Virtual+Schools

Virtual Schools

 * Citation**: Patrick, S., Cavanaugh, C., & Blomeyer, R . (2007). //What works in K-12 online learning.// Washington, DC: International Society for Technology in Education.
 * Location**: free excerpt from publisher or preview at Amazon
 * Notes**: ideas to help virtual schools, annotation here
 * Poster**: eh

Julio - I found this article particularly interesting since I use an online learning system in my classroom. I think the 5 Cs are important to try to replicate in real-life as well as online learning. I know that I struggle to completely meet all five of those requirements. Great article!!--Davilla
 * Citation**: Repetto, J., Cavanaugh, C., Wayer, N., & Feng, L. (2010). Virtual high schools: Improving outcomes for students with disabilities. //Quarterly Review of Distance Education//, //11//(2), 91-104. Retrieved from EBSCO//host//.
 * Location**: EBSCOhost
 * Notes**: This article focuses on preventing students from dropping out of high school. It particularly emphasizes in assisting with the students with disabilities. There are the 5 Cs of dropping out which are addressed to prevent drop out. They are connect, climate, control, curriculum and care. There must be a connection between what is learned in school and how it is relevant to the student. The climate must be safe and suitable for learning. Students must be able to take control of their own behavior and learning. Effective curriculum should be able to keep the students engaged with academic support and good teaching strategies. Finally, a caring community lets the student know that they are valued. A mentor is also a key for the student to succeed. Virtual schools provide students with disabilities another tool to be able to graduate from high school. With a good support system each student should be able to earn a high school diploma.
 * Poster**: Julio

**Citation**: Krakovsky, M. (2010). Degrees, distance, and dollars. //Communications of the ACM//, //53//(9), 18-19. doi:10.1145/1810891.1810899 **Location**: EBSCOhost **Notes**: Higher education is no longer, exclusively, taken place in the typical brick and mortar setting. There are many institutions offering programs online. Though not all institutions are granting more degrees because by doing so it could water down their brand names. For-profit online universities have seen a substantial growth in online schooling. They have benefited by being more convenient and in some cases the only option for education. Most students who enroll in an online program are the nontraditional student. They are people who have families, are in the military, and/or have a full time job. The price for an online education is comparable to that of a typical university. The amount of time and effort setting up an online course is labor intensive. It is also not cheap to produce a good quality course. The online schools do have a problem of competing with other school to get students to attend their institution. One way schools are dealing with this problem is to create programs that are specialized in a specific area, taking advantage of a niche market. **Poster**: Julio

Great annotation of this article. I happened across the same source too! The nontraditional student is very much the benefactor from online classes. How can online schools compete with other brand-name institutions for the popular majors? Lower tuition? Jordan

**Citation**: Roblyer, M.D. (2006). Virtually successful: Defeating the dropout problem through online school programs. //Phi Delta Kappan //, //88//(1), 31-36. Retrieved from EBSCO//host //. **Location**: EBSCOhost **Notes**: Many people question the validity of virtual school. One aspect is why the drop out rate of students taking virtual classes higher than face-to-face classes. The article goes on to explain why some virtual programs fail. First, there are a lot of at risk students who enroll in a program and are more likely to drop out. Second, the way in which the drop out rates is calculated varies. Some schools have a drop out period. Any student who drops out after the period is considered a drop out. The third reason is the challenges of creating an effective learning environment. The successful programs share a few commonalities. One, they prepare students for success. Two, they prepare teachers for success. Three, they use interactive, flexible course designs. Four, teacher are monitored and provided support. Finally, students are monitored and provided support. **Poster**: Julio

I like your clear description of the article and how you explain the content and facts. I wonder if you have the evaluative component required of an annotated bibliography? -Review by Melissa B.

