virtual course consultant project

7/30/2019 Virtual Course Consultant Project

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1VIRTUAL COURSE CONSULTANT PROJECT

Virtual Course Consultant Project

Linda L. Tavares

University of Maryland University College


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ONLINE LEARNING

Public education is not known for rapid change but with the advent of ever expanding

technologies, the last 10 years has seen a growth in online learning. Significant changes in how

students access information, share ideas and learn are taking place in K-12 public education.

Authors John Watson and L. Kay Johnson (2011) state, parents, students, and educators are

beginning to realize the unparalleled equity and access to a high quality education that online

learning affords and as of late 2010, 48 states operated some form of state-led supplemental

online learning program for students attending physical schools, and/or full-time programs for

students who take their entire education online (p. 205).

What is online learning? The most accepted definition of a virtual school is an entity

approved by a state or governing body that offers courses through distance deliverymost

commonly using the Internet (Barbour & Reeves, 2009, p. 402). Online learning utilizes text,

video, audio, and animation via the internet and allows students to take part in educational

activities (both delivery and learning) at a distance synchronously (in real time) or

asynchronously.

Summary of Virtual School Status in the United States

Online learning is presently experiencing a surge in growth and with each passing year,

enrollment in virtual schools continues to increase (Barbour & Reeves, 2009). More students

than ever before were taking online and blended courses in SY 201213 and two new states

allowed fully online schools last year for a total of 31 states (Gemin, et al. 2012). According to

Keeping the Pace with Online and Blended Learning(2012), there were 619,847 course

enrollments (one student taking a one-semester-long online course) in 28 state virtual schools in

SY 2011-12 which is an increase of 16% over the previous year (Gemin, et al.). Further, blended

schools and blended programs in districts are a fast-growing and high-profile segment with an

estimated number of several million, or slightly more than 5% of the total K-12 population

across the United States taking part in all online programs (Gemin, et al.).

The images below identify an increase in the number of virtual schools which are being

offered as full time and blended/hybrid learning environments. Figure 1 from the reportKeeping

the Pace with Online and Blended Learning(2012) shows a graphic representation of the number

of course enrollments in the United States Virtual Schools in SY 2011-12 and how the program

size relates to the ratio to state population. Floridas Virtual Schools has the strongest enrollment


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with 303,329. Figure 2 (below) shows the states which had multi-district, fully online schools in

2012.

Image from kpk12.com

Figure 1: State Virtual Schools in 2012.

Image from kpk12.com

Figure 2: States with multi-district fully online schools in 2012


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Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing a program of online learning. Barbour and

Reeves (2009) explain the benefits of virtual schooling could be divided into six areas:

Higher levels of motivation

Expanding educational access Providing high-quality learning opportunities Improving student outcomes and skills Allowing for educational choice Administrative efficiency (p. 409)

Professors Tom Clark and Zane Berge summarize the benefits of virtual schools in their

publication Virtual Schools and eLearning: Planning for Success. Drs. Clark and Berge (2005)

explain virtual schools make courses accessible to student s that they could not otherwise take.

Some virtual school courses enrich the curriculum through their high quality and/or challenging

nature, and help students meet measurable state and national standards of learning. Virtual

schools can extend equitable access to high quality education to students from high-need urban

and rural schools, low achieving students, and students with specials needs (p. 2). One key

benefit of Virtual schools is the expansion of educational choice.

XYZ Sc ho ol Di st ri ct

The XYZ School District is located in rural Southern Maryland. The public school

system in XYZ District provides education to students in grade K-8 and has a student population

of 2300. Mr. Henry, the school superintendent in XYZ District, strives to provide pathways for

students to build their 21st

century skills. He recognizes the importance of infusing technology

into each of the districts six schools and has secured enough technology funding to make

computers available to students on a basis of 1 computer per 4 students. Recently, a need for

virtual schooling opportunities arose. XYZ district found the following challenges which Virtual

Schooling can help them overcome:

1. Several students throughout the district have been identified as gifted and in need of

an accelerated curriculum for mathematics. Higher level math courses were not offered in their

districts K-8 schools and to meet the needs of these students, additional staff members would

need to be hired. Recent budget cuts prevented hiring of new teachers for the benefit of a select


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few students so teachers were having difficulty meeting the demands of accommodating their

educational needs.

