A National Perspective of Online Learning: New Trends and Initiatives Susan Patrick President & CEO International Association for K-12 Online Learning

International Association for K- 12 Online Learning (iNACOL) iNACOL is the premier K-12 nonprofit in online learning members in K-12 virtual schools and online learning representing over 50 countries Provides leadership, advocacy, research, training, and networking with experts in K-12 online learning. “Ensure every student has access to the best education available regardless of geography, income or background.” Conference – Virtual School Symposium (VSS): Indianapolis November 9-11,2011 Next Generation Learning Challenges – Gates Foundation

Global Trends in ICT and Education 1.Mobile learning 2.Cloud computing 3.One-to-one computing 4.Ubiquitous learning 5.Gaming for learning (progressions, leveling up) 6.Personalized learning 7.Redefinition of learning spaces 8.Open content 9.Smart portfolio assessment 10.Teacher managers and mentors

Open Content Open educational resources (OER) are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use or repurposing by others. OER permit educators to share, access and collaborate so they can customize and personalize content and instruction. Department of Labor Grants $2B: open RFP for $500M open courses –Publicly funded development of educational materials should be publicly accessible as Open Educational Resources.

The Futurist: Education 2011 China may be the first country to succeed in educating most of its population through the Internet. –From , China spent about $1 billion to implement online learning projects in the rural country-side.

U.S. Online Learning Facts 39 states have state virtual schools or state-led initiatives for online learning (KP 2010) 27 states have full-time virtual charter schools with over 225,000 students (CER) 2 states require an online course for high school graduation 50% of employers use e-learning for training 1 in 4 undergraduate and graduate student enrolls in an online course in higher education 82% of school districts had one or more students in a fully-online or blended course More universities are offering K-12 courses online –MIT open courseware for K-12 students –Stanford, Northwestern programs for gifted K-12 Online Learning enrollments growing 30% annually nationwide with 50,000 in 2000 over 2 million enrollments in

Challenges in America’s K-12 Education System Three Looming Crises: 1.Declining State Fiscal Revenues 2.Mounting Teacher Shortages 3.Increased Global Demands for Skilled Workers …the Online Learning Imperative

10 Elements of High Quality Digital Learning

1. Student Eligibility All students are digital learners.

2. Student Access All students have access to high quality digital content and online courses.

3.Personalized Learning All students can customize their education using digital content through an approved provider.

4. Advancement Students progress based on demonstrated competency.

5. Content Digital content, instructional materials, and online and blended learning courses are high quality.

6. Instruction Digital instruction and online teachers are high quality.

7. Providers All students have access to multiple high quality providers.

8. Assessment andAccountability Student learning is the metric for evaluating the quality of content and instruction.

9. Funding Funding creates incentives for performance, options and innovation.

10. Delivery Infrastructure supports digital learning.

Students’ Perspective Sophomores from Open High School of Utah cited ten benefits of online learning: 1. I can work ahead if I am able 2. I get nearly instant responses from my teachers 3. I get personalized support when I need it 4. My teachers are just as excited about online learning as I am 5. I can do all my math for the week on one day if I want to 6. I know how I'm doing, my grades are right on the screen 7. My parents can see my work and grades 8. My courses are more challenging 9. I can keep up with my work when my family travels 10. I can work around a busy schedule

Council of Chief State School Officers Committee on Next Generation Learners (March 2009) Six Critical Attributes of Next Generation Learning Planning for Personalized Learning Comprehensive Systems of Supports World-Class Knowledge and Skills Performance-based Learning Anytime, Everywhere Opportunities Authentic Student Voice

of students do not finish high school 30% 50% 42% 26% of students who enroll complete a bachelor’s degree by age 26 of African Americans, Hispanics, and low-income students drop out of low-income students who enroll complete a bachelor’s degree by age But this opportunity is not full realized

Current conditions necessitate breakthrough change, and we are optimistic about the role that technology can play. NGLC seeks to dramatically improve college readiness and completion in the United Sates through the applied use of technology.

Partners span the K-12 and higher education communities

Be learning-centered, not technology-centered Build on the existing work of others to refine and scale, not invent Connect supply side of innovators with demand side of adopters Lean towards “the edge,” but not blindly so Provide market signals, community building, and evidence as important as funding Act with a sense of urgency The approach

Provide Investment Capital Build an Evidence Base Foster a Collaborative Community Program components

Building Blocks for College Completion Open Core Courseware Blended Learning Deeper Learning and Engagement Learner Analytics (October 2010) Building Blocks for College Completion Open Core Courseware Blended Learning Deeper Learning and Engagement Learner Analytics (October 2010) Wave I Building Blocks for College Readiness (January 2011) Building Blocks for College Readiness (January 2011) Wave II To be determined (Fall 2011) To be determined (Fall 2011) Wave III

NGLC Wave 2 seeks to stimulate a significant and bold move to next-generation approaches to mastering Common Core State Standards ( with deeper learning competencies in order to improve college readiness.

Wave 2 is focused on a single, integrated challenge comprised of two highly interdependent elements: 1)Next generation approaches to student learning of content and competencies 1) Next generation assessments

Applications and Tools within Learning Trajectories

Fundamentals of Learning Using platform of the common core: – Approaches should anticipate the future of learning – Active, situated and experiential learning improves engagement, problem solving and achievement – Learning best measured by mastery rather than seat-time

Next Generation Learning Models In this paradigm of “next generation learning models,” students and teachers – from secondary to postsecondary – will access high-quality, relevant and engaging content in multiple modalities. Class time and structure will become more flexible, based on the learning needs of the students. Students will access multiple sources of instruction as needed and use assessments and diagnostics to gain more control over the pace and format of their own learning. And teachers will spend their time in different ways, tailoring their help to ensure acceleration and mastery for all students, with a focus on those who have historically been underserved.

In a proficiency system, failure or poor performance may be part of student’s learning curve, but it is not an outcome Proficiency Based Instruction and Assessment, Oregon Education Roundtable

March 3-4, 2011

Competency-based learning Performance or competency based learning is fundamental to personalizing learning at scale and It challenges almost all of our assumptions about the present system

Susan Patrick, iNACOL