**Citation**: Davis, N. E., & Roblyer, M. D. (2005). Preparing teachers for the "Schools that technology built": Evaluation of a program to train teachers for virtual schooling. //Journal of Research on Technology in Education //, //37//(4), 399-409. Retrieved from EBSCO//host //. **Location**: EBSCOhost **Notes**: Since the creation of the Internet, virtual schooling has become another medium for students in K-12 to take classes. Initially it was used to educate students who lived in rural areas, underserved and at risk. Virtual schools has since evolved to offer classes to students who need to earn more credits, and those who prefer self pace classes among other things. This article explains how Iowa State University led to create a model for a virtual school that would be carried out nation wide. It goes on to explain how teacher will learn the four different roles that are involved in a virtual school. The roles are counselor, assistant, teacher and designer. The goal of to have all teachers candidates be able to counsel students. Additionally, they will be assisting other teachers as well as design part of a course for K-12 students. **Poster**: Julio

**Citation**: Hill, P., & Johnston, M. (2010) In the future, diverse approaches to schooling. //Phi Delta Kappan //, //92//(3), 43-47. Retrieved from EBSCO//host // **Location**: EBSCOhost **Notes**: In the article the authors explain how education will be changing in the future. In years past there were the conventional classrooms where students are to attend classes for a few hours a day, staffed with teachers who provide instruction and are paid on a civil service pay scale. Education is now, and will be, moving in a different direction. With the advent of the Internet student are able to take classes, or part of a class, without going into a typical classroom. There are the online programs where one can attend school exclusively via a computer. Then, there are hybrid educational programs where students utilize both the conventional classroom, supplemented with work to be done online. Finally, there is the broker of instructional experiences. With this type of education the teacher are contracted to teach a subject. They are paid hourly and are usually non-union employees. The authors goes on to say that the success of the different type of schooling will depend on performance of the school and regulatory funding. **Poster**: Julio

** Location **: EBSCO ** Notes **:The authors write about how carefully planned and structured online discussions can be used to enhance and supplement what is covered during the limited F2F sessions. The authors discuss how much facilitation or involvement the teacher or professor should have without hindering the student from participating. The authors also discuss using cooperative learning in the form of group work via online asynchronous means allowing students to meet and work on their projects when their schedules permit. ** Poster **: Ross Hi Ross, You have a succinct summary which gives a clear idea of the article. What are the credentials of the authors? What does the gathered data indicate about the topic? Great job, Laureen
 * Citation ** : Lynch, D. J. (2010). Application of online discussion and cooperative learning strategies to online and blended college courses. // College Student Journal //, 44(3), 777-784. Retrieved from EBSCO// host //.

** Citation **: Oliver, K., Osborne, J., & Brady, K. (2009). What are secondary students' expectations for teachers in virtual school environments?. // Distance Education //, 30(1), 23-45. doi:10.1080/01587910902845923 ** Location **: EBSCO ** Notes **: The authors start out discussing about several prior articles and studies describing characteristics necessary for students to be successful in a virtual classroom setting. They then go over several other research students about what students in higher education settings expect from distance education and online instructors. Many of the student expectations are varied depending on the age range and prior experience in online or distance learning settings. The findings of the study conduced by the authors detail many expectations that students have for online instructors. In conclusion, most expectations the students had fall into content or communication related themes. It is suggested that further research be done on how student mentoring by peers, teachers or advisors can be achieved in a virtual school setting. Further research along these lines will help to improve the quality of students experience with online classes. ** Poster **: Ross

** Citation **: Asunda, P. A. (2010). Designing instruction for the distance learner. // Techniques: Connecting Education & Careers //, 85(6), 16-19. Retrieved from EBSCO// host //. ** Notes **: The author is an assistant professor at Southern Illinois University. starts by briefly discusses some of the benefits to distance learning instruction. The author further discusses different tools and resources available for an instructor conducting classes for the distance learner. The author provides brief descriptions of course management software along with video conferencing software (open source), and web resources for distance education. The author does not review of these resources but informs of some available resources to the distance learning instructor. The author talks about moodle and explains about open source and freeware software, providing a broad overview of the distance learning environment. ** Poster **: Ross This seems rather brief. Were you planning on adding more details or an evaluative aspect to this bibliography? - Review by Melissa B. Melissa, I have more to add to this. The article itself is very short, but does point out several resources for use in a distance learning environment.

