What did you learn this week that struck you as particularly important in learning about virtual schools? Has your thinking changed as a result of what you learned this week?
Mainly, I found that it is so important to read each study and its results with a critical eye. Many times we look to research in order to find the answers, but we need to remember that with online learning, there are several factors that come into play. Each study is going to be based on many variables, and sometimes we need to draw our own conclusions from the evidence. Even if the studies were redone with different students and teachers, the results may be completely different depending on the population of students and their individualities.
I've learned from the studies that in most cases we can only make general conclusions and then from that we can continue to develop and change online curriculums as we learn from experience. For me, I like to think about which types of studies can be done in order to really find results that are going to help me in my own teaching. However, I need to remember that my experience, the experience of my students, and our various backgrounds are going to have a great impact on student success in the course. Just because students may have positive feedback about a course does not mean they really learned from the activities...the next step is finding out which online activities also help students learn.
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