2. To meet the demands of the new state mandated standards, several electives were

being removed from the curriculum to make room for a greater emphasis core subjects. Electives

such as Art, Foreign Language Programs (Spanish and French), and Music would no longer be

offered in XYZ District schools.

Since the XYZ school district recognizes the importance of providing these elective

courses to students in order to maintain a well-rounded education, it has decided to add a

meaningful online supplemental program by providing for greater technology integration into

their public schools. In order to implement a virtual school program that encompasses a balanced

curriculum which includes the state standards, XYZ district has sought out a virtual school

consultant to assist in the creation of an online learning program.

Mission

The creation of a mission statement is a quality strategy for teaching and learning at a

distance. From the textbookTeaching and Learning at a Distance, authors Albright et al., (2012)

identify that, The mission statement contains an explicit statement of the purpose of distance

education (p. 165). Developing a clear mission statement can be achieved by focusing on the

following list of questions:

1. What are the educational needs of students in XYZ District?2. What type of school would best meet the needs of the student population?3. What will the learning outcomes, goals, and objectives of the virtual school?4. What type of program will help meet these goals and objectives?

Developing clear mission and vision statements will help guide XYZ District through the process

of developing an online learning program. Recommended mission and vision statements which

apply to the specific needs of XYZ District is as follows:

XYZ district is committed to using technology to increase equity and access to the

highest quality educational opportunities for K-8 students.

XYZ District proposes to target students who have limited educational

opportunities by providing elective courses and advanced placement courses

online using highly qualified instructors and effective learning opportunities.


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The XYZ District provides online courses to K-8 students who otherwise would

not have the opportunity to take courses in subjects of arts and humanities

including art, music, and foreign languages.

XYZ Vi rt ua l Scho ol Di st ri ct Po li cies

When developing policies for virtual schools it is important to realize they should be

based on the policies already in place for brick and mortars schools in that district. Few

policymakers anticipated that any space time, any space place learning was possible when most

education laws were authored over the past 50 years. The issues largely center on determining

when existing educational policies are appropriate for this new model of learning and when new

policies should be created (Wicks & Associates, 2010, p. 6). Focusing on how students should

learn will help determine which new policies should be created. The following issues should be

taken into account when determining policies:

Academic: calendar, course integrity, transcripts, evaluation process, course dates anddeadlines, curriculum approval process, accreditation, quality standards and program

assessment, enrollment caps;

Fiscal: Tuition rate, technology fee, state fiscal regulations; Geographic: Service area regional limitations (in this case the district is the region); Governance: Single versus multiple board oversight, staffing, institutional accountability; Labor-Management: Compensation and workload, development incentives, intellectual

property, faculty training;

Legal: use of copyright materials, intellectual property of students, DMCA and TEACAct implications, accessibility, liability;

Student Support: Student services (admissions, advising, tutoring), computing systemaccounts, student training, handling student/parent complaints (Albright et al., 2012, p.

327).

Conduct an analysis of potential markets. According to Albright et al. (2012 ), It isimportant to determine whether the potential market exists in an academic content area

that is consistent with the core mission and values of the host organization. (p. 321).

Review existing policies and rewrite them as needed to reflect a virtual school.

Identify the type of program which is required to meet the needs of the students in XYZDistrict.

Challenges of Virtual Schools

Currently virtual schools have several challenges to overcome including high start up

costs associated with virtual schools, access issues surrounding the digital divide, and the


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approval or accreditation of virtual schools (Barbour and Reeves, 2009, p. 409). Common

challenges and possible solutions are outlined in the following table:

Challenge Solution

Technical Difficulties

There may be instances where students havetechnical problems that interfere with their

ability to access course materials.

Teachers should establish a close working

relationship with the technology support staffand keep the lines of communication open so

when technical problems arise, they will know

about them be able to address glitches quickly.Also, make sure students understand their

responsibilities include locating another

computer (at the library, for example) shouldtheir own be compromised.

PlagiarismPlagiarism is a serious problem and with an

increase in technology literacy of our studentshas never been easier to commit.

Provide lessons on plagiarism to clarify whatconstitutes plagiarism and have policies in

place to deal with them. Utilize plagiarismdetection services such as TurnItIn.com orSafeAssign.

Cheating

Cheating is just a prevalent in distance

education as in traditional classes.

Rely less on objective testing and more on

project based learning, portfolios, and small

formative tests throughout the course (Albrightet al., 2012).

