This document accompanies the presentation of the same name.

1. @IPSD
What School Districts Should Know About Online Learning
Jeffrey L. Hunt, Ed.D.
Director, E-Learning
The Institute for Online Learning
Indian Prairie School District 204
October 2010

2. Table of Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1
Business Plan ...................................................................................................................... 2
Teaching and Learning ....................................................................................................... 3
Course Development ....................................................................................................... 3
Course Providers ............................................................................................................. 3
Curriculum Alignment .................................................................................................... 4
Course Quality ................................................................................................................ 4
Talent is Important .......................................................................................................... 4
Professional Development .............................................................................................. 5
Administrative..................................................................................................................... 5
Content Licensing ........................................................................................................... 5
Course Load .................................................................................................................... 6
Purchase or Develop ....................................................................................................... 6
Open Educational Resources .......................................................................................... 6
NCAA Approval ............................................................................................................. 6
View of Online Instruction ............................................................................................. 7
Highly Qualified Instructors ........................................................................................... 8
Illinois’ Remote Education Programs Law ..................................................................... 8
Research and Evaluation ................................................................................................. 9
Technical ............................................................................................................................. 9
Learning Management System ....................................................................................... 9
Bandwidth ..................................................................................................................... 10
Teacher Technology...................................................................................................... 10
Classroom software ................................................................................................... 10
Digitizing equipment ................................................................................................ 10
Animations ................................................................................................................ 11
Summary ........................................................................................................................... 11
References & Resources ................................................................................................... 12
Animations .................................................................................................................... 12
Learning Management Sytems: .................................................................................... 12
Licensing for Movies, Television Shows & Educational Films ................................... 13
Open Educational Resources ........................................................................................ 13
Professional Societies ................................................................................................... 13
Virtual Classroom Software .......................................................................................... 13

3. Introduction
Learning online is a topic gaining more acceptance in public schools and higher
education. The Sloan Consortium (Allen and Seaman, 2009) reports that in the fall 2008
semester, 25% of students in colleges and universities reported they were in an online
course; the offerings were growing at about 20% a year. More importantly, the majority
(83%) of the courses were offered at the undergraduate level. There’s a high likelihood
that college-bound high school seniors will see a course online early in their post-
secondary education.
Similar trends are occurring in K12 education. International Association for K-12
Online Learning (iNACOL) tracks the trends of online courses in elementary and
secondary schools. In its annual review of programs nationwide, known as the Keeping
Pace report, iNACOL reports that in 2009 there were 2 million course enrollments, and
the enrollment was growing annually at 30% (Watson, Gemin, Ryanand Wicks, 2009).
Preliminary results from an Education Week (2010) survey about learning online,
conducted in August 2010, indicates that school personnel know about the need for
personalized learning, the need for alternate avenues for credit recovery, and that
technology has a positive impact on student learning. These converging ideas may
energize the online movement within traditional educational organization.
While the trends are occurring, it is important to know that schools use online learning to
address a variety of student needs, including:
• Creating opportunities for small and rural school districts
to offer course subjects and highly qualified teachers to
their students.
• Allowing student to blend high school and post-secondary
learning options.
• Reducing class size.
• Helping students recover credits in an alternative learning
environment.
• Providing individualized instruction and unique learning
options.
• Allowing students the opportunity to interact with students
far beyond their school or town boundaries.
• Meeting the needs and expectations of today’s millennial
students (Watson and Gemin, 2009, p. 3).
Meanwhile, groups outside education are studying online education and its impact on
schools. In their book, Disrupting Class, Clayton Christensen, Michael Horn, and Curtis
Johnson apply their disruptive innovation model to schools with online classes being the
disruptive force. Schools use the term “disruption” to mean that there’s an upheaval
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4. within the school, such as a student protest or teacher strike that upsets the school’s
operation.
The disruptive innovation model states that the innovation occurs outside the
organization, usually as a lower quality product. As the product improves more and more
customers leave the well-known product and use the newer one. The switch occurs
quickly, faster than the dominant producer can respond. Christensen thinks that online
learning may be a disruptive innovation, and that if it is, half of the high school courses
could be offered online before the end of the next decade.
Whether Christensen’s predictions are correct, the trends are that students will see online
education in their future. In the same spirit schools offer advanced placement courses,
honors courses, and school to work programs, students should be prepared to be
successful in online classes.
