What We’re Learning About Online Learning

Illinois Computing Educators’ ConferenceMarch 2, 2012 Today's presentation file

Twitter: @jeff_hunt  Jeffrey L. Hunt, Ed.D.

Today’s Overview

• Definitions & Context• Promising Practices• Online Student

Demographics• Survey Results• Recommendations

WHY DO WE CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS?

• Legal• Co-curricular for complete experience at school.• Address specific learning issues• Prepare student for the future

o AP Courseso School to Worko STEMo Careero 21st Centuryo Learn online

Participant QuestionWhat is your interest in online learning?•  I am curious; I am

here to find out more.

• We are dicussing online learning in our district.

• We are actively planning an online program.

• We have an online program.

Cloud ComputingPersonal Devices

Open SourceIncreasingBandwidth Digital Content

• •OER• •Online Courses• •Web 2.0• •Social Networking

FIVE TRENDS IN K12 EDUCATION

Definitions

• iNACOL – International Association for K-12 Online Learning

• OER – Open Educational Resources (Free or inexpensive course content.)

Definitions

http://www.sloanconsortium.org/

Blended Learning

• Traditional brick and mortar mixed with online learning.

• Teachers work with student individually during computer-based instruction times.

Carpe Diem H.S., Yuma, AZ

Online Learning• Students work at the

time of their choice.• May work at home or

at school• Have contact

electronically with teacher and other students.

• May have pacing charts to evenly divide work.

• May have weekly deadlines.

Florida Virtual School

Numbers:  Online Enrollments

• 2012, 3-5 million (est.) online class enrollments in K-12.

 • Nearly 1/3 of all students in

higher education took courses in fall 2010.

 • 2011 - online and blended

learning opportunities exist for at least some students in all 50 states plus DC.

http://www.inacol.org

ESTIMATE OF ADOPTION

• If rate of adoption follows the classic disruptive innovation model, by 2018, 50% of all high school courses will be online.

--Clayton M. Christensen

DEVELOPMENT ISSUES

• Common Core• NCAA approval• Technical know how

COURSE DEVELOPMENT PHILOSOPHY

• Borrow (steal) it• Buy it• Build it yourself

CONTENT

OER

• NROC• CK12

image source

CONTENT

Phil Lacey’s OER Page

http://bit.ly/lacey_oer

Quality Assurance

Quality Course Design

Quality Assurance

• Effective program evaluation

• Participation targets• Completion goals• Cost targets• Student feedback• Comparison to

traditional courses/subjects

PROMISING PRACTICES

• Delivering an Engaging and Challenging Course.

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PROMISING PRACTICES

• Using the same course outlines, major assessments and courses examinations as face-to-face courses.

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PROMISING PRACTICES

Provide students multiple pathways to learn:• Text• Audio• Video

PROMISING PRACTICES

• Proctoring major assessments and final exams.

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PROMISING PRACTICES

• Using live virtual sessions with software like Blackboard Collaborate or Abobe Connect.

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PROMISING PRACTICES

• Requiring students have interactivity with the teacher and other students.

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PROMISING PRACTICES

• Requiring weekly, purposeful communication between the teacher and individual students.

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PROMISING PRACTICES

• Adding oral exams at milestone points in the course to check for understanding.

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PROMISING PRACTICES

• Challenging problems for accelerated (gifted) students.

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PROMISING PRACTICES

• Regular formative assessments, followed by periodic formal evaluations by outside reviewers.

INTERACTION TRIANGLE

Student

Teacher

StudentContent

• •Essential Understandings• •Course Goals• •Student insights

WHO CAN BE SUCCESSFUL?• Achievement and Self-Esteem•  BeliefsResponsibility/Risk Taking•  Technology Skills and Access • Organization and Self-Regulation 

 Roblyer, M.D. and Marshall, J. (2002). Prediction success of virtual high school students: Preliminary results from an educational success prediction instrument.

COURSE TARGET AUDIENCES

Excellent Students, “A”, “B”

Average Students, “C”

Struggling StudentsCredit Recovery

Interaction Triangle

Student

Teacher

StudentContent

•Essential Understandings•Course Goals•Student insights

High School Course Menu

• Astronomy• Consumer Economics• English IV: 20th Century Literature• English IV: AP• Health• U.S. History

Who are the students?

What is their Achievement Level?

Who are the students?

Student Comparison

District•White – 61%•Black – 9%•Hispanic – 7%•Asian – 19%•Multiracial – 4%

Online•White – 77%•Black -- 4%•Hispanic – 8%•Asian – 9%•Multiracial – 3%

Who are the students?

iNACOL Demographics Study

www.glickconsulting.com

iNACOL demographics study

www.glickconsulting.com

iNACOL Demographics Study

www.glickconsulting.com

What are their grades?

Student Advice Only take this course if you

are self-motivated enough to do it. It’s not bad at all if you manage your time wisely and set goals for yourself to finish it on time. I wrote down all of the due dates in my assignment notebook so I could see when they were coming up to remind myself or else I knew that I would probably forget.