Model Comparisons

There are many different types of virtual schools operating in the United States. Clark

(2005) indicated that virtual schools can be categorized in seven ways (see Table 1). While

Watson et al (2011) describes five types of virtual schools (see Table 2). A comparison of each

category is below:

Table 1

Clarks Seven Categories of Virtual Schools (http://www.irrodle.org)

Type Description

State-sanctioned,state-level

Virtual schools operating on a state-wide level, such as the FloridaVirtual School.

College and

university-based

Independent university high schools or university-sponsored delivery of

courses to K-12 students, such as the University of California College

Prep Online (UCCP).

Consortium and

regionally-based

Virtual schools operated by a group of schools or school districts, such as

the Virtual High School (VHS).


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Local education

agency-based

Virtual schools operated by a single school or school district, such as the

Gwinnett County Online Campus.

Virtual charter

schools

Virtual schools created under the charter school legislation in many

states, such as Connections Academy, also commonly known ascyberschools.

Private virtualschools

Virtual schools that are operated in the same manner as a brick andmortar private school, such as the Christa McAuliffe Academy.

For-profit providers

of curricula, content,

tools andinfrastructure

Companies that act as vendors for the delivery of courses or the use of

course materials, such as APEX Learning.

Table 2

Watson, Winograd, and Kalmon (2004) offer different categories which have five types of

virtual school as summarized below in Table 2:

Type Description

Statewide

supplemental

programs

Students take individual courses but are enrolled in a physical school or

cyber school within the state. These programs are authorized by the state

and overseen by state education governing agencies.

District-level

supplementalprogram

Are typically operated by autonomous districts and are typically not

tracked by state agencies.

Single-district cyber

schools

Provide an alternative to the traditional face-to-face school environment

and are offered by individual districts for students within that district.

Multi-district cyberschools Are operated within individual school districts but enroll students fromother school districts within the state. This represents the largest growthin K-12 online learning.

Cyber charters Are chartered within a single district but can draw students from across

the state.

Wicks & Associates (2010) state that every online program can be described based on a series of

defining dimensions (p.11). Table three summarizes these ten dimensions:

Table 3

Defining Dimensions of Online Programs

Comprehensiveness Reach Type Location


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Delivery Operational Control Type of Instruction Grade Level Teacher-Student Interaction Student-Student Interaction

Model Recommendations

Taking the specific needs of XYZ School District into consideration and the criteria mentioned

above, it is recommended XYZ School District implement the following type of program:

1. ComprehensivenessXYZ District should implement astatewide supplementalprogram. Students take individual courses but are enrolled in a physical school or cyber

school within the state. These programs are authorized by the state and overseen by state

education governing agencies.

2. Courses are taken as a form ofblended online learning. Blended learning is a formaleducation program in which a student learns at least in part through online delivery of

content and instruction with some element of student control over time, place, path or

pace using a learning management system (LMS) and at least in part at a supervised

brick-and-mortar location away from home (kpk12.com). Learning management systems

are a means of providing learning experiences and tracking student achievement toward

state and No Child left Behind standards and is the best choice (over a course

management system) for K-12 level students (Albright et al., 2012, p. 184).

3. The Blended/Online learning model should be theself blendmodel which describes ascenario in which students choose to take one or more courses entirely online to

supplement their traditional courses and the teacher-of-record is the online teacher

(kpk12.com, p. 18).

4. Reach and TypeDistrict blended and online programs are those created by a schooldistrict, entirely orprimarily for that districts students. Since the course demands relate

specifically to the needs of XYZ district, it is recommended this type of virtual

experience be limited to the students in this district only. Additionally, residents of the

district who are not currently enrolled but have an interest in taking the virtual courses

can register with a small tuition charge to help support the program.


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5. LocationHybrid method of school and home. Supplementary courses are offered onschool grounds and in each school in the district but having access to the program from

any off-site computer allows students to pace themselves according to their own

individual needs.

6. DeliveryBothsynchronous and asynchronous delivery given by on-sight staff ofteachers. Assignments will often involve working with a partner or in a group. This

arrangement of cooperative groups requires real-time interaction with peers. Other times

course lessons may be presented in text form, animated form, or as a video presentation.