In this article, we will investigate some of the issues that schools need to consider when
implementing an online program. What is written here is not completely new. Resources
are available to help an organization get started in online learning, such as iNACOL’s
web site (www.onlineprogramhowto.org). Like any initiative, a plan of action is
necessary to address governance, funding, and implementation. After the business plan,
the district must address the issues of teaching and learning, the long term administrative
issues of the initiative, and the technical issues involved.
Business Plan
To drive the online program, a plan of action is necessary. For example, Watson and
Gemin (2009) provide a detailed plan for managing and operating online programs.
Friedrichsen and Gensmore (2009) provide similar advice. Their plan allows for several
components, including administration, curriculum, assessment, and student support. In
detail, the plan calls for:
• Mission Statement
• Governance
• Leadership
• Planning
• Staffing
• Commitment
• Financial and Material Resources
• Equity and Access
• Accountability
• Curriculum and Course Design
• Instruction
• Assessment
• Faculty Support
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5. • Student Support
• Guidance Services
• Organizational Support
• Parents
• Evaluation
• Improvement
One of the key areas of focus is the mission statement that identifies the audience. As
noted earlier, online learning has served a variety of purposes. Whether it is to offer
courses that have enrollments too low to teach, to accelerate students, or to help students
with credit recovery, the mission needs to focus on the target group. As success occurs
and the more demand for courses broadens, then the business plan can be revisited and
revised for the program’s expansion.
Teaching and Learning
The main focus of schools is teaching and learning. Unlike popular thought, we cannot
just put kids in front of computers and expect them to learn. Teachers are essential in
online instruction, just as they are in traditional classrooms. Their roles will shift from
the instruction of the masses to the instruction of individuals and small groups. Oral
quizzes, checks for understanding, and targeted discussions put the teachers in very
important positions to teach, although the focus is different from the traditional teacher’s
role.
Course Development
In short, excellence and achievement in instruction and outstanding learning have
fundamental factors, regardless of the mode of learning. Solid curriculum design uses
many pedagogies to ensure learning. Course components -- such as advanced organizers,
study guides, guided practice, and such -- should be part of online classes. iNacol and
Quality Matters provide standards for online learning that are aligned very closely to
typical curriculum standards for traditional courses. Curriculum and course design in
both plans focus on clear and focused goals, capability to differentiate, and assessment
aligned to the teaching and learning.
Course Providers
Complete courses can be purchased from online course providers. In some cases, the
providers will employ the teachers. It is important to check with the local Regional
Office of Education (ROE) or Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to determine the
certification rules for using a provider’s teachers. At the time of this writing, ISBE was
investigating whether school districts could use instructors who were not certified in
Illinois.
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6. Curriculum Alignment
Schools should develop their own standards for curriculum alignment, especially with
courses that are purchased. By taking their own curriculum guides, they can then match
their plan for learning to the course in consideration. Before beginning schools should
determine the matching standard, such as 85% alignment. For courses that are developed
by the district with its teachers, the online curriculum can be matched easier.
Course Quality
Many districts are concerned about course quality. This umbrella term refers to several
factors, including whether the students experience similar learning as to the written
curriculum for traditional courses. For a course that is designed by the district, the online
version can be written that is consistent with the traditional classroom, including many of
the activities. Course quality is further strengthened when students take examinations in
a proctored environment.
The literature about online learning indicates several promising practices:
• Using the same course outlines, major assessments and
courses examinations as face-to-face courses.
• Proctoring major assessments and final exams.
• Using live virtual sessions with software like Elluminate or
Wimba Classroom.
• Requiring students have interactivity with the teacher and
other students.
• Requiring weekly, purposeful communication between the
teacher and individual students.
• Adding oral exams at milestone points in the course to
check for understanding.
• Challenging problems for accelerated (gifted) students.
• Delivering challenging and engaging content. (Hunt &
Olesen-Tracey, 2010)
Talent is Important
Online teaching talent is important. Teaching online has it own set of challenges and
opportunities. For individuals who want to explore new ways of teaching, an online
assignment may energize a teacher. So it is important that the organization recruit
teachers who have interest in teaching online or in non-traditional formats.
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7. Professional Development
Teaching online is different from traditional teaching. A teacher who excels in a
traditional classroom may not be successful online. This medium requires instructors
who are adaptable and ready to teach differently. Further, online teachers need more
assistance than a technology coordinator can provide (Davis & Rose, 2008).
