In NC online students can graduate early, or catch up we learn about the North Carolina Virtual Public School program that allows students to take online courses, recover missing credits, earn college credit or get to college faster. When the courses started last year enrollment began at 4,968 whereas this summer there are nearly 13,000 students taking part.
The classes use technology such as Skype software that allows for Internet phone calls, live video chats, real-time assessments and live messaging for the coursework, and allow students the flexibility to work from home or school.
North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson delivers a quote that many schools would do well to consider:
“A student’s address does not determine a student’s access,” Atkinson said. “Just like we have social networks, we need schools to be a part of a student’s social network. This is just one step in the progression of redefining the place called school.”
I’ve been doing some research for my GradDipTeaching course on e.learning and it reminded me of ideas I had 15 years ago when VR looked just around the corner. I was a firm believer that VR was not only the way OF the future, but through personalised learning enabled by VR we could discover things simply not achievable though traditional means. VR – the way TO the future .
I’d be interested to see what type of framework they use to tie the students together who are at the same level (EG:knowing who’s available to skype).