What We Are Learning about Learning Online

Jeffrey L. Hunt, Ed.D.

Today’s Overview

• Framework of Program

• Promising Practices• Course Design• Online Student

Demographics• Survey Results• Recommendations

Indian Prairie School District 204

• Suburban Chicago• Enrollment: 29,000• Demographics:

– White (61%), Black (9%), Hispanic (7%), Asian (19%), Multiracial (4%)

– Low Income (10%), LEP (4.5%), IEP (9%), Mobility (8%)

• 90% of all students meet or exceed state testing

Definition of Terms

http://www.sloanconsortium.org/

Why do we create opportunities for students?

• Legal• Co-curricular for complete experience at school.• Prepare student for the future

– AP Courses

– School to Work

– STEM

– Career

– Learn online

@IP

SD

Cloud ComputingPersonal Devices

Open SourceIncreasingBandwidth Digital Content

•OER

•Online Courses

•Web 2.0

•Social Networking

Five Trends in K12 Education

Trends in online learning

2009, 1.5 million (est.) students enrolled online in K-12.

K-12 on-line growing at 30% per year.

70% of school districts offer at least one course online.

http://iwww.nacol.org

Trends in On-Line Learning

In 2009, 5.6 million students enrolled on-

line, 21% Increase over previous year,

yet overall enrollment increased by 1.2%

In Higher Education

http://www.sloanconsortium.org/

Nearly 30% of all students in higher education taking

courses in fall 2009.

Remote Education ActPublic Act 96-0684

• Allows school districts to provide non-traditional programs outside school hours and school walls to claim General State Aid.

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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

• Proctoring major assessments and final exams.

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PROMISING PRACTICES

• Using live virtual sessions with software like Elluminate or Wimba Classroom.

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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.

Redefining Teacher Practices

• Developing -Revising content.

• Working with struggling students.

• Individual instruction.

• Focused Grading.

Interaction Triangle

Student

Teacher

Student Content

•Essential Understandings•Course Goals•Student insights

Lesson Design

Audio

Video Text

Learning

Students should have option to select the mode of their learning.

Research: Who can be successful?

Achievement and Self-Esteem Beliefs – Students require a high degree of self-motivation, and [they] must perceive that their success depends on their own contributions, rather than those of the course or teacher.

Responsibility/Risk Taking – Students have to take the initiative [to] complete tasks, even when all the information may not be given and the correct way to proceed may not be clear.

Technology Skills and Access – Students in on-line courses not only must be skilled at using on-line resources but also should have better-than-average access to them.

Organization and Self-Regulation – Even more than other academic activities, on-line environments seem to require students to have excellent organization and study skills.

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

Course Technology

Blackboard Student Users

Blackboard Historical2001-2011

Blackboard 2010-2011

Course Design -- Navigation

Health

AstronomyConsumer Economics

Course Design -- Visual

Course Design -- Organization

Unit Cover PageInternal

NavigationGraphicsVideo PodcastPreview UnitGoals

Course Design – More Organization

Unit ToC ChecklistStudy GuideRecorded

SessionContentAssessmentsFor Further

Understanding

Consumer Economics Astronomy

Course Design -- Lesson

Colorful Text in Large Font

Attractive Graphics

Appropriate Citations

Audio & VideoContent

Consistent with Traditional Curriculum

Course Menu

– Astronomy– Consumer Economics– English IV: 20th Century Literature– English IV: AP– Health– U.S. History– Middle School Math Course 3– Middle School Pre-Algebra

Who are the students?

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?

What are their grades?

Interaction Triangle

Student

Teacher

Student Content

•Essential Understandings•Course Goals•Student insights

Advice for future students

• 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.

Who is the 204 High School E-Learner?

Female (White, 46%; Asian, 6%)

Pass course with “A,” “B” or “C” – 92%

Completes work at home during traditional homework hours.

Enjoys flexibility and pacing.

Seeks quiet to study.Understands the self-

discipline requirements.

Based on 8 semesters of participation data

Recommended Course Target Audiences

Excellent Students, “A”, “B”

Average Students, “C”

Struggling StudentsCredit Recovery

Please provide feedback for this session by emailing

jeff_hunt@ipsd.org.

The title of this session is:

What we are Learning about Learning Online