Opportunities Increase and Learning Advances Online

The buzzwords are all over the place: “online learning,” “e-learning,” “virtual learning.” With the new requirement that all Michigan students must take at least one online course or have an online learning experience in order to graduate from high school beginning with the graduating class of 2011, many are struggling to navigate online education opportunities. More than just a fad, online learning increases opportunities and advances learning for many students in Michigan and around the country. Online learning allows a flexibility that is not easily available in the traditional classroom.

Acquiring 21st Century learning skills has become a prime motivator for learning online. Online learning offers an equity of opportunity—the main impetus for schools to offer online courses to students. Today, learning online is a basic skill—one that all students need to experience and master. And they are doing so in growing numbers.

Public Act 230 of 2000 is authorized under the Michigan Virtual High School (MVHS). The MVHS does not grant course credit or award diplomas independently but works in partnership with local and intermediate school districts that do. The MVHS operates as the core division of the Michigan Virtual University (MVU), a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation.

MVHS had more than seven thousand enrollments during the 2005-06 school year and more than 25,000 enrollments since its inception in 2000. Students come from public and private schools, including home-school students. They take courses in advanced placement, government, Chinese, and forensic science among other offerings in school computer labs and libraries.

“I like working ahead and getting things out of the way, and MVHS courses let me do that” one student said. “If I have a question or a problem, I just email my online teacher and get a quick response.”

Students select their courses from the MVHS catalog (www.mivhs.org/content.cfm?ID=32), which offers 234 different courses, including traditional semester-length courses, student-paced courses, advanced-placement courses, and summer courses. Additionally this fall, all Michigan students will have the opportunity to take a free online course that focuses on career and education planning in a global economy. (See “Unique Online Course Addresses Career Development in a Global Economy”.)

MVHS teachers are enthusiastic about leading the way. Math teacher Marsha Myles of Traverse City said that her online teaching experiences have been very positive. “Online learning allows students to work at their own pace with an interactive e-text that tailors the course to their own personal needs,” Myles said. “Students today have a very easy time connecting in a virtual environment. Teacher-student relationships can be built and nurtured online just as positively as they can in a classroom setting.”

Fred Page, a Dearborn teacher who teaches MVHS astronomy courses, said that he’s never been more challenged or excited as a teacher in his 36 years as a classroom instructor. “Although I haven’t seen my students’ faces, we have engaged in quality instruction that in many ways exceeds my experiences in face-to-face classrooms,” Page said. “Through email, we communicate and learn together. We can learn anytime and anywhere. I have had students doing class work while on vacation. We communicate and learn with the tools of today and tomorrow. My online students are as challenged as those in any classroom in the state, and I am excited to be a part of what I believe is a new way to learn.”

Michigan students like learning online. Recognizing its importance, Michigan’s educational and legislative leaders have included an online requirement in the Michigan Merit Curriculum high school graduation requirements. MVHS teachers are enthusiastic about the challenges of teaching online. So, what can you do to facilitate your students’ online learning?

• Schools can enroll students in MVHS courses and access online test review tools on behalf of their students.
• Teachers can transfer their skills to the Internet by teaching an online course.
• Any educator can be a mentor, serving as a liaison between their school and the MVHS.
• Parents can contact their school to find out how their child can become an online learner.
• You can get acquainted with learning the “e-way” and with the Michigan Virtual High School—where you can learn virtually anything—by visiting www.mivhs.org/content.cfm?ID=31.

For more information on MVU or MVHS, visit: www.mivu.org or www.mivhs.org, or call (517) 336-7733.