** Citation ** Thompson, L., Jeffries, M., & Topping, K. (2010). E-mentoring for e-learning development. // Innovations in Education & Teaching International //, 47(3), 305-315. doi:10.1080/14703297.2010.498182 ** Notes **: The authors discuss how e-mentoring can be a useful tool for instructions in developing their online modules. E-mentoring has been primarily used for professional development, and has not been used as a tool for professional learning communities. As the study progressed, the analysis revealed a great diversity among the instructors in their needs, and what their perception of what they wanted to get out of the mentoring. Further research needs to be done with larger sampling of instructors, or even more focused on instructors with specific needs or concerns. The authors question if participation in a mentoring program should be mandatory, or optional. They concluded that a needs assessment of the mentee is crucial early in the mentoring process to allow for an adaptive and differentiated mentoring program. In conclusion they noted that it is essential for the mentor and mentee to have some face to face contact early in the mentoring process.

** Poster **: Ross

** Location **: EBSCO ** Notes **: The authors conducted a research study of eight teams of teachers from elementary and middle schools to pilot virtual classes. Teachers involved were not assumed to have any prior experience in creating online curriculum. The results of the study and the recommendations discussed outline for supporting regular teachers to help support them in developing their courses. The review of existing literature provides several other articles of interest that can be helpful for this topic. A problem with this study is that the actual courses developed during the study were never implemented due to budgetary constraints with the school district. Another problem is the lack of longitudinal data collection, many of the teachers involved in the study were not experienced with web 2.0 or web 3.0 technologies, which may have impacted the results of the study. Two important results from this study are the need for guidance and feedback from school leadership, and professional development with the technology.
 * Citation ** : Oliver, K., Kellogg, S., Townsend, L., & Brady, K. (2010). Needs of elementary and middle school teachers developing online courses for a virtual school. // Distance Education //, 31(1), 55-75. doi:10.1080/01587911003725022

Review: Hi Ross, I have a few suggestions. Can you give some information about the author and their role in this? Stating the purpose of the study and results are a good start. Can you expand on it and maybe list what they found were problems with the study? Also maybe list why this article is a good source for a paper? - kuni Thanks for the suggestions. I've tried to address your questions. I've added some more information to my notes. I wanted to keep it short and concise. The authors are assist professors at universities, a doctorate student, and a research associate. I think this article is a good source because it is a fairly larger study of 24 teachers in four different schools. Also their literature review has many other articles that could be a beneficial starting point. Since they teachers used have no special training or background in technology, it is practical for many schools that are looking at creating a blended F2F and online curriculum or just integrating more technology into their classes.
 * Poster ** : Ross

// TechTrends //. 53//(4)//, 28 – 31.Retrieved from EBSCOhost. **Notes:** Cathy Cavanaugh is an Associate Professor of Educational Technology in the School of Teaching and Learning at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Her work focuses on identifying applications of information and communication technology that enhances teaching and learning. This article uses qualitative data from various cyber schools to discuss the factors that affect online schooling. Studies found that online school completion rates in the later 2000s exceed ninety percent as a school average. This finding differed from a previous finding that said dropout rates were high. The limited research on student achievement in cyber charter schools shows mixed outcomes when cyber schools are compared with classroom-based school programs. This result is understandable, given the varied nature of cyber charter school, law, funding, oversight, and delivery. The types of students served in cyber charter schools have not been fully described in the research literature to date, making reliable comparisons and assessments impossible. A research agenda is proposed. In order for cyber schools to improve student outcomes, standardized data on numerous inputs must be collected. Only then can we understand the specific factors that contribute to school success and in what context they operate. Necessary data needed: detailed student demographic data, course behavior and performance data, and descriptive data about the teaching practices and interactions used in course. The data will provide answers to questions about course design, teaching, and student facilitation practices matched with student academic level, development level, demands on content, and course features. Cyber charter schools are unique and in order to get accurate data, the standardized data must span across large number of schools, allowing analysis to account for differences for differences in models at the national level. The advancement in practices and technologies advance rapidly, and analysis must continue over the long term. The overall conclusion made in this article is that more studies are needed to know more about cyber schoolin g.
 * Citation: **** Cavanaugh, C. (2009). Effectiveness of cyber charter schools: Review of research on learnings. **
 * Location:** EBSCO
 * Poster: Salynn **

