As I review selected lessons in the sixth grade language arts virtual school course, many thoughts regarding course design cross my mind. Mostly, I'm struck by the overall quality and balance of the lessons. They're quick paced, interactive, and varied; they possess the attributes of high quality online courses suggested in the studies I've cited in my blog. The lesson assessments seem purposeful, engaging, and fun. My teacher explained how she uses course pacing (among other tools) to meet the special needs of students. High achieving students move twice as fast through the course than traditional students; struggling students move at a significantly slower pace. Most students are encouraged to take 36 weeks to finish the course, a pace that seems appropriate to me as I review the material and consider the skills of my own fifth grade students. It seems like most sixth graders would be well served by these lessons offered at various paces.As I read through the material, I realized the lessons involve a lot of reading. Although novels are used elsewhere in the course, the students read all necessary material for these lessons on their computer screens. Directions, assignments, and stories must be independently read and comprehended by students. It's a significant quantity of text. I wondered how struggling sixth grade readers manage this challenge, for even at a slower pace, the independent reading demands seem significant. I wondered if struggling readers might benefit from having portions of the material read aloud to them as they read along on the screen. I wondered if students with attention issues may also benefit from such support. I know I sometimes enjoy hearing my online professors reading to me through PowerPoint presentations and prerecorded lessons. The audio portion helps me pay attention as I work my way through the lessons.
My virtual school teacher explained that most of her students, struggling or not, get a lot of adult support through the initial weeks of the course. Text is read aloud to students as they follow along on their screens. Students ask questions, and answers are provided immediately. As students adjust to the course design and the technologies involved, the adult support is gradually reduced. Some students get daily parental support through the adjustment period, some get daily teacher support, and many get both. Students with learning disabilities often need adult support throughout the course, just as they would in face-to-face courses.
I wondered if most online courses meet the needs of special students in a similar manner. In their article, "Online Course Designs: Are Special Needs Being Met?" authors Christy Keeler and Mark Horney examined how students with special physical and cognitive needs are served in online courses. The authors monitored how frequently 156 online design elements identified as critical for students with special needs appeared in 22 online high school courses. These elements were sorted into five general categories: accessibility, website design, technologies used, instructional methodologies, and support systems. Their "overall finding is that contemporary courses generally include design elements necessary to meet the basic needs of students with disabilities" (Keeler, C. & Horney, M., 2007).
Keeler and Horney made 12 recommendations for instructional designers including: "Increase the availability of audio elements," and "Include supportive text, but allow users to select which supports they want to access (e.g., no supports, ASL, definitions, graphics)," and "Encourage use of face-to-face support personnel who have experience working with individuals with special needs and who are knowledgeable about assistive technologies" (Keeler, C. & Horney, M., 2007).
Based on my observations of lessons in my virtual course, conversations with my virtual course teacher, and the recommendations listed in this study, it appears that the sixth grade language arts course meets the needs (or can be easily adapted to meet the needs) of special students with a wide range of special needs.
Keeler, C. & Horney, M. (2007). Online Course Designs: Are Special Needs Being Met? The American Journal of Distance Education, 21(2), 61-75.
3 comments:
Jeanne-
In reading your post I was surprised to learn how much support from teachers and parents the younger students receive in language arts. From what I've found in the Senior English course, the students are largely responsible for seeking out help from the teacher when they need it, though the teacher is always ready and willing.
I think it's great that the virtual school offers so much help for struggling students rather than just say "virtual school might not be for you." I think that many of the students might need this initial guidance to get going in the world of virtual language arts instruction, but once they have their "Web legs," so to speak, they are probably fairly competent and comfortable, knowing that help is still there if and when they might need it.
Justin
Pacing is definitely one way to meet the needs of individuals. I just wonder if the pacing, while necessary, also makes the teaching more challenging. It seems like Keeler and Horney's recommendations are also essential.
Online coursessupport students to excel in their academics.Teachers should make a daily analysis of the students’ performance and activities. A website provides courses for students.
Post a Comment