Friday, March 25, 2016

VIRTUAL LEARNING COMES TO ALL ALABAMA DISTRICTS IN 2016-17

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When news of the Virtual Learning Option Law was first announced last year, district leaders across the state began searching for information about virtual schools and programs to find out how they operate and deliver high-quality courses. Both a board-approved policy and a program option or actual virtual school must be in place before next year for a school district to be in compliance with this Alabama law. The development of a district policy outlining a virtual learning program option for students in grades 9 through 12 is a key step on the path to successful implementation of this new legislation. Moore and Kearsley (2012) point out the importance of the district’s decision to use or purchase an LMS (Learning Management System) for their virtual option because “the quality of the course delivered at a distance and the quality of the student’s experience will to some extent depend on the particular delivery system used“ (p. 178). Some districts are still making decisions about using ACCESS or another LMS for course content and delivery while others are working out details of their policy before it goes before the board for approval.

Shelby County Schools has a policy for virtual learning options that was board approved in January 2016. That policy and the few courses that will be available for enrollment for next year were publicized to parents of registering students in all seven of our high schools. Next year students can take English 10-12 and social studies courses as their virtual option. The policy includes a plan to gradually offer all courses as virtual options over the next four years and the requirements for eligibility to enroll in the program. Leaders in the district Curriculum and Instruction Department are exploring options for a delivery system, but at this time, no decision has been made public.


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In the fall, a survey was administered to all high school students and their parents to gauge interest in taking one or more courses via the virtual option. Seeking this input from families in the district is a best practice in my opinion because the results showed the level of demand for online learning. Mississippi’s State Department of Education offers a statewide virtual program via Connections Academy which offers many reasons families may choose to try a virtual option. One of the most urgent concerns is how this new law and district offerings will impact student learning and achievement. Too many strict requirements for eligibility will severely limit the number of students who will even look at this as an option. Students who have never taken coursework online will benefit from a face-to-face orientation to prepare them for the challenges that come with virtual learning.  As we move past this initial year of implementation, I believe the number of students who register and succeed in the current options will determine our district’s path and how we adjust our virtual program so that we continue to meet our students’ needs.


References

 Moore, M. G., & Kearsley, G. (2012). Distance education: A systems view of online learning. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
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2 comments:

  1. Laura CMarch 31, 2016 at 10:42 AM

    I have found it interesting in my own research and in listening to instructors at Hoover High School that the enrollment numbers for online learning are not higher. Hoover instructors said that students must still like coming to school. This reasoning is consistent with my research that students enjoy face to face time with other students and teachers.

    I am eager to see the impact of online learning in high schools across the state of Alabama. I am proud of the state for recognizing that students learn differently. With billions of gigabytes of information available, student access to information is instantaneous (Moore & Kearsley, 2012). This shift in how information is received will change education and while I think that online courses are a great option, I do not foresee many students doing a totally online high school program.

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  2. KaitlinApril 5, 2016 at 2:02 PM

    Angie,
    Since you were able to develop and approve your policy sooner than others, have you all had a chance to decide which school(s) would be the homebase for your online courses? Is there an opportunity for students to work with school or district technology during "out of office hours?" Moore & Kearsley (2012) point out some of the immediate decisions that will need to be made after distance education has become the chosen direction. Will you need to hire new teachers or have you already identified a few that currently have time in their schedules to facilitate the ACCESS courses? Will the staff be on the same evaluation cycle as their traditional peers? These questions seem daunting and many of the answers are unavailable until you all have a better idea of who will sign up.

    Laura mentioned that many students are preferring face-to-face courses instead of the online option, when given the choice. While all of the above questions are important, you may not have to act on anything in the foreseeable future.

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