Location:EBSCO Notes: The authors of this paper, all part of the American college system, reviewed published and unpublished open literature in K-12 online learning. They analyzed the documents and discuss the findings of virtual schools from 1997 to 2008. The research is focuses on the “steady growth, benefits, challenges, and effectiveness of K-12 online learning. This article also discusses the standards and effective practices. The emerging popularity of online schooling makes studying research on it very important, but the findings suggest that further research is needed, and information and studies are limited. The finding in this research suggest that those students who succeeded in virtual schools were students who were intrinsically motivated to learn, time management, literacy, and technology skills. The findings also stated that there are a variety of types of virtual schools, with Statewide being the highest. The findings stated that those teachers and administrators who have direct contact with students have the highest impact on them. Lastly, the finding also looked at the literature covering the topic, and found that the majority of literature discussed the technology aspect of virtual schools. I believe that the findings are substantial and lead me to believe that more research needs to be done on all areas of virtual schooling, including success factors, future skills students will need, and future best practices in online learning. Poster: Salynn
 * Citation: Cavanaugh, C. S., Barbour, M. K. Clark, T. (2009). Research and practice in k – 12 online ** learning: A review of open access literature//. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning.// 10//(1) Retrieved from EBSCOhost//

It definitely makes sense that those enrolled in online courses or virtual schools are independent students! Why do you think the literature was so focused on the tech end of virtual schools? Shouldn't it be more about the student and the curriculum? Does this research reflect and suggest future skills needed? Could you list a few best practices? Good job. Jordan

Lessons learned from Michigan virtual school teachers. //Journal of Interactive Online Learning. Retrieved from Googlescholar.// Location: GoogleScholar Notes: The authors are professors at the University of Florida, at Gainesville. This research uses reports of teachers at Michigan Virtual Schools (MVS) to discuss best practices in the online learning environment. All teachers were highly qualified virtual school instructors. Michigan became the first state to mandate virtual learning and have each student participate in a virtual learning experience prior to their high school graduation. This article discussed the similarity of best practices between traditional face-to-face settings and online settings in content area expertise, communication skills, and instructional design. The focus of the teachers’ interviews discusses the skills needed for online learning in pedagogy, technology, and content to provide students with quality learning opportunities. The overview of findings was substantial in what teachers do in order to have students succeed in the virtual environment. These included supporting student learning, giving student instruction with using technology, understanding student learning differences, being organized, reflecting, knowledgeable, and appreciate their practice. Like many other research done, this research also believes that there is a lack of research-based investigations into teaching and learning in the online environment. The article explains many of the areas to prepare as a virtual school instructor. I found this article to be very helpful in providing examples of how to implement strategies into the online environment. It further covers the research done by Cavanaugh studying the research and practice in online learning in the K-12 setting. Poster: Salynn
 * Citation: DiPietro, M., Ferdig, R. E., Black, E. W., Preston, M. (2008). Best practices in teaching k – 12 ** **online**:

Location: GoogleScholar Notes: Mickey Revenaugh is Vice President for Partnerships and Outreach at Connections Academy, a provider of services for virtual schools. He has written this writing to discuss the trend of virtual schooling. He provides a definition of virtual schools, the range of reasons why students choose virtual schools. He also discusses the debates that are being discussed about virtual schools including the socialization problem and isolation worries that may stem from virtual schooling. The author goes further to discuss the state laws that are being put into place to hold virtual schools accountable for student learning. Implications and statements made by this article include the ability for virtual schools to give students individualism. The ways virtual schools are funded, and the evolving abilities of teachers in the virtual school environment to be knowledgeable in both content areas and technology. Though very short, this article gives a great look at the emerging virtual school environment. Poster: Salynn
 * Citation: Revenaugh, M. (2006). K – 8 virtual schools: A glimpse into the future. //Learning in the Digital// **// Age // . 63//(4),// 60-64. Retrieved from GoogleScholar.

