Guide to Online High School Courses

Guide to Online High School Courses is a product of the National Education Association, Virtual High School, Inc., and American Association of School Administrators, CNA Corporation, IBM Corporation, National Association of State Boards of Education, National School Boards Association, Verizon Communications.

Assessing Online High School Courses

Background

Information technology is promoting fundamental changes in how we teach and learn. Barriers of time and place are tumbling as technology offers new choices and opportunities for students and educators. Over the last 20 years or more, American schools have embraced distance learning tools to enhance students' educational opportunities. Satellite, microwave, cable, and broadcast television first gave students access to courses not otherwise available in their home schools. More recently, multimedia Internet-based technologies have provided even more powerful options for teaching and learning at a distance. With virtually all schools now linked to the Internet, states, districts, and individual schools are increasingly adopting online courses to expand their curricula.

The appeal of online courses is evident: they can increase the range of course offerings available to all students as well as provide educational access to special students (for example, homebound, incarcerated, and atypical students for whom regular classrooms are not effective). In addition, they provide an alternative method of instruction, one that adults are increasingly using for both professional and personal development. The number of students participating in online courses is large and growing dramatically. One estimate is that 30,000 high school students have taken an online course¹ and that another 25,000 students are enrolled in teacher-led online courses this academic year alone. When all kinds of online courses or online options are considered, the number enrolled may be closer to 50,000 or even 100,000. It is estimated that by 2006, a majority of high school students will have had an online course before graduating.²

Why focus on high school courses?

By addressing quality measures for online courses offered to high school (grades 9-12) students, this document fills a particular void. Higher education courses and programs have a longer track record and a different set of purposes, administrative practices, and audiences. The characteristics of effective online courses at the college level have recently been identified in such documents as the National Education Association's Quality on the Line³ and the American Federation of Teachers' Distance Education: Guidelines for Good Practice.⁴ While some of these characteristics also apply to online courses in a high school environment, to be effective there, online courses must address the unique social, educational, and emotional needs of high school students. Since additional limitations and concerns may arise when a significant portion of a high school student's coursework is completed online, we are only establishing criteria for individual courses and not examining online programs that serve as the bulk of a student's education.

Another area that raises a series of difficult questions is the appropriateness of online education for younger students. Again, while there are many technical and management issues that cross over and apply to online courses for all age levels, too many important differences exist to automatically apply our criteria in that setting. The research base for online courses and educational programs offered to preschool, elementary school, and middle school students is extremely limited. Our current understanding of the characteristics and needs of learners in earlier grades, however, would suggest we exercise great caution in the use of the online environment to deliver instruction to students prior to middle school.

Why are standards needed for online learning?

We know that technology can help remove geography and economics as barriers to high educational achievement for every child. Today's challenge is to ensure that information technology increases the quantity of educational opportunities while maintaining or enhancing the quality of those opportunities. Growing experience and analysis of online learning are revealing that new forms of delivery require new quality criteria. Most of our standards for the delivery of instruction never contemplated these new communications tools. Standards and methods that have been studiously crafted to instruct students in physical classrooms cannot simply be double-clicked into an online environment. Our aim in preparing these guidelines is to provide a practical tool to help students, parents, educators, and policymakers create, use, and assess online courses. Our knowledge and savvy in navigating the many online programs available must evolve as quickly as these offerings do. We must make wise decisions in determining when and how to use online education. Most school districts and states have adopted content standards for their students. While these can be applied to both conventional and online programs, they are insufficient guidelines for implementing online programs. Shoehorning content created for conventional classrooms into online delivery will diminish the overall quality of education.

It is also important that standards evolve with new goals and opportunities. New skill sets are needed for success in today's information age. These 21st century learning skills have been variously defined⁵ as:

• Basic, Scientific, and Technological Literacy
• Visual and Information Literacy
• Cultural Literacy and Global Awareness
• Adaptability/Managing Complexity
• Curiosity, Creativity, and Risk Taking
• Higher Order Thinking and Sound Reasoning
• Teaming, Collaboration, and Interpersonal Skills
• Personal and Social Responsibility
• Interactive Communication
• Prioritizing, Planning, and Managing for Results
• Effective Use of Real-World Tools
• Production of Relevant, High Quality Products

It is particularly important that educators use tools of the information age -- including online courses -- to build information age skills and understandings.

