Sorting Through Vendors Jim Hirsch, American Association of School Administrators The School Administrator Web Edition, October 2001 This article presents key issues that should be taken into account before committing school dollars to an online course vendor. Considerations include quality of offerings, graduation credits, technology, staff support and likely burdens.
Criteria for Evaluating Online Courses An Expert Panel Review of the Quality of Virtual High School Courses
SRI International (November 1999)
In evaluating courses at Virtual High School, SRI International (a non-profit research institute) identified key components of effective online courses, evaluation criteria, and lessons learned.
Featured Online Course Providers
Nationwide, there are nearly one hundred virtual schools and online course providers. These seven represent the best options for students in Washington State. We have complied a chart that provides an at-a-glance comparison.
A Day in the Life of Virtual High School
Wondering how an online class works? These stories written by Virtual High School staff show how a student "attends" a NetCourse from her local school in California and how a teacher delivers her course to 20 students from around the country.
Tips for Succeeding with Online Courses
For success with online courses students need self-motivation and discipline to be independent learners. These tips suggest actions both for students and for school leaders. UCLA Extension, Virtual High School, and Washington Online have quizzes to help students determine if the online learning environment is a good fit for them.
Funding Sources for Online Courses
Rather than diverting funds from a school's general operating budget, the cost of enrolling students in online courses may be covered by several federal and state funding sources.
WA Online Buying Cooperative
The Educational Technology Development Center and the nine Educational Service Districts have made agreements for Washington's public schools to purchase several online products at reduced prices including Apex Learning, Atomic Learning, Element K, NovaNET, and WebEd.
Washington Digital Learning Commons
The Digital Learning Commons is a Washington initiative to deliver "high quality learning materials, technology tools, and online coursework to all students and teachers" in the state. The state is planning for the DLC to become available to all students and teachers in Washington by 2005.
Online Tutoring
Several online tutoring services, such as smarthinking.com,
tutor.com, and nettutor.com provide live homework assistance to students. Schools purchase tutoring hours, which companies suggest offering during a scheduled time or with adult supervision. Teachers can see a demonstration of the service by obtaining a temporary password from the company. Both smarthinking.com and tutor.com have clients in Washington.
Recommended Readings
Here are some books to help you find resources and ideas about online learning programs.
