Choosing online education: good policies will lead to better decisions about virtual learning options

School Administrator, April, 2004 by Liz Pape

* Course design. Determine whether the courses were designed for students to self-pace through the curriculum or if the course is designed and delivered within a specified period of time. How is mastery of the course curriculum demonstrated? Are a variety of assessments available within the online course design? Are alternative means of course delivery and instruction available to meet a variety of student learning styles? Is the course design and delivery in compliance with IDEA and Section 508 of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act?

Online course design standards will affect the ease with which online courses can be integrated into a school district's educational offerings. The policies that will be developed in support of online education will help administrators determine how to incorporate online courses into their offerings and will guide them in deciding which vendor design standards align with their policies and practice.

* Course interaction levels. Determine the number of students that are expected to be part of an online course at any given time. Is the course designed to encourage student-student and student-teacher interaction? Are online discussions part of the course design and supported through the course delivery infrastructure? Is there an area within the online course where students engage in course discussions or do discussions occur outside of the online course space, perhaps through e-mail, phone conversations or instant messaging?

Also, what is the level of teacher facilitation and monitoring of online course discussions? Can district administrators review course interactions, particularly if there is a question about student attendance, participation or behavior in an online course? Can the administrator monitor or review the teacher participation in the online course, especially if questions arise about teacher attendance or online teaching performance as part of a teacher's annual performance review?

* Course completion rates. Course design and delivery standards can affect student engagement and completion in online courses. What percentage of students successfully complete an online course? How does the vendor measure successful completion?

In our seven years of online course design and delivery experience with the Virtual High School (www.goVHS.org), 90 percent of high school students taking a Virtual High School course successfully completed their online courses. In an industry where online course completion rates of 50 percent are considered acceptable, administrators should strive to formulate policies that will support higher completion rates and higher levels of student success.

* Course success rates. When reviewing online courses that prepare students for national exams like the Advanced Placement exam, determine the vendor's success rates. Online course vendors should attain the national pass rate of 60 perceent for all students taking the AP exam.

* Course delivery. How is the online course delivered? Are students expected to take the course at a certain time of the day (synchronous delivery) or can students connect to the online course at any time during the day or evening (asynchronous delivery)? The method and timing of course delivery will affect the time and resources needed by the school district to deliver the course to students.