Goals for This Document

We believe the standards set forth in this document will facilitate and expand the use of online programs by equipping all those involved in education to make decisions regarding quality online courses. Specifically, we believe that:

• States must determine guidelines for the creation and use of online courses for students within their jurisdiction.
• Local school districts must identify their own goals in using online programs and must have tools to assess their appropriateness and effectiveness.
• Teachers must know what constitutes quality in online teaching and to what standards they will be held accountable.
• Parents must understand how online education functions and how to ascertain what is in the best interest of students.
• Students must become informed consumers, aware of how online courses can enhance their educational portfolios, and what is required for success in these courses.
• Developers and providers of online education must meet identified standards to ensure delivery of high quality, relevant, and effective resources in the education marketplace.

We expect these criteria may flex and develop as we learn more, and as information technology functions grow and change. Information technology in education is in its embryonic stages, and these criteria should be a supple, developing tool as we steer through these exhilarating but challenging times.

Checklists for Various Constituencies

Each constituent in the online education process (policymakers, administrators, teachers, parents, and students) must consider a number of important issues when contemplating creating, adopting, administering, or participating in online courses. The checklists that follow are designed to help each constituency ask the right questions.

Questions for Policymakers

Planning for and managing online courses

• Are a process and criteria in place for determining when to use online courses? For example, will online courses be used to address gaps in course offerings, to enrich the curriculum, to give students greater flexibility in scheduling, to assist underserved students, to replace existing face-to-face instruction, or some combination of the above? How do these differing goals affect planning for online education?
• Is online instruction aligned with the overall vision for student learning and achievement?
• Are there procedures for ensuring that online courses and other instructional resources are aligned with state/district academic standards, curriculum frameworks, and assessments?
• Is there a process to decide when to develop courses and when to purchase them? Is there a funding system in place for development and distribution of courses? How will fees be determined for making courses available to students out of the jurisdiction?
• If districts offer courses, will the state establish policies and procedures for overseeing implementation?
• If the courses are provided by the state, will funding for courses come from the state budget or from individual school districts via course tuition? Will students be able to enroll directly, or will they go through their local districts?
• Will home schoolers and private school students be permitted to enroll in online courses, and if so, will they enroll directly or through a school district? Who will assume the cost?
• Who is responsible for ensuring that students have convenient access to the necessary equipment, software, connections, and other resources needed to make best use of instructional technologies? Do these assurances and payments also cover costs associated with home schooling and private school participation?
• Do current seat time mandates support the use of online courses, or do they need to be revised?
• Are there procedures for reviewing, evaluating, and updating policies related to online education?

Personnel questions

• Will online courses be led by local or within-state certified teachers, or by teachers certified outside the state? If courses come from outside vendors, will the courses be delivered by local or in-state faculty, or by instructors provided by outside vendors?
• Is there a process to ensure the preparedness of instructors to teach online?
• Are there a plan and budget in place to ensure consistent support and professional development for online educators?
• Who monitors and evaluates the online teacher? Do contractual or other personnel safeguards apply?
• Do employment policies provide sufficient flexibility to allow such practices as flextime and working from home?
• Do compensation and preparation time for educators adequately reflect the demands of developing and delivering online courses?
• Will on-site staff be provided to mentor students enrolled in off-site online courses and, if so, must they be teachers?
• Are intellectual property rights to online courses assigned?

Quality control questions

• Have adequate resources been allotted for comprehensive technical support to educators and students?
• Do regulations aimed at oversight of charter schools adequately ensure instructional quality when instruction is provided online?
• Are there procedures in place at the state/district levels to assess and rate online courses and other resources and ensure their sources are properly accredited?
• Should course evaluations be made public?
• Are there accountability measures in place to identify effective instructional practices and discourage ineffective ones, both among online course providers and on-site educators?

Student enrollment and credit questions

• Should notification and approval of parents/guardians be required before students are allowed to enroll in online courses?
• Will online courses be granted the same credit and value as face-to-face courses?
• Will there be limits on the number of online courses in which a student may enroll? Can a full diploma be earned online?
• Can students elect to take an online course when a comparable course is available at their school?
• Can a student be required to take an online course when other options are available (for example, taking the course at a later date or nearby school) or when discipline or other problems make participating in the face-to-face course problematic?
• Should there be minimum qualifications (age, teacher recommendations, grades) for student participation in an online course?