7. Operational ControlState and localboard members supply the curriculum requirementsand the virtual classes follow the same curriculum standards as outlined for traditional

classroom settings. However, the supplemental virtual school program must be approved

before implementation.

8. Type of Instruction: Courses are offered in art, music, advanced mathematics, foreignlanguages of French and Spanish and fully online.

9. Grade levelelementary and middle. XYZ School District serves a K-8 studentpopulation. The virtual school program is geared toward students in grades K8 and

beyond given the educational needs of the gifted/advanced mathematics students who

will be taking courses at grade levels higher than grade 8. With foreign languages being

offered online, students as young as Kindergarten are encouraged to take these online

courses.

10.Teacher-Student Interactionhigh interaction through lesson delivery, activity, andcommunication using Web 2.0 applications. While the teacher is facilitator of the

program, students will be expected to utilize LMS appropriately. The teacher will

monitor student progress and growth, recognize difficulties, and implement strategies to

assist struggling students. Through the use of office hours and an online help-desk,

teachers can help students with technology issues as well as support their learning.

11.Student-Student Interactionhigh interaction between students as they collaborate, usecooperative learning strategies, create group based projects, and use Web 2.0 applications

to reinforce communications.


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Overcoming Anticipated Hurdles

The design model for XYZ School District should be considered a pilot program.

Obstacles can be anticipated and arrangements made to meet the demands of an online lesson

delivery system and thwart problems as they arise.Possible Problems Suggestions for Solving Problems

Service Slowdowns Make sure organization has reliable Internet access, sufficient server

capacity, adequate routers, servers for redundancy in the case of serverfailure, emergency generators during power failure and a file backup

system and off-site storage (Albright et al., 2010, p. 324).

Student has difficulty

with technology

Consider having IT staff member available to students and a Help Desk

support line. Technical assistance for online learners is crucial for the

user-friendliness and getting help in real time is a must for young

students.

Funding Annually budget for repair and replacement of technology. Most

technology should be replaced every four to five years including routersand servers.

Faculty not trained Training programs should be given in the form of workshops on using

the chosen delivery technologies and course management system.

Access to materials Staff members should check all lesson delivery materials daily to ensure

they are in good working order and to limit student frustration with the

program.

Policies As this is a pilot program, there will be many opportunities to review

and revise the online school policies. By examining what is working andwhat needs changing, faculty members create a positive working

environment and prove they are invested in the project.

Plan of Implementation

Developing an online or blended program using provider-supplied courses and district

teaching requires solid planning and strategic steps for implementation. The suggested timeline

presented here with and key milestone events leading to the launch of the virtual school

supplementary blended program has been adapted from a report which was outlined and

published by John Watson et al. (2012) in the publicationKeeping Pace with K-12 Online and

Blended Learning: An Annual Review of Policy and Practice (kpk12.com). It includes a 12

month strategic planning process. The implementation plan should begin one full year prior to

the first online course being launched.


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12-month strategic planning process

October1. Needs analysis: identify educational

goals

2.

Strategic planning: Key stakeholders Administrators Teachers Parents Students Superintendent School board Community Program definition

Late October

Project leader, instructional team,administrative leaders to Virtual School

symposium (if available).

Start your strategic planning process with aneeds assessment to help identify targeted

educational goals that will affect student

outcomes, especially where you are presentedwith unique educational challenges

(kpk12.com, p. 54).

Operations meeting to make group decisionsregarding enrollment, orientation, technical

support, academic support, budget analysis,

and evaluation of the proposed program.

November

Grade levels Student populations BL/OL model Facilities Bell schedule Instructional strategies and assessment

Identify courses Identify teachers

Identify and agree on defined educational goals

of student learning for a targeted group ofstudents.

December

Identify project leader School board buy-in

Create a presentation that includes plan of

action for the Virtual School Blended Learning

Program which includes mission statement,goals and objectives, needs assessment, and

budget analysis. Present to school board.

January

Plan for blended learning/onlinelearning teaching requirements

Develop and issue blended/onlinelearning course provider and LMS,including instructional strategies,

standards linkage, LMS functionality

Design the technology infrastructure Identify upgrades and changes to

facilities

Develop a communications plan

Identify LMS for implementation of school

supplemental program. Create a process to

choose the most appropriate Learning

Management System (LMS), traditional oropen source.

Utilize SREB Checklist while evaluating LMS(at www.sreb.org).


