1. Josh Rushing
July 13, 2012
EDLD 871 – Dr. Luke Dowden

2. Challenges to Online Learning
 “Due to the rapid expansion of online learning
programs educators need to re-evaluate traditional
pedagogical strategies and find ways to integrate
curriculum, technology, community, and learning in a
manner which supports student motivation, self-
regulation and retention in virtual learning
environments” (Baird & Fisher, 2005, pg.91).

3. District Challenges
 Online learning is a great resource that can offer
students opportunities in education that were
previously non-existent.
 Four areas of concern in implementing online learning
in our district are:
1. Technical Requirements
2. Student Support
3. Learning Styles (Making sure all classes support all
learning styles)
4. Tutoring Services

4. Technical Requirements
 Students must have the right technological equipment to
be able to take an online class.
 The basic components are a computer, Internet access, and
basic software and plug-ins.
 Depending on the teacher of the class, more items may be
needed.
 The following link is from Franklin University. This link
lays out minimum requirements for their online classes.
The district may want to review these requirements and use
them as an example when developing our technical
requirements.
 http://www.franklin.edu/online-learning/technical-
requirements/

5. Student Support
 Students need to be provided ample support in online
environments.
 The orientation process should be very thorough and
put the student’s mind at ease.
 The Florida Virtual School (FLVS) uses an orientation
process that gets students totally prepared for their
online courses.
 FLVS refers to their orientation as “Quick Start”. Below
is a link to the orientation page for FLVS
 http://www.flvs.net/areas/studentservices/Pages/New
StudentsOrientation.aspx

6. Student Support (cont.)
 Within the “Quick Start” Orientation are all the tools
students need to get started.
 Some of the features are a orientation video, Internet
safety, student activity information, technical
support, resources, etc.
 FLVS does a great job of taking the anxiety out of the
student about online learning. The success of FLVS in
educating students online is a great resource to model our
district’s program after.
 A thorough orientation process would be a great thing for
our district to use as a tool to help students understand
what is expected of them in an online learning
environment.

7. Student Support (cont.)
 “Students in an online course should feel comfortable
communicating and expressing themselves. It is
important for retention that online students feel
connected with the course, its instructor and fellow
classmates. Affiliation is a key to the development of a
learning community” (Palloff & Pratt, 2001, p. 47).
 The orientation process is just one tool that can help
students feel comfortable in online learning.

8. Student Support (cont.)
 Teachers must develop a community atmosphere
within their virtual classrooms.
 Virtual learners need to feel as if they are part of the
group. Each group member must feel a role and
understand what their role adds to the group dynamic.
 “A critical issue in retention in online courses is related
to a student's sense of belonging. The group dynamics
of online learning are an important factor in creating a
safe and comfortable learning environment”
(Braxton, et. al., 1997).

9. Learning Styles
 Every child learns differently. Online courses must
support the difference in learning styles of every child
in their classroom.
 Virtual learning presents a challenge for teachers in
reaching every student’s learning style.
 Virtual teachers must vary how they present
information to their students.
 Using different activities, teaching strategies, and
assessments will offer students the opportunity to find
their favorite way to learn.

10. Learning Styles (cont.)
 “A variety of learning strategies should
be included in online instruction to accommodate
individual differences and learning
styles” (Cassidy, 2004, pg. 4).
 Once an online teacher is able to identify every
students learning style they may need to go back and
tweak certain elements in the course.
 The teacher may also look at using group work to
compliment learning styles of different students.

11. Tutoring Services
 Tutoring services must be available to all students in
an online course.
 Without a teacher to consult with during lessons
students can become confused very quickly.
 Teachers need to prioritize times strictly for
remediation and helping students that are struggling.
 This can be achieved through e-mailing, chat boxes,
Skype sessions, telephone conferences, etc.
 Students need to know that there is always help
available to them.

12. Tutoring Services (cont.)
 The district may want to contract with an online
tutoring company to give students another resource.
 www.tutor.com offers online tutoring help everyday, all
day from a professional tutor.
 By contracting with the company the district will
ensure constant help for students and take some of the
workload off the virtual teachers.
 Tutor.com has special deals they work out with
schools/districts that gives evrry student a log-in ID
and password that will instantly connect them to help.
 The website also has an app for iPhones and iPads.

13. Conclusion
 The district should utilize online learning as much as
possible.
 The benefits of online learning are immense and the
amount of people taking online courses is growing
annually.
 The district should take great pride in implementing
virtual courses that are dynamic, user-friendly, and
offer students maximum support.
 By applying some of the tools found in this
presentation, the district will be able to offer students
opportunities they have never had before.

14. References
 Baird, D. and Fisher, M. (2005). Online learning design that
fosters student support, self-regulation, and retention.
Campus-Wide Information Systems, 22 (2), 88-107.
 Braxton, J., Shaw Sullivan, A. V., & Johnson, Jr., R. M.
(1997). Appraising Tinto's theory of college
student departure. In J. C. Smart (Ed.), Higher
education: Handbook of theory and research, Vol.
12. New York : Agathon Press.
 Cassidy, S. (2004). Learning Styles: An Overview of
theories, models, and measures. Educational
Psychology, 24(4), 419-444.
 Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2001). Lessons from the cyberspace
classroom (p. 47). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

15. References
 Quick Start Orientation. Florida Virtual
School. Retrieved on July 13, 2012 from
http://www.flvs.net/areas/studentservices/Pages/
NewStudentsOrientation.aspx
 Technology Requirements for Online Learning.
Franklin University. Retrieved on July 13, 2012
from http://www.franklin.edu/online-
learning/technical-requirements/
 Tutor.com for schools. Tutor.com. Retrieved July 13,
2012 from http://www.tutor.com/schools