Location: EBSCO Notes: The authors included college professors at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and University of Southern Oklahoma, and also consulting agents at Marshall Consulting and VHS, Inc. This research studied the causes and prevention of student failure in virtual K-12 schools. It created a model for predicting failure and promoting success in virtual school environments. This study identifies those students who are likely to succeed. This paper found that dropout and failure rates were higher in distance environments than traditional environments. The study discussed the many factors that affect student outcomes, one of which was learner characteristics. Some of the factors discussed were student social and motivational factors. The isolation, disconnectedness, and technological problems all affect student motivation to succeed. The findings suggest that many factors can predict success of students in online courses. These factors included learner characteristics (cognitive factors, social factors, self-efficacy, GPA, technology skills) as well as the learning environment. It suggested that not only is it important to look at student characteristics but also learning environments to promote effective learning in the online learning environment. I believe that this research is right on key with identifying the needs of the students in the online environment. To further the research done by Cavanaugh (2009), this research goes on to discuss student achievement in virtual schools. Poster: Salynn
 * Citation: Roblyer, M. D., Davis, L., Mills, S. C., Marshall, J., & Pape, L. (2008). Toward practical ** procedures for predicting and promoting success in virtual school students. //The American Journal of Distance Education.// 22: 90-109. DOI: 10.1080/08923640802039040

Canzian, E. (2010)//.// The case for city cyber schools: Can online learning make a difference in Baltimore City’s “bricks and mortar” schoolhouses and beyond? //The Abell Report. 23(//1), 1-8. The author is a reporter and editor at The Baltimore Sun. She thoroughly explains several ways that schools across America are integrating online learning as supplements to traditional schooling or in hybrid and blended environments. The article compares the views of online education advocates with the policy and current status of education in Maryland. While little is being done in this state when compared to other states, the reasons include very little amount of research showing evidence that supports online programs over traditional settings and the general discomfort of technology and change at the district level. The Abell Foundation offers several scenarios for using cyber learning to solve some of the problems facing Baltimore City schools. Overall, the article aims to encourage the Maryland school district to embrace virtual learning and offers multiple strategies to integrate computer-mediated instruction.
 * Citation:**
 * Location:** Google Scholar
 * Notes:**


 * Poster:** Melissa Bachmann

Isenhour, P.L, Carroll, J.M., Neale, D.C., Rosson, M.B., & Dunlap, D.R. (2000). The virtual school: an integrated collaborative environment for the classroom. //Educational Technology & Society//, //3// (3), 74-86. Although this article was written over ten years ago, it still provides insight into how virtual education can be integrated into a regular classroom setting. It refers to outdated programs and challenges that time and technology has been able to fix. Nevertheless, it successfully provides a model of how to combine asynchronous and synchronous, online learning environments to foster project-based learning using conferencing and collaboration tools. Students in six sciences class in grades 6-12 virtually participated in a variety of activities including developing and conducting experiments, constructing robots, testing kite designs, and a building a bridge. Students also interacted with expert mentors and professors via the virtual environment. Challenges we still face today include schedule constraints within the traditional school day, the potential high cost of necessary conferencing tools, and the teachers’ need to split their attention between the students engaged on the computers and the rest of the class.
 * Citation:**
 * Location:**Google Scholar
 * Notes:**

Review: A lot of information provided. Can you give some information about the authors and their roles in the article? Do they have other articles that would agree or contradict this particular article? Do they offer any suggestions how to overcome the challenges mentioned? - Kuni
 * Poster:** Melissa Bachmann

Thanks for the feedback. Good questions. According to the examples given for writing annotated bibliographies, it is not necessary to include information regarding the authors, so I chose to focus on the content of the paper instead because there was alot of information and I wanted to convey that in 150 words. To answer your last question, no, they did not offer solutions to the challenges. -Melissa B.

