Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/60901
COMMUNIQUÉ What's the right mix of online learning in Iowa? At the beginning of this Legislative session, Governor Branstad proposed giving the Director of the Iowa Department of Education the power to grant waivers to school districts, charter schools, or non-public schools to offer 100 percent online learning. Two private, for-profit, out-of- state companies—K-12 Inc. and Connections Academy—plan to provide 100 percent online- only schools for the 2012-13 school year. Clearly the ISEA supports online learning as an important tool if used to enhance curriculum; however, the ISEA opposes 100 percent online learning as initially proposed by the Governor. Since Iowa offers open enrollment, students could enroll from any community in Iowa. Corporations would take about 97 percent of the $6,000 per- pupil funding. Educators teaching online courses only need to be licensed to teach in Iowa, they do not need to live or teach here. "Having taught online courses, I can confirm that without that essential interaction, you have students who can clearly 'go through the motions' to pass the required coursework, but clearly have no understanding of how to transfer that knowledge to 'real-world' situations, essential in today's global economy, " said Timm Pilcher, a journalism teacher at Des Moines Hoover High School who testified at a Legislative public hearing in Des Moines. The research is clear that online-only students are losing ground. An independent analysis of online school data in Colorado by the I-News Network and Education News Colorado reveals that academic performance declined after students enrolled in online programs. Students who transferred to online programs from brick-and-mortar schools posted lower scores on annual state exams after entering virtual classrooms. Students who stayed in those online programs for two years actually saw their test results decline. Pilcher asked Legislators to consider John Hattie's ground-breaking study on human learning which shows direct instruction and classroom environment have almost three times more impact than computer-assisted learning or programmed instruction. A PUBLICATION OF THE IOWA STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION – MARCH 2012 – Vol. 49, No. 5 "In a rush to develop exclusionary online programs, we run the risk of eliminating some of the most valuable input and feedback a student can have for development: the human element. While online content can provide rigor; it is essential that human interaction be maintained, one-on-one, in current attendance centers in order for students to maintain a critical connection to content. It is only through direct human interaction, both with instructors and classmates, that higher-order thinking skills can be cultivated, " said Pilcher. "Online learning is the wave of the future—as an enrichment to traditional classroom instruction, not to the exclusion of it". Types of Virtual Learning Communities Asynchronous e-learning, facilitated by email and discussion boards, supports communication between learners and teachers, even when participants cannot be online at the same time. It is flexible and allows people to log on to an e-learning environment at any time and download documents or send messages to teachers or peers. Synchronous e-learning, commonly supported by media such as videoconferencing and chat, has the potential to support e-learners in the development of learning communities. It is more social and allows students to communicate in real time. Some believe that this kind of learning helps e-learners feel less isolated from classmates and their teacher. Blended e-learning—also known as "hybrid" online learning—blends online curriculum with face-to-face instruction in person. Students may meet with a teacher individually or together for a group lesson. Instruction can be individualized as needed to make sure the student understands the online materials. 3 IN THIS ISSUE OPINION Improving practice through evaluation 4 TEACHING & LEARNING New courses offered through the ISEA Academy 11 LEGAL Special Education issues for all school employees