Virtual Challenge: Creating Quality E-Courses View all upcoming Sponsored by: Gerald Herbert/AP View our complete collection of e-learning reports at

Our Moderator Michelle Davis Senior writer, Education Week Digital Directions Blogger at Digital Education

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Featured Guests Greg Marks Director of Product Development, Michigan Virtual University Debi Crabtree Coordinator of the Hamilton County Virtual Schools, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Greg Marks Michigan Virtual School & Michigan LearnPort Virtual Challenge: Creating Quality E-Courses

Improved student rates of completion, achievement Credit recovery students are especially important Quality?

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) Motivational Framing (Crucial)

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 Hands-on Practice

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 Learner Finds a Fit

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 Assessment Processes

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 Instructor Presence

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 Pacing

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 Modularization

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 Guiding Inputs

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 As a Whole

Contact: Key instructional design literature M. David Merrill paper on First Principles of Instruction: Wiggins and McTighe on Understanding by Design: design/ design/ John Bransford, et. al. on How People Learn: URL for PowerPoint, links, and samples Further Information

9/7/ Learner Centric eLearning Debi Crabtree Hamilton County Virtual School Chattanooga, Tennessee

9/7/ Brief history 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

9/7/ National Educational Technology Plan 2010 “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 learner- centered e-learning.

9/7/ Regular Summer Program Engaging courseware from CompassLearning Odyssey CompassLearning Odyssey Robust diagnostic testing Regular credit recovery learning paths aligned to standards with ability to test out of content already mastered

9/7/ New summer program 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 and small refundable registration fee

9/7/ Nine schools 3 Elementary Schools 6 Middle Schools 83% successfully completed their courses 64% received refunds (met attendance requirement and successfully completed)

9/7/ The numbers 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?

9/7/ Creating the learning paths Schools provided TCAP data and reading levels of students Based on this data, learning paths were created

9/7/ Teacher training  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

Communication  Weekly Communication with Student  Lab Visits  Parent Communication  Weekly Progress Reports  Final Grade Report 9/7/201527

9/7/ Communication and student support Complete Report Complete report

Hide student Here Yes Indeed Okay Here we Go yes

9/7/ Survey results

9/7/ Survey results

9/7/ Survey results

9/7/ Next Steps Skype Wiki assets Wiki Hardware needs and tech support Training and support for LFs Blended Learning

9/7/ Questions? Debi Crabtree

Question & Answer Session Questions and Answers

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An on-demand archive of this webinar is going to be available at in less than 24hrs. Thanks for taking part today. We really appreciate it. The edweek.org