Quillen, J. (2011). Making E-Learning Elementary. //Education Week//, 30(15), S9-S11. Retrieved from EBSCO //host//. This article explains and compares the needs of online learners at the elementary level with students in high school and above. Examining their needs is essential to creating successful online elementary programs so they can challenge gifted students or assist struggling students. Parent involvement is necessary with these younger students to assist with the technology and ensure that work is being completed. Online curriculum that is more interactive is recommended for parents who are less knowledgeable in the content area(s). To address the socialization aspect of elementary education, programs like the Johns Hopkins CTYonline and Gifted LearningLinks are discussed which bring students together who might otherwise feel alienated in the online environment. Online programs that feature check points before preceding to the next section, remediation sessions, and adaptive learning to adjust interactive lessons are all mentioned as options. Reading ability is also important to consider at this level.
 * Citation:**
 * Location:** EBSCO host
 * Notes:**


 * Poster:** Melissa Bachmann

Aloha Melissa, are the needs of the elementary students being examined or the needs of the high school students being examined? Are the elementary students being compared to high school? How is this study collecting the data to examine the targeted audience? How does parent involvement affect the results or purpose of the study? There is a lot of information that you shared I am just not sure that the purpose is stated and who is conducting the study. Mahalo, Kehau

HI Kehau, Thanks for reading and giving feedback. There was no study conducted in this article. It explained the needs of Elementary students and offered ways to meet those needs. -Melissa

Roblyer, M.D., & Davis, L. (2008). Predicting success for virtual school students: putting research-based models into practice. //Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration//, //XI// (IV), [|http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter114/roblyer114.html.] Virtual schools show a significantly higher drop-out and failure rate when compared to traditional schools. This creates an urgent need to predict which students will succeed at virtual schools so that interventions can be arranged before it is too late. This article explains the background and rationale of using prediction models to determine a student’s potential ability to graduate from an online school. A well-done study using a 60 item Likert scale that addressed the organization, achievement beliefs, responsibility, risk-taking, and technology skills/access of 4,110 students in the Virtual High School Global Commission correctly predicted 93% of those who were successful and 30% of those who failed. The article explains in detail how the data was analyzed and final predictions were reached. Information gathered through using a prediction model should be used help virtual schools identify and assist at-risk virtual learners, not exclude students based on their results.
 * Citation:**
 * Location:** [|http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter114/roblyer114.html]
 * Notes:**

Hey Melissa! This article caught my eye because it definitely takes a certain kind of self motivated learner to take part in a virtual school learning environment. Perhaps based on this study, a type of pre-screening questionnaire could be created to be given to students prior to enrollment - Is Virtual School for you? Great job Melissa! ~ Gayle
 * Poster:** Melissa Bachmann

Shield, P.G., Atweh, B., & Singh, P. (2005, October). Utilising synchronous web mediated communications as a booster to sense of community in an online teaching and learning environment. //ASCILITE conference//, Lecture conducted from QUT, Brisbane.
 * Citation:**
 * Location:** [| http://eprints.qut.edu.au/3014/1/c3014.pdf]

This research was conducted to evaluate the Sense of Community (SOC) among learners. The theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky were taken into consideration while developing and conducting this research. It was thought that using synchronous tutorials would break down feelings of isolation expressed by off campus students enrolled in the same unit of study as the on campus students. The research used simultaneous, synchronous interaction with the off campus students in a tutorial. At the end of the unit, 71 post-graduate students were given a survey of 12 questions that correlated to the three underlying dimensions of a sense of community; community identity, learning (through discourse) and emotional support. Students in both groups were given the survey and 51% responded. The Likert scale was used to measure results. The study showed that the SOC experienced by the online group was the same or similar to the face-to-face group. These results suggest that a SOC can be created through synchronous instruction and it could have the same or similar benefits as a face-to-face class would.
 * Notes:**


 * Poster:** Melissa Bachmann

McFarlane, D.A. (2011). A comparison of organizational structure and pedagogical approach: online versus face-to-face. //The Journal of Educators Online//, //8// (1), 1-43.
 * Citation:**
 * Location:** EBSCO host
 * Notes:**
 * Poster:** Melissa Bachmann