Questions for Online Teachers

Teachers of online courses are confronted with a wide range of considerations that affect their work. These cover the gamut of pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, personal style, hardware and software considerations, availability of resources, etc. Teachers should consider these issues as they decide whether they should instruct online, or as they prepare for work in the online environment. Those responsible for administering the implementation of online programs also need to consider these questions in order to design effective learning environments, provide necessary support to teachers, and establish reasonable workloads for the teacher.

• Am I ready to teach online? What do I need to know and how can I learn this prior to teaching online?
• Do I have access to computers, Internet connections, and other resources necessary for teaching a course online? Will the school provide me with necessary access and support?
• Will this change what I teach and how I teach? Can I participate in the development of the curriculum? What is "academic freedom" in the online world? Am I required to use lessons that are designed by others for the online environment? How will the online environment affect my style of communication with students?
• How will this change my assessment of student learning? What kind of authentic performance works online? How can I ensure that the student is doing his/her own work?
• What are the students' rights and responsibilities for online classes? Are there consequences for inappropriate behavior or academic impropriety? Is there an appeal process for students who believe they have been treated unfairly? Are there criteria (such as level of participation) that may affect grading regardless of how students perform on authentic assessments? Do students have access to counseling and other support services beyond what I can offer them?
• How will this change the way I interact with parents/ guardians? Will I be able to contact my students' parents/guardians when needed or on an ongoing basis?
• What kinds of support structures will be in place to assist me to:

• work with the technology?
• accommodate individual student needs (particularly students with special needs)?
• enhance my professional skills?
• collaborate with colleagues?

• How will teaching online change the way I am evaluated? Will administrators at other sites have access to my online class and interactions with my students and will they evaluate me? What standards will be used for my evaluation?
• What contractual rights and protections will I have?
• How will this affect my overall workload? Will adjustments be made in my other teaching assignments in order to accommodate the workload?
• receive a flat rate?
• Who owns the lesson materials and teaching ideas I use online? Will I be compensated if others use my designs and ideas or if they are marketed by the "provider"?

Questions for Managers and Administrators of Online Courses

Managers and administrators of online learning programs must consider many of the same issues confronting policymakers and teachers. Managers must ensure availability of adequate resources, reasonable workloads, and ongoing professional support for the practitioners. They must also implement teacher evaluation in a manner that fosters professional growth and supports decisions about teaching assignments. In addition to the practitioner issues, the following are some considerations for the administrator responsible for managing implementation of an online program:

• Do all students have convenient access to the necessary equipment software, connections, and other resources needed to make best use of instructional technologies? Does the school have consistent and adequate access to the Internet?
• Will students be provided computers to use at home, or provided computer time at school to participate in online courses?
• Is on-site teaching staff assigned to (1) mentor students taking courses online, and (2) act as school liaisons with the off-site provider?
• Can school schedules accommodate online courses?
• How do students with special needs (disability, language, or setting) gain access to the benefits of online courses and other instructional resources in ways equivalent to other students?
• Is training/orientation given to school administrators to prepare them for new management challenges related to administering online courses and helping students select and participate in them? Do parents of students taking online courses receive appropriate information? Do they know to whom they should address concerns about the online course? Can they "look over their child's shoulder" online to stay informed about the course, and contact the online teacher as needed?
• Does the grading process for the online course meet the needs of the school?
• Does the registration process for the online course meet the needs of the school?
• Do school administrators have a means of communicating concerns/issues to the online course provider?

Questions for Parents/Guardians

Parents and guardians may be uncomfortable or confused when first considering online courses for their children. The same principles should apply in terms of their oversight of their children's education as in a face-to-face teaching environment, but in online learning there are additional questions to ask the school, their child, and themselves. Parents and guardians should learn as much as possible about the course, teacher, requirements, and supports so they can ensure that the courses provide quality learning experiences for their children.