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February

Review blended/online learning courseprovider proposals

Initial budget outline and proposal draft Begin community outreach and

recruiting (existing and outside studentsfrom the district).

Use SREB Checklist while evaluating course

materials (at www.sreb.org).

March

Initiate planning for special education Select blended/online course provider Refine budget School board update from project

leader

Student course enrollments andblended/online schedules are created.

Include special education teacher with theprocess of identify differentiation requirements

and adhering to IEP goals.

April

Course development quality andprogress check (instructional designerand teachers)

Course review Finalize technology support plan and

training of staff

Finalize LMS integration and datadashboard.

During content acquisition: evaluate and

purchase individual courses that align withdistrict instructional strategies.

Utilize SREB Checklist while evaluating

course materials (at www.sreb.org).

May

First year blended/online learningteacher support plan (project leader and

team plan)

Programmatic evaluation plan Finalize student/parent and teacher

handbooks

Professional development for staff.

Professional Development for teachers

including LMS, using technologies associated

with the online lessons and projects.

June

Blended/online teacher professionaldevelopment

End device configuration: finalizepolicies and procedures Technology staff training Load and location Wifi testing Teacher supervisor training Facility construction/reconfiguration

complete.

Examine, review, and create new policies forvirtual education program.

IT to examine infrastructure and makerecommendations for facility upgrades,expansion and replacements required to

support the program.


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July

Course development complete/testingin LMS

Student recruitment/enrollment School board update Community outreach

Professional Development: Teachers

investigate LMS, lesson delivery methods, andfurther familiarize themselves with the

program.

IT conducts tests and final installments as

necessary. IT integrates support systemincluding a help desk component.

August

Online student orientation Blended/online teaching professional

development completed

LAUNCH WEEK: First day ofblended/online classes

Technology and lesson issues identified Execute communications planpress

releases/media relations/community

outreach Student/parent blended/online

orientation face-to-face meeting.

Develop an online orientation course for

students to set performance expectations,

familiarize the students with the technologyand gauge their commitment. Consider

successful completion a requirement to gain

access to registered courses.

Hold parent conferences to introduce the

program.

Implement online orientation course for targetstudents registered in the program.Implement online program.

September

Post-launch status update School board update.

Continuing throughout the program:

collaborative sessions should be held with

teacher, IT, and Administration to identifyprogram successes and brainstorm ideas for

improvement.

Compiling Data Through to May

Throughout the school year it is important to compile data showing student progress and

growth. In May, prepare a report to share results with state and local board of education

members. Continue to review and revise program time parameters and policies and meet

regularly to analyze successes and to alter program as needed.

Six Criteria Necessary for a Sound Vir tual School Model

Mission and Goals: Identify a need for using technology and projected outcomes. The

community and faculty must be supportive of the online program. Identifying valid goals whichuse technology to meet the educational needs of students (as well as those in the districts

community) helps convey the project planners level of confidence for successfully meeting the

goals.

Planning for Distance Education: No organization should enter into the distance

education marketplace without a clearly though through plan that has gained the consensus


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approval of all key players (Albright et al., 2012, p.319). Including staff and procedures to

make sure the courses are effective and are high quality.

Professional Development:Many online program professional development

requirements focus on helping teachers understand how to motivate individual learners, enhance

student interaction and understanding without visual cues, tailor instruction to particular learning

styles, and develop or modify interactive lessons to meet student needs (Wicks & Associates,

2010, p. 12). Ensure faculty readiness and support by offering access to Technology

Symposiums, Webinars, and Professional Development Workshops.

Access to Technology: Readiness of the technology infrastructure means ensuring the

technology is reliable, sufficiently robust, and well supported and backed by necessary funding

(Albright et al., 2012, p.324). Without a strong and working network complete with sufficient

back-up plans, the project will fail.

Support: Faculty support including training, course evaluation support, and technology

support is important so teachers and administrators know they can get assistance as needed and

they are adequately prepared to implement the program. Faculty will need training, assistance

with course development and delivery, and access to a dedicated help desk as means of support.

Student support includes access to an online library, technology information should they have

trouble interacting with the course technologies.

Institutional Policies: Distance education policies must be developed and revisions to

existing policies are done when appropriate including online learning policy, academic policies,

fiscal, geographic, governance, labor-management, legal and student support policies (Albright

et al., 2012, p.327).


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References

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virtual course consultant project

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