Davis and Rose (2008) further suggest several purposeful actions to develop online
faculty:
• Recruit and develop faculty to provide virtual school
related professional development.
• Integrate virtual schooling in preservice and professional
development programs, for teachers, their leaders, and
education service providers.
• Differentiate professional development according to need,
role, culture and context.
• Research professional development for virtual schooling
(pp. 12-16).
Administrative
As with any initiative, administrative leadership is essential to cut through hurdles and
internal inertia. Administration needs to have an individual who can care and nurture the
program and allow the Clayton Christen (2008), professor at Harvard suggests, “Schools
should have an individual, different from the CTO, whose sole job is to implement online
courses. The individual "should be free to take whatever steps are necessary to bring in
online courses to help children in the school have access to and find the courses they
need" (p.227).
Content Licensing
Likely, copyrights are the most challenging components of online learning. Unlike
traditional classrooms where educators use materials under the guise of “fair use,” the
electronic medium, changes the terms of licensing. When a school purchases video
content on a DVD, the copyright owner grants the school permission to use the video in
that format. Changing the content into a digital medium for video streaming purposes
scares the copyright owners, because their intellectual property can be distributed very
easily. The change of format means that school districts must get new licenses from
producers; some copyright owners are helpful and others will not return communication.
Be persistent and kind in this matter. I have had some copyright owners charge minimal
fees, a hundred dollars a year, and other charge thousands per year. Full length motion
pictures and television shows are available. The licensing fees vary. The References list
has information about companies that provide content in streaming format.
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8. Course Load
How many students can a teacher instruct online? Practically, the number is about the
same as a traditional teaching load. Instead of teaching a class, the instructor may spend
considerable time with one-on-one teaching or small group teaching.
In many cases, the teacher is responding after the fact. While checks for understanding
can occur in virtual classrooms, online teachers are responding after the student submits
work. The casual questions that are asked in a traditional classroom that indicates the
level of learning are more difficult to capture online. A student may have to make special
effort to get extra help, such as scheduling a meeting or visiting during an instructor’s
office hours.
Purchase or Develop
The decision to purchase course material or develop it with a district’s teachers is a
fundamental decision. Purchased courses may or may not be closely aligned to the
traditional course. The designer’s decision chain is “borrow it,” “buy it,” or “build it
yourself.” Clearly the easiest way is to get the material from outside providers. Local
production is tedious and time consuming, but quality courses can be built locally.
Likely, a school district does not have a resident instructional designer, although many
faculty members may have technical skills that can be used to develop local courses.
Open Educational Resources
Open Educational Resources (OER) is a trend of content providers to make their content
available for free or minimum fees. Quality content is available from several sources.
Start a search for course content at OER commons or National Repository of Online
Courses.
NCAA Approval
Student-athletes who are National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I
and Division II athletic prospects have special academic requirements. Online and other
non-traditional courses can satisfy those requirements. While the broader academic
community continues to view online courses with skepticism, quality issues can be
addressed as mentioned earlier. All stakeholders want courses that are challenging,
relevant, and consistent with the requirements of traditional courses. It seems that
everybody has heard of a course where a student received a semester’s credit for a core
course by working two weeks. To address this issue, the NCAA changed its guidelines
for non-traditional courses, that is:
Those taught via the Internet, distance learning, independent study,
individualized instruction, correspondence, and courses taught by
similar means, including software-based credit recovery courses
(NCAA, 2010).
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9. For courses to qualify for NCAA approval, they must have the following components:
• The instructor and the student have ongoing access to one
another and regular interaction with one another for purposes
of teaching, evaluating and providing assistance to the student
throughout the duration of the course;
• The student's work (for example, exams, papers, assignments)
is available for review and validation; and
• A defined time for completion of the course is identified by the
high school or secondary school program (NCAA, 2010).
In working with the NCAA on specific course approvals, I provided:
• A grade sheet indicating the student’s grades compared to the
points possible.
• A broad outline of the course.
• The course syllabus.
• A sample of one section of the course, including the section’s
outline and study guide.
• A log showing many of the virtual classroom interactions and a
summary of the topics discussed..
• A sample of the student’s work, including graded homework
and graded exams.
The NCAA requested log-in and log-out times each learning module for the student. The
district’s LMS could not provide that information, although
For purposes of privacy, we asked our students, who were 18 years of age, to sign a
release letter that we could speak with the NCAA and any college representative about
the course to advocate on the student’s behalf.
