What the Research Has to Say about K-12 Online Learning

The main conference has started today.
In the first session of the day I listened to a research project on K-12 Online Learning presented by Cathy Cavanaugh.

Here are my lecture notes:
More about who is teaching, who is learning, than the medium? How do we select the teachers, students?

Student Achievement

· Online learning attracts a “bimodal” range of students. Quality students that want to go faster than the other students. At the other end are the students that struggle in a face to face school (credit recovery). Different groups of students have different needs.

· Online learning can differentiate easily, Students can go over a module again if needed, can go at their pace.

· Virtual schools have improved in recent years at retaining students and increasing course completion rates.

· Teacher development in student-centered teaching, collaboration, problem-based learning, group work and authentic assessment contribute to improving academic performance. Teaching online, good professional development, teachers learn to be more project-based. If we teach online we will be better in the classroom!

· Communicate often, promptly, give feedback, or standard will be that we will respond between 24-48 hours. Teachers will communicate with parents every two weeks.

· Simulations, manipulatives and tutorials that offer student feedback increase performance. Higher levels of student engagement and sense of community are correlated with higher academic performance in language curse, this happens when students move through the course together. More time practicing the course content (writing, speaking, listening, reading) corresponds to higher achievement. Students can use 21^st Century tools to practice.

Characteristics of successful students

· They are motivated, independent, self-directed

· They enjoy technology, have strong language skills, and are visual learners.

· They have consistent parent support and are involved I non-academic activities

· They have positive attitudes and are wiling to ask for help

· Extroverted students should be encouraged to take interactive courses, while more introverted students succeed in self-paced courses. Teachers should identify those introverted students and draw them into the discussion. Online learning allows for forums, time to think!

· Students preferring active experimentation and concrete experience tend to have more difficulty with virtual reality, for example, than students preferring abstract conceptualization and reflective observation. For both learning styles, learning increased with the use of guided exploration in a virtual reality setting – scaffolding.

Effective Course

· Structure in courses and a meaningful curriculum are critical to student success.

· Components of structured courses are clear expectations concrete deadlines with some flexibility, outlines of course requirements (Pretests before a new unit help to focus the students), timesheets and study guides.

· A combination of flexibility, independence, and experience with online tools resulted in improved critical thinking, research and computer skills.

Effective Instruction

· Instructors must be qualified to teach the content online and experienced in online learning

· Courses should include student-student interaction facilitating metacognition and reflection

· Instruction should be differentiated, using content that can be repurposed (refreshed)

· Instructors need assistance with the constant updating and adapting of course materials

· Immediate tech support keeps momentum going

· Students need additional strategies in locating and evaluating information

· Successful online teachers have will-developed organization skills and routines

· Learning is enhanced when instructors are actively involved in the learning process.

Administrative practices

· Students benefit from mentors, onsite support staff, counseling, media specialists, and technical support

· Ongoing use of student data should be analyzed and represented visually to illuminate relationships between activity in courses and student course grades

· Students thrive when they have educational support, time and continual access to will-functioning technology

· Online learners need guidance counselors.

Academic Integrity – Are the students doing the work? Many teachers say that they know the students better than in a face to face class. They say they can recognize the students work. Most online work that is project based learning that has check-point. Students come to the school to write a test. We are held to a higher standard in an online learning course. Communication is key. Many ways of assessment, can solve this problem

· How does online learning work for K-4 students? (K12.com)

What we need to know

· Better understanding of students

· Predictive instruments, diagnosis and prescription of services and scaffolds could enhance every student’s chance of success while increasing the efficiency of teachers. Pretesting on first course might identify online skills that the student might need work on

www.unf.edu/~c.cavanaugh

http://drscavanaugh.org/distlearn/index.htm

http://www.nacol.org

Book: What Works in K-12 Online Learning

Handbook of Distance Education from Erlbaum