I may never get the opportunity to teach an online class, but part of my job at iQ Academy Wisconsin is to engage students in the online environment both to help them be successful in their virtual studies and to help them feel like they are a part of the online school community. Why? Because successful students who enjoy their online school experience are more likely to stay with the school and tell their friends about the opportunity. That's good for the students and for the school.
Since virtual school students are used to experiencing school both synchronously and asynchronously, engagement activities should utilize both approaches as well. I use Elluminate and Skype to communicate with students in real time. Several iQ Academy teachers use an instant messaging tool called Meebo.
Asynchronous tools include a lot of email, a discussion board application we call iQ Commons and a school-sponsored Facebook page. Another asynchronous tool that I have used in the past and would like to incorporate again in the future is a closed social networking site. I used one based on the Ning platform that we called iQuad but we had to abandon it when Ning started charging schools to host the site.
I use a variety of activities to engage and retain virtual students. I get them together in Elluminate to play "iGames" like Pictionary, Trivial Pursuit or Would You Rather. I use Google Forms to administer interest surveys, YouTube to post orientation and social event videos and UStream to broadcast our graduation ceremony. I would like to use MicroMobs to host online discussion boards for virtual clubs. I also plan to host parent information sessions and guest speakers in Elluminate.
One program that I started to give prospective new students a taste of the virtual education experience is something we call Test Drive iQ. Before students start their sample class I send them a welcome/introductory email. I try to make the tone of the email warm and inviting so students will see the class as a fun opportunity to experience virtual learning rather than another class they have to take. I also employ the email merge function of Microsoft Word and Outlook so I can personalize the emails and provide the students and parents with their usernames and passwords. I use simple word processing techniques like bold, underline and hyperlinks to make the email instructions clear and concise and I always include my name and contact information to make it easy for students and/or parents to get a hold of me if they have any questions.
It has been suggested that in the not too distant future the lines between "school" and "work" and "personal" activities will become indistinguishable; that our increasingly connected, digital world will allow/require people to move seamlessly between what were once highly segmented aspects of their lives. I see this happening already with the start of this class on Facilitating Online Learning, since virtual learning is something I deal with all day at iQ Academy.
This is a challenge for me as sometimes I feel like the last thing I want to do when I get home from work is log on to the computer. When I get home, I usually want to unplug, not plug in - especially when the subject matter is the same as what I have been thinking about all day. On the other hand, studying online learning from the curriculum development and teaching point of view does provide an opportunity for me, a non-teacher, to examine my professional life from a slightly different and very enlightening perspective.
The discussion of The Virtual Classroom highlighted for me that there are many misconceptions out there surrounding virtual education, even among well-intentioned classroom teachers. Examining the strengths and weaknesses of online learning from the student, teacher and parent perspectives provides insights that virtual schools can use in formulating mission and vision statements and marketing campaigns.
What I really found valuable was looking at examples of online class lessons because for all of my work at a virtual school, I have not spent much time really looking at the curriculum. Taking this class online has helped me relate to some of the challenges and experiences my students deal with, and looking at specific online lessons has helped me appreciate some of the options that are available to online course designers in terms of lesson elements.