Citation: Oliver, K., Osborne, J., & Brady, K. (2009). What are secondary students' expectations for teachers in virtual school environments?. //Distance Education//, //30//(1), 23-45. doi:10.1080/01587910902845923 Location:Academic Search Premier <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Notes: This study evaluated the North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) and the expectations that the students had of their teachers. Past studies were done on higher level education settings, and not many done on secondary schools and below. Data was collected using Likert scale surveys. Overall, students were pleased with how the online classes went; although there were some written comments about students feeling that their expectations were not met. Comments ranged from expecting their teachers to teach, not just be a moderator to expecting virtual teachers to quickly respond to questions and quickly grade assignments. Overall, the majority of comments seemed valid but some may be more of personal preference, rather than reflecting an implication for every student's success.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Poster: Gayle I like your evaluation of the article at the end of your bibliography. I encountered an article that contained some personal bias was well and it is important to note that when looking for objective research results. -Review by Melissa B.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Citation: Blaylock, T., & Newman, J. W. (2005). The impact of computer based secondary education. Education, 125(3), 373. Retrieved from <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">EBSCOhost. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Location:Ebsco <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Notes: This study compared virtual learning, which is defined in this research as instruction that is delivered remotely via technology. Virtual schools in Illinois and Florida and addressed issues such as race/ethnicity, budget constraints, geographical location, income, school size, and substandard teaching. Based on data gathered, online learning provided a level "playing field" for students regardless of background. Florida's framework is well established and its guidelines even include Gagnes Nine Events of Instruction as one of the standards to check for compliance of a rigorous course. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Poster: Gayle <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gayle - This is an interesting article to me because I had a project on this topic in Dr. Peter's Second Life class. Did they include persons with disabilities? While online learning levels the playing field for the majority of students, there are those that have some of the same obstacles and difficulties as they did with face-to-face learning. At least that is what I found in the readings from the other class. Great article!!--Davilla

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Citation:Hawkins, A., & Barbour, M. K. (2010). U.S. Virtual School Trial Period and Course Completion Policy Study. //American Journal of// <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Distance Education, 24//(1), 5-20. doi:10.1080/08923640903529295 <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Location:Academic Search Premier <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Notes: This study examined about 54% of U.S. virtual schools. Data regarding trial period policies (length of time at the beginning of a semester when students can enroll and withdraw without being counted in official course or retention calculations) and determining which students are counted as successfully completing a course. Although there were no significant differences between these 2 factors, there should be a set, nationwide criteria to allow for meaningful comparisons in data.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Poster: Gayle

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Citation: Ash, K. (2011). Teachers Make the Move to the Virtual World. //Education Digest, 76//(5), 32. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Location: EBSCOhost <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Notes: This article shared teacher accounts of migrating from a regular classroom to a virtual one. Some implications for the teachers were being comfortable with technology and being able to try new things (e.g. moodle or blackboard), being able to give up control and allow the students to direct their learning, and having open communication with parents as they become learning coaches. Although this article supports online teaching, it mentions that it is not made for teachers looking for an "easier alternative to regular teaching".

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Poster: Gayle Aloha Gayle, thank you for synthesizing the information about this article. I am curious what age group this article targets? Did the teachers implement the study or action research in their own classes or attend a professional development course? Was there an outcome and how did they collect their findings? Great job, Kehau

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Citation: Sturgeon, J. (2007). Creating an Effective Virtual School Program. //District Administration, 43//(3), 42. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Location: EBSCOhost <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Notes: This article, written 4 years ago, talked of the successes of virtual schools and how they may be the start of a trend. The article suggests steps for an administrator to take if he/she wanted to begin a virtual school based on a successful system that works in Orlando, Florida. Choosing the right curriculum (based on district and state initiatives), the right teachers and mentors, and continually getting feedback are all important elements in the success of this virtual school.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Poster: Gayle


