Abstract

Using an explanatory mixed methods design, this study employed specifically adapted online course quality survey instruments as well as technologies such as VoiceThread and Jing to conduct extensive reviews of online courses in a blended middle school and a fully online high school to determine if teachers were designing engaging virtual learning environments for students. Quantitative analysis measured five standards for all online courses: content, instructional design, student assessment, technology, and 21st century skills. Qualitative analysis examined data from the audio and textual presentations and stakeholder interviews. The study was conducted over two years, first as an initial pilot study and then an adjusted full-scale experiment. Findings from both studies are presented as well as a comparison between findings.

Citation

Huett, J. & Huett, K. (2012). Designing Engaging Virtual Courses for K-12 Students. In P. Resta (Ed.), Proceedings of SITE 2012--Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 432-440). Austin, Texas, USA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved October 1, 2023 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/39610/.

Keywords

• 21st century
• K-12 students
• middle school