The Virtual High School : teaching Generation V / Andrew Zucker ... [and others].

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Zucker, Andrew A.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Distance education--United States--Computer-assisted instruction.

Distance education.

Education, Secondary--United States--Computer-assisted instruction.

Education, Secondary.

Internet in education--United States.

Internet in education.

Computer-assisted instruction.

United States.

Physical Description:

xvi, 160 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Teachers College Press, [2003]

Summary:

Just a decade ago, the notion of attending high school on the Internet seemed futuristic. Yet, today, thousands of students are doing just that. This authoritative volume is the first to provide a thorough, detailed account of the virtual high school. Based on a 5-year study conducted by experienced researchers at SRI International, this book answers such questions as: What is the difference between an online and a face-to-face classroom? What is it like to take, or to teach, an online course? Are online courses effective? What are the problems with its use? Will this new technology change the way teaching and learning is done? -- Providing invaluable insight into an increasingly popular educational technology, this book: Examines the phenomenal growth of virtual high schooling, especially through the lens of one of the pioneering efforts--the Hudson Public Schools-Concord Consortium Virtual High School (VHS). Draws on a massive research study that includes surveys, focus groups, classroom observations, and interviews with superintendents, principals, teachers, students, and leaders of many virtual high schools. Provides a balanced perspective that addresses both the strengths and weaknesses of online learning, including lessons learned. Provides crucial information to assist educators and policymakers in creating, adapting, and learning how to effectively use these new online schools. Examines the implications that online schooling has for the future of education.

Contents:

1. Online Learning and Educational Change 1

The Promise (and Problems) of Technology for Educational Change 2

Origins of the Virtual High School 6

Other Online Schools 10

Tinkering Toward Utopia 13

Major Questions That Organize This Book 15

2. The Virtual High School 18

The Structure of VHS 19

Participating Schools 21

VHS Teachers 22

The Teachers Learning Conference 23

VHS Students 26

The Catalog and the School Calendar 27

Course Credit 28

Site Coordinators 32

VHS Central Staff 33

Technological Infrastructure 34

Evaluation Activities 35

One High School's Experiences with VHS 36

Comparisons of VHS with Other Online Schools 40

3. The VHS Experience 48

The LearningSpace Environment and an Exemplary VHS NetCourse 49

The Experience in Other VHS NetCourses 60

Comparison of VHS and Face-to-Face Courses 68

What Makes a Good Virtual Course? 72

Experiences in Other Online Programs 79

4. Outcomes of a Virtual School 82

Participants' Satisfaction with VHS 82

Outcomes of Students' Participation in VHS Courses 84

VHS's Impacts on Teachers 96

Outcomes for Administrators and Schools 97

Outcomes for Other Virtual Schools 98

Lessons from VHS 101

Lessons About Virtual Schooling 109

6. The Future of Virtual High Schools 123

Why Virtual Secondary Education Is Growing 124

Potential Barriers to the Growth of Virtual Schooling 129

Approaches to Virtual Schooling 133

What Does the Future Hold? 137.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 147-150) and index.

ISBN:

0807742864

0807742872

OCLC:

50252013