View of Online Instruction
Listening to the community and peers, the view of online learning and instruction is that
this mode is a way for students to get credit for a course without much work. It is
essential that leaders involved in school districts ensure that the online course has the
same quality as the traditional courses. This can occur by requiring that certain elements
be part of the course, such as proctored exams. Looking at the promising practices
section, requiring a minimum number of those components, such as five or six of the
eight components, can be the district’s standard of quality. When a course’s content is
modeled after a district’s traditional course with the same or parallel assessments, the
district has a strong test of quality.
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10. Highly Qualified Instructors
As mentioned above, at the time of this writing, ISBE was reviewing how to account for
the certification of online programs where the teachers are not Illinois certified. For
Illinois teachers, it is essential that they are highly qualified with university credentials in
their subject areas as well as education principles. Further, it is important that they are
motivated to teach differently online.
Illinois’ Remote Education Programs Law
In August 2009, the Illinois governor signed a bill approving online learning. The law,
known as the Remote Education Programs Act (HB 2448), permits school districts to
collect General State Aid for students completing course work in educational programs
outside traditional schools. The law requires a board of education policy, that is renewed
annually, an individual learning plan a tracking system to audit students’ participation in
the course. One weakness of the law is that General State Aid can be claimed only for
days students work online on a day that is on the district’s calendar. Further, they must
be involved in the online course on “days of attendance” as defined by the Illinois School
Code (ILCS 5/18-8.05).
The law requires that the district create a Remote Education Plan for each student. The
plan must account for the following components:
• Goals
• Assessments
• Progress Reports
• Expectations, processes, and schedules
• Family Responsibilities
• IEP Requirements
• Participation
• Responsible Parent
• Program Administrator
• Term of Participation
• Location of Participation
• Certification
The Illinois State Board of Education has written rules for tracking attendance.
For the purposes of determining average daily attendance for
General State Aid under Section 10-29 of the School Code
[105 ILCS 5/10-29], a school district operating a remote
educational program shall document, and make available to the
State Superintendent of Education or his designee upon
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11. request, a written or online record of instructional time for each
student enrolled in the program that provides sufficient
evidence of the student’s active participation in the program
(e.g., log in and log off process, electronic monitoring, adult
supervision, two-way interaction between teacher and student,
video cam).
To claim General State Aid, the district must create a remote educational plan along with
a way to precisely track students’ participation in the courses.
Research and Evaluation
As with any initiative, the latest research provides a searchlight to help a district
formulate a program of courses that helps students in the target audience learn.
Accelerated students can thrive in a completely online program, while students in a credit
recovery program will need more support of a blended learning environment. It is
essential to determine which best fits the targeted student in the program.
As students complete the program, looking back at their progress and their feedback is
essential to reformulation of learning modules. Such opportunities allow administrators
to determine the program’s demographics and achievement levels. End of course
surveys, provides important student perspectives and insights that can assist in changes in
curriculum and mode of delivery.
Technical
The school Chief Technology Officer (CTO) has many daily challenges. Supporting an
online initiative brings its own set of issues. This section addresses important
components that the CTO will have to consider and implement.
Learning Management System
The main technical component of an online initiative is a Learning Management System
(LMS), whether this is part of a vendor’s offering or purchased by the school district. An
LMS is a bundle of software that has course content and administrative features. Ellis
(2009) defines an LMS in broad terms as:
[A] software application that automates the administration,
tracking, and reporting of training events. . . . A robust LMS
should be able to do the following:
centralize and automate administration
use self-service and self-guided services
assemble and deliver learning content rapidly
consolidate training initiatives on a scalable web-
based platform
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12. support portability and standards
personalize content and enable knowledge reuse.
(p. 1)
Several software publishers produce add-ons to the base software that learning and
administrative features. These software components are available for free or at a cost.
The add-ons include web 2.0 software, virtual classroom software, and the like so that
these features can be offered as part of the LMS.
Bandwidth
One of the major challenges and emerging issues of a school district is the speed of the
Internet connection. As the number of portable devices becomes available at more
affordable prices, the district will need to build capacity. Because today’s courses have
components of audio and video, the district will need more capacity to go along with
other increases in demand for connectivity. As courses are borrowed, purchased, or built
locally, the students will need the bandwidth to access the local LMS or the vendor’s
system.
