Craft Category: Artifacts

Due to the fast pace of change in the K-12 online learning field, many of the issues and concepts found in the first edition of this series required updates. This second edition of the National Primer series focuses on the basics of K-12 online learning for both policymakers and practitioners, while presenting the most current information to-date. This report seeks to address the following questions:

• What does an online course look like?
• How do students interact with their teacher?
• What qualifications and training are required of teachers?
• Does online learning really work?
• What state or school district policies are needed to implement online learning?

Read this report to examine the basics of online teaching and learning, professional development, technology, evaluating academic success, and a variety of other topics.

This paper provides an introduction to competency-based pathways, a necessary condition to realizing the potential of next generation learning. Significantly, this report finds that competency-based pathways are re-engineering our education system around learning – creating a system where failure is no longer an option.

Look for other papers in this series, and review this report now to discover ways to design competency-based pathways for next generation learning.

Going Virtual! 2010 is a follow-up report to the Going Virtual! Research series started in 2007. The purpose of the series is to describe current trends on the status of professional development for K-12 online teachers, as well as identify the unique needs and challenges faced by these instructors.

In fall 2010, a national survey was conducted with 830 total respondents representing online teachers from virtual schools, supplemental online programs, and brick and mortar programs offering online courses. The investigators used an interpretive research design to continue identification of the unique needs and status of professional development for K-12 online teachers.

This publication provides a set of quality guidelines for developing and evaluating student scientific investigations, through both online and face-to-face platforms. These guidelines were based on key ideas from the National Research Council’s America’s Lab Report, the National Science Education Standards, and AAAS Project 2061’s Benchmarks for Scientific Literacy, along with input from the research literature, new rubrics, and examples.

After a review of literature describing the current state of traditional and online classroom labs, the publication is divided into the following major sections:

• Guidelines for Student Scientific Investigations
• Learning Goals for Student Scientific Investigations
• Curriculum Design and Integration Standards.

Download this report to discover more about online learning labs, including recommended quality standards and evaluation criteria.

This study examines the role of online and blended instruction in addressing concerns and issues facing the American high school, informed by data collected from a national sample of principals. Findings portray that there are certain online learning initiatives that directly address education reform, including the following:

• Improving graduation rates
• Credit recovery
• Building bridges to college careers
• Differentiating instruction
• Lowering operating costs

Read this report and discover how online learning can improve the quality and experiences of students in American high schools.

Findings in this report highlight the need for additional guidance in policy and practice for providing special education in online programs. In February 2010, NASDSA convened a policy forum to identify challenges associated with serving students with disabilities, and to develop related policy recommendations. Project Forum, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), outlined the following expected outcomes for this report:

• Identify issues/challenges related to serving students with disabilities in virtual K-12 public school programs.
• Identify what works related to providing special education and related services to students with disabilities in virtual programs.
• Develop policy recommendations to address the identified issues.

Read more to discover the challenges and potential policy solutions to serving students with disabilities in a virtual K-12 learning environment.

This issues brief analyzes how online programs deal with at-risk students. First, the authors document a sampling of K-12 online program strategies for at-risk students. Second, the report provides survey responses to determine online delivery and design methods employed to assist at-risk students.

Browse this issues brief for specific recommendations regarding at-risk learners in virtual school environments.

This report identifies Wichita Public Schools as a case study for analyzing disruptive innovation – or the use of computer-based learning. Launched in 1999, these Learning Centers were designed for dropout-recovery and credit-recovery purposes. By 2010, the district served 946 students in 3,904 half-credit courses and had a waiting list of more than 300 students in the 2008-09 school year. Download this report to discover how Wichita Public Schools created a new successful educational model to serve dropouts and at-risk students.

This guide assists parents in understanding what online learning is and in selecting the right online school, program, or course for their children. As part of the Promising Practices series, the authors explain online learning promising practices to parents, with considerations for full-time online schools as well as supplemental online courses.

Given the enormous growth of online learning providers, the array of options can be bewildering, with choices including:

• State virtual schools, online charter schools, or district schools
• Public or private schools
• Full-time or supplemental options
• Fully online or blended instruction

Use this guide to determine the key elements of online education programs, and use the checklists to compare online schools side-by-side as you search for the best options for your children.

In October 2008, iNACOL released the initial Snapshot State of the Nation: K-12 Online Learning in Canada report, providing a brief outline of K-12 distance education in Canada. This report provides an updated analysis of Canada’s K-12 distance education regulatory schemes. Author Michael Barbour provides a national overview, reporting that all 13 provinces and territories have some level of K-12 distance education activity. Explore this report to examine various legislation and programs that provide Canadian students with distance education opportunities.