• Do I know as much about this course as I would know about the one offered in my child's school, for example, teacher's background, prerequisites, syllabus, workload, credit, and transferability options?
• Is there an evaluation of this course and teacher that I can review?
• Does my child have ready access to computers, Internet connections, and other resources necessary for taking a course online? Will the school provide adequate access and support?
• Does my child have the maturity, time, workload management, and technology skills required to take on an online course? Will I be able to give him/her the support needed to ensure success, for example, computer time at home or after school for work on online activities, oversight, encouragement, and support beyond that which is normally required?
• Do I know how to access the counseling, guidance, and technical support services my child may need as a participant in an online course?
• Do I know how to contact the online teacher with my concerns and questions?
• Is there a parental rights and responsibilities statement pertaining to online courses?

Questions for Students

Students should become informed consumers, learning as much as they can ahead of time regarding the online course and its requirements. Students will need to prepare themselves to take on the additional responsibilities required to be successful in the new environment of online coursework.

• Do I know as much about this course as I would know about the one offered in my school, for example, the teacher's background, prerequisites, syllabus, workload, credit, and transferability options?
• Is there an evaluation of this course and teacher that I can review?
• Do I have ready access to computers, Internet connections, and other resources necessary for taking a course online? Will the school provide me adequate access and support?
• Do I have the maturity, time, workload management slills, and other skills needed to take on an online course? Do I first need to be trained technologically? Is this part of the course? Will I be able to devote the extra effort needed to ensure my success. For example, will I have computer time at home or after school for work on online activities, even if this conflicts with sports or extracurricular activities?
• Do I know how to access the counseling, guidance, and technical support services I may need as a participant in an online course?
• Do I know how to contact the teacher with my concerns and questions?
• Is there a student rights and responsibilities statement pertaining to online courses?
• Do I have sufficient support, both in staff and resources, from my on-site school?

A User's Guide to Online Courses

Introduction

Clearly, online courses are much like face-to-face courses in that they must meet the highest standards of quality design and instruction. But because the online environment is a relatively new one for teaching and learning, it is important to recognize and explicitly describe key features that should be considered when this form of instruction is adopted. The quality of online course offerings should be considered in terms of the following areas:

1. Curriculum -- Online curricular offerings should be challenging, relevant, and aligned with appropriate national, state, and/or district standards for student learning.

2. Instructional Design -- Online courses should be informed by and reflect the most current research on learning theory. They should be designed to take advantage of the special circumstances, requirements, and opportunities of the online learning environment and support the development of 21st century learning skills.

3. Teacher Quality -- Teachers should be skilled in the subject matter, learning theory, technologies, and teaching pedagogies appropriate for the content area and the online environment.

4. Student Roles -- Students should be actively engaged in the learning process and interact on a regular basis with the teacher and online classmates in the course.

5. Assessment -- Assessment should be authentic, formative, and regular, providing opportunities for students to reflect on their own learning and work quality during the course. End-of-course assessments should give students the opportunity to demonstrate appropriate skills and understandings that reflect mastery of the course content.

6. Management and Support Systems -- The course should be managed to ensure effective student and school participation. Support systems should provide resources to teachers, students, and parents comparable to those provided by face-to-face courses, as well as special support necessitated by the unique circumstances of the online environment.

7. Technological Infrastructure -- Finally, the technical infrastructure supporting the online course should provide the necessary tools for instruction and interactivity. The technology behind the course should work reliably, simply, and economically. Technical assistance should be available whenever needed by students or teachers.

Endnotes

¹ Ball, M., "For an Online High School, the Future Draws Near," The Washington Post, August 23, 2001, p. H19.

² Rose, R., Director, Concord Consortium, presentation to "Linking Leadership to Learning: Putting PT3 Results to Work," Vanderbilt University, October 20-22, 2001.

³ Phipps, R., Merisotis, J. and Harvey, M. (2000). Quality On the Line: Benchmarks for Success in Internet-based Distance Learning. (PDF, 45 pg) Washington, D.C.: Institute for Higher Education Policy.

⁴ Higher Education Program and Policy Council. (2001). Distance Education: Guidelines for Good Practice. (PDF, 25 pg) Washington, D.C.: American Federation of Teachers.

⁵ CEO Forum on Education and Technology. (2001). Key Building Blocks for Student Achievement in the 21st Century, Washington, D.C.: CEO Forum; Lemke, C. (2000)  enGauge: 21st Century Skills. Oak Brook, IL; North Central Regional Educational Laboratory; Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, U.S. Department of Labor (1991). What Work Requires of Schools. A SCANS Report for America, 2000.