Teacher Technology
Teachers can be successful online when they have technology available to them to use at
school and away from school, whether that is at home, at the local coffee shop, or on the
road at a hotel. A portable computer with a web camera and audio headset are the
starters. The computer should have a productivity suite, whether it is licensed or open
source. Additionally, software should be included to make and edit audio and video
podcasts and to edit images. Either licensed software or open source versions are
acceptable.
Classroom software
Software is available for teachers and students to interact across the Internet. Teachers
and students can see each other and hear each other. Teachers can make presentations,
annotate slides, and save the presentations for later review. Instructors can prepare
questions that students answer to check for understanding or for quizzing purposes.
Students who view recorded sessions can answer the questions as well. This will indicate
their involvement in the lesson.
Digitizing equipment
Once licensing agreements are in effect, some content may need to be digitized. Of
course, this can occur after formal licensing has occurred with the copyright holder. This
can be a simple computer system that has a DVD drive and appropriate software or a
formal video system, like “Avid” or “Final Cut Pro.”
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13. Animations
Teachers can create animated presentations. Voki is a web site that makes a speaking
character that can be embedded in a web site or in a learning management system. The
result include advertising to help pay for the service. The maximum length of a Voki is 1
minute. The same company provides the service for a monthly fee without advertising.
Codebaby is a computer program that produces animations from a cast of programmable
characters that gesture, walk, sit or stand, and move about. The software license has a
fee.
Summary
Online learning is a growing trend in schools and universities across the country.
Leadership is required at all levels to set a program in the desired direction, to provide
necessary energy, to ensure quality, and to monitor and evaluate progress. District
leadership is necessary to ensure that appropriate policies are adopted. Leadership is
needed in teaching and instruction to groom appropriate teachers who can teach online.
Finally, technical expertise is necessary to support teachers as they develop and deliver
their courses.
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14. References & Resources
Allen, I.E. & Seamen, J. (2010). Learning on demand: Online learning in the United
States 2009. Babson Survey Research Group.
Davis, N. & Rose, R. (2008). Professional development for virtual schooling and online
learning. Vienna: Virginia” North American Council for Online Learning.
Education Week (2010). E-educators evolving. September 22, 2010.
Ellis, R.K. (2000). A field guide to learning management systems. Alexandria, VA:
American Society for Training & Development. www.astd.org.
Hunt, J.L. & Olesen-Tracey. (2010). Online courses offer new learning potential.
Illinois School Boards Association. http://www.iasb.com/journal/j070810_06.cfm.
Christensen, C.M., Horn, M.B., & Johnson, CW. (2008). Disrupting class: How
disruptive innovation with changed the way the world learns. NewYork: McGraw-
Hill.
Friedrichsen, J. & Gensimore, M. (2009). Standards for planning and implementing
your online program. www.blendedschools.net.
National Collegiate Athletic Association. (2010). Nontraditional courses: How Division
I proposal no. 2009-64 changes the initial-eligibility equation. www.ncaa.org.
Watson, J., Gemin, B., Ryan, J. and Wicks, M. (2009). Keeping pace with K-12 online
learning: An annual review of state level policy and practice. Vienna, Virginia:
International Association for K-12 Online Learning.
Watson, J. & Gemin, B. (2009). Management and operations of online programs.
Vienna: Virginia: International Association for K-12 Online Learning.
Animations
Codebaby. www.codebaby.com
Voki. www.voki.com
Learning Management Sytems:
Blackboard. www.blackboard.com
Brain Honey. www.brainhoney.com
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15. Desire 2 Learn. www.desire2learn.com
DimDim. www.dimdim.com
Moodle. www.moodle.org
Sakai. www.sakaiproject.org
Licensing for Movies, Television Shows & Educational Films
Criterion Pictures. www.criterpicusa.com. (800) 890-9494.
Motion Picture Licensing Corporation. www.mplc.com. (800) 462-8855.
Swank Motion Pictures, Inc. www.swank.com. (800) 876-5577.
Films on Demand. www.films.com
Discovery Education. www.discovery.com
Open Educational Resources
National Repository of Online Courses. www.montereyinstitute.org
OER Commons. www.oercommons.org
Professional Societies
International Assocation for K-12 Online Learning (www.inacol.org)
Quality Matters (www.qmprogram.org)
Virtual Classroom Software
Adobe Connect. www.adobe.com
DimDim. www.dimdim.com
Elluminate. www.elluminate.com
Webex. www.webex.com
Wimba Classroom. www.wimba.com
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