Lab Visits
Parent Communication
Weekly Progress Reports
Final Grade Report
27
Communication and
student support
Complete Report
3/23/2016
Complete report
28
Hide student
Here
Yes
Indeed
Okay
Here we
Go
yes
Survey results
3/23/2016
30
Survey results
3/23/2016
31
Survey results
3/23/2016
32
Next Steps





3/23/2016
Skype
Wiki assets
Hardware needs and tech support
Training and support for LFs
Blended Learning
33
Questions?

3/23/2016
Debi Crabtree
crabtree_d@hcde.org
Twitter: @debid
34
Question & Answer Session
Questions and Answers
Your Partner
in Online
Education
aventalearning.com
36
800.594.5504
36
Aventa Learning by K12
•
•
•
Founded in 2002
Accredited by Northwest Assoc of Accredited Schools
Offer more than 200 courses in Core Subjects,
Electives, World Languages, Advanced Placement,
Foundations and Credit Recovery
For Students in Grades 6-12
– AP courses authorized by the College Board
–
•
Standards-based, media-rich course solutions
Highly interactive
– Real-time, live instructional support
– Supports multiple learning styles
–
•
Instruction and support provided by HQ,
state-certified teachers
aventalearning.com
37
800.594.5504
37
aventalearning.com
38
800.594.5504
38
Extensive Catalog of Rich Curriculum
High School
Advanced Placement**
AP Art History
AP Biology
AP Calculus AB
AP Chemistry
AP Computer Science A
AP English Language
AP English Literature
AP Environmental
Science*
AP European History
AP French Language
AP Macroeconomics*
AP Microeconomics*
AP Physics B
AP Psychology*
AP Spanish Language
AP Statistics
AP US Government*
AP US History
AP World History
Language Arts
Grammar & Composition
English I
English II
English III
English IV
Creative Writing
Journalism*
Math
Pre-Algebra
Algebra I
Geometry
Algebra II
Trigonometry*
Pre-Calculus*
Calculus
Consumer Math
Integrated Math
aventalearning.com
Science
Physical Science
Earth Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Environmental Science
Social Studies
Geography
World History
American History
American Government*
Civics*
Economics*
World Languages
French I
French II
French III
French IV
German I
German II
German III
German IV
Japanese I
Japanese II
Latin I
Latin II
Mandarin (Chinese) I
Mandarin (Chinese) II
Spanish I
Spanish II
Spanish III
Spanish IV
Middle School
Technology
Computer Fundamentals
Digital Photography*
Digital Video Production*
Flash Animation*
Game Design*
Java Programming*
VB.Net Programming*
Web Design*
Language Arts
Language Arts 6
Language Arts 7
Language Arts 8
Electives
Accounting
Art Appreciation *
Career Planning*
Driver’s Education*
Health*
Life Skills*
Music Appreciation *
Nutrition & Wellness*
Personal Finance *
Physical Education
Psychology*
Sociology
Science
Science 6
Science 7
Science 8
Foundations
Algebra I
American History
Biology
Earth Science
English I
English II
English III
English IV
Geography
Geometry
Health*
Physical Science
World History
Math
Math 6
Math 7
Math 8
Credit Recovery
Language Arts
English I (E)
English II (E)
English III (E)
English IV (E)
Math
Algebra I (E)
Algebra II (+E)
Geometry (E)
Social Studies
Social Studies 6
Social Studies 7
Social Studies 8
Electives
Art 6*
Art 7*
Art 8*
Career Explorations*
Health 6*
Health 7*
Health 8*
Music 6*
Music 7*
Music 8*
Physical Education 6*
Physical Education 7*
Physical Education 8*
World Language Survey*
39
Science
Biology (E)
Earth Science (E)
Physical Science (E)
Social Studies
American Government*
(+E) American History (E)
Economics* (E)
Geography (E)
World History (E)
Electives
Health* (+E)
Physical Education*
Spanish I
800.594.5504
39
An on-demand archive of this
webinar is going to be
available at
www.edweek.org/go/webinar
in less than 24hrs.
Thanks for taking part today. We really appreciate it.
The Editors @ edweek.org