 * Jordan Day Virtual Schools Citations**

Citation: Reid, Karen M., Aqui, Yvette, & Putney, LeAnn G. (2009). Evaluation of an evolving virtual high school. // Educational Media International, 46(4) //, 281-294. Doi: 10.1080/09523980903387522 Location: Academic Search Premiere Notes: This article explains the trend of virtual schools and its distance education element in the K-12 environment. It is essentially a case study which examined a virtual high school in the first year of its operation. The researchers and participants the school districts and multiple parties involved gathering whatever data possible because of the new and unidentified format. This allowed for a structural building of formats, norms, and procedures. It looked at the event sociologically and chronologically questioning why the virtual school was formed, initial needs, changes and upgrades as applicable. The student concluded with projections for the future of the district and surrounding programs, and what would be done to improve the second year around. This case study is a great example of in-depth on the job research and experimentation. The nitty gritty ins and outs of a virtual school were detailed here. Poster: Jordan Day

Citation: Hawkins, Abigail; Barbour, Michael K. (2010). U.S. Virtual School Trial Period and Course Completion Policy Study. //American Journal of Distance Education// //, 24(1) // , 5-20. Doi: 10.1080/08923640903529295 Location: Academic Search Premier Notes: This journal article looks at the accountability of virtual schools and their adequacy to retain students while maintaining rigor. The study conducted examined variability within trial periods given to remain in the course and the course completion policies themselves. Of the number of participants surveyed just over half responded, and of the total respondents 70% had 6 months to run trials. Results were overwhelmingly variable rendering the completion and retention rates useless. Recommendations for adopting consistent measures for calculating the student retention rate would allow for more meaningful comparisons in statistical analysis between virtual and physical schools. This article brings up important points regarding validity of policies regarding these new schooling procedures. It is a university or K-12 schools responsibility to be honest and valid with their information and statistical reporting. Poster: Jordan Day

Citation: Krakovsky, Marina. (2010). Degrees, Distance//,// // and Dollars ////. Communications of the ACM. 53(9) //, 18-19. DOI: 10.1145/1810891.1810899 Location: EbscoHost Notes: This is an interesting and insightful article about the innovative features of online or virtual schooling. It is a shallow look at the figures charged for online courses as opposed to physical attendance at a University. This brings up valid points and examples citing how the universities and professors alike up charge the same prices to fill budget gaps with much less overhead for the online students. These strictly online Universities are even more horrendous with the tuition costs and it gets boiled down to convenience with a high price tag. With all of the free non-credit lectures in the form of podcasts and other web forms it is quite an expose piece listing the many downfalls of online education. Poster: Jordan Day

Citation: Russell, Glenn. (2006). Globalisation, responsibility and virtual schools. // Australian Journal of Education, 50(2) //, 140-154. Location: Google Scholar Notes: The article examines ethical issues and responsibility of schools and businesses in the distance education field. It describes the greed and moral expendability that has occurred and will progress if not mediated by agencies and ethics of the creators involved. With the expansion of online distance education or virtual schools this has changed the way groups share responsibility for student learning. The author holds top the fact that neglect and abuse has and will proliferate the medium of virtual schools and that we must reconsider accepted practices. Responsibility is the underlined factors where the creator of curriculum is not in control of administrative functions therefore allowing this new learning environment to have unknowns. The globalization described in this article is real and apparent in our field. This examination of gross abuse of power for profit is a great piece for the awareness of the monetary side of virtual schools. Poster: Jordan Day

Citation: Russel, Glenn. (2004). //Virtual Schools: A Critical View//. Hershey: Information Science Printing. Location: Google Books Notes: This book examines critical issues associated with virtual schools reviewing historical forms of education and the differing types of virtual schools that are emerging. Implications of philosophies and communication are explained listing the pros and cons of virtual schools for society. Problems and solutions are also identified and outlined. Trends for the future and growth of virtual schools are cited and their contexts in traditional school education are projected. This book is a great in-depth look at the structure and innovation of virtual schools yet is fairly outdated because of the date of publishing. It gives great background and historical information on the advent of the virtual school but innovations and projections are not quite as it was made out to be. Otherwise good resource for background information on the topic. Poster: Jordan Day <span style="color: #1212bc; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Hi Jordan, <span style="color: #1212bc; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Your annotation summarizes the book nicely. Has the author written and/or researched this topic before? Is it an article that you could compare/contrast with another citation that you have posted? <span style="color: #1212bc; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Great job! <span style="color: #1212bc; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Laureen