November 2004 — Exclusive
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Guidelines for Selecting Quality K-12 Online Courses
Rose and Meyer (2002) provided instructional design strategies for each neural pathway:
· To support recognition learning, provide multiple examples using multimedia.
· Highlight critical features to direct instruction or to provide scaffolding, which might be accomplished with animations, color highlighting, ability to zoom-in on photographic images, text and graphic emphases.
· Provide various representations by using multiple media, formats, organizations, levels of detail, and degree of depth to engage more learners by offering both choice and redundancy. However, multiple representations should be considered in relationship to learning goals, nature of information, and characteristics of learners.
· Support the acquisition of background knowledge, which students might access if and when they need it.
· To support strategic networks, provide flexible models of skilled performance as well as opportunities to practice with supports to measure knowledge and ability, which are part of the learning activity rather than occurring at the end of instruction.
· Provide ongoing, relevant feedback, and offer flexible opportunities for demonstrating skills.
· To support engagement, offer choices of content and tools, adjustable levels of challenge, choices of rewards, and choices of learning context.
Teacher Quality
Has the teacher demonstrated his/her subject-matter expertise and been trained to teach online?
In addition to being “highly qualified” to teach the course subject matter — an NCLB mandate for teachers by the end of 2005-2006 — teachers need both technical competence and effective pedagogy to teach in an e-learning environment (SREB 2001). They need to learn how to use the course delivery software and be mentored during their first experience teaching online. Training might include discussions on topics such as online plagiarism, copyright laws, intellectual property rights, online assessment, use of streaming media, and a review of state standards and writing instructional objectives (Russo 2001).
Teachers also might need to help students with technical problems. They need good written-communication skills to provide timely feedback and regular progress reports to students, parents and students’ home school liaisons. They must ensure that interactions build a community of learners, effectively moderate online discussions, monitor frequency and quality of student participation in discussions, and assist students with managing time and completing assignments. Teachers also may need to adapt learning activities and assessments to accommodate students with disabilities (Thomas 2003).
As for face-to-face classes, teachers need to monitor the effectiveness of curriculum and instructional practices not just for learning, but also for how well students are engaging behaviorally, cognitively and emotionally (National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine 2004).
