Manju Banerjee Ph.D. Joseph Madaus Ph.D. Kim McKeown M.A.

1. Online and Technology Blended Learning: The Opportunities and the Challenges Manju Banerjee Ph.D. Joseph Madaus Ph.D. Kim McKeown M.A. Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability Center for Students with Disabilities University of Connecticut The UDI Online Project is funded through the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education PR/Award #P333A080053 UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010 1

2. Presentation Objectives • Define online and technology blended courses • Introduce statistics on the online course movement in the K-12 environment • Present statistics on increases in the number on online courses and the number of students with disabilities entering college • Discuss findings of the UDI Online project from student surveys and interviews regarding online and technology blended courses • Identify technology skills students will need to be successful in online/blended courses and college • Consider results from a study of student perceptions of their technology skills vs. actual skill levels • Identify steps to preparing students for college, specifically to take online/blended courses UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010 2

3. About UDI Projects • Project One (1999 – 2002): Assuring Equal Academic Access for College Students with Learning Disabilities by Implementing Universal Design in the Instructional Environment (McGuire & Shaw) • Project Two (2002 – 2005): Designing Inclusive College Teaching: Empowering Faculty to Promote Equal Educational Access for Students with Cognitive Disabilities (McGuire, Scott, & Shaw) • Project Three (2008 – 2011): UDI Online (Madaus & Banerjee) UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010 3

4. Online Instruction UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010 4

5. Online Course Definitions • Online courses are those in which at least 80% of the course content is delivered online (Allen & Seaman, 2010). • An online course is taught completely electronically in an asynchronous manner. The class may have one or two face-to-face meetings over the course of the term. However, instruction, learning, communication, and assessment are done primarily in an electronic medium using a course authoring system (UDI Online Project, 2009). UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010 5

6. Blended Instruction Professor in Classroom with Students by FJ Gaylor http://mediashare.uconn.edu/res/sites/public/ UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010 6

7. Blended Course Definitions • Face-to-face instruction includes courses in which zero to 29% of the content is delivered online; this category includes both traditional and web facilitated courses (Allen & Seaman, 2010). • Blended (sometimes called hybrid) instruction is defined as having between 30% and 80% of the course content delivered online (Allen & Seaman, 2010; Sloan Consortium, 2006). • A blended course is one that is primarily taught face-to-face and that uses an electronic course authoring system to deliver components of instruction, assessment, and/or communication. The class uses both online and face-to-face interaction in varying degrees as guided by institutional and programmatic needs. The online components may be presented asynchronously (UDI Online Project, 2009). UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010 7

8. Online Courses in K-12 • During the 2008-2009 school year, state sponsored virtual K-12 public school programs operating in 27 states provided roughly 320,000 course enrollments (i.e., one student taking one semester-long course) in for-credit courses. • An estimated one million K-12 students took an online course during 2007-2008. This represents 175,000 full-time students. • The Florida Virtual School is by far the largest state virtual K-12 public school program with more than 150,000 course enrollments in 2008-2009. (Rhim, 2010) 8 UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010

9. Online Courses in K-12 • Outcomes for students enrolled in virtual programs appear to be positive. According to the U.S. Department of Education (2009), students in online learning conditions are performing better on average than those receiving face-to-face instruction. • The differences in achievement were greatest in conditions that blended online and face-to-face education which frequently resulted in additional learning time. (Rhim, 2010) 9 UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010

10. K-12 Online Courses For SwD • Virtual schools that cater to individual students’ unique learning needs are aligned with the intent of IDEA and have the potential to open new educational opportunities to children with disabilities alongside their peers without disabilities (Rhim & Kowal, 2008). 10 UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010

11. K-12 Online Courses For SwD • The virtual environment is appealing to parents of children with disabilities for the following reasons: • It provides an individualized program and pacing. - It provides extensive opportunities for parental involvement. • It allows for the use of technology as an extension of existing assistive technology (AT) for children with disabilities. • It provides frequent and immediate feedback. • There is a variety of presentation formats and personalized instruction. • There is more control over the learning environment (e.g., flexibility of time and space). (Rhim & Kowal, 2008) 11 UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010

12. Effective Features of K-12 Online Classes Serving SwD • Individualized support and instruction: • Emphasis on differentiated instruction, • Ongoing feedback, • Self-pacing, and • Opportunities for students to take control of their own learning. (Muller, 2010) 12 UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010

13. Effective Features of K-12 Online Classes Serving SwD • Leveling of the academic and social playing field via new technologies: • Multimodal presentation of content, allowing students to choose how best to access information; • Opportunities for archiving work samples, video clips of students completing assignments/tasks, and online portfolios for use as a part of formative assessment and progress monitoring; • Alternative means of social interaction via “chat” options, Facebook, and other new social networking media; Lack of peer distractions and/or peer conflict. (Muller, 2010) 13 UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010

14. Increasing Role of Online Courses in Higher Education • Over 4.6 million students were taking at least one online course during the fall 2008 term, a 17% increase over the number reported the previous year (Allen & Seaman, 2010). • The 17% growth rate for online enrollments far exceeds the 1.2% growth of the overall higher education student population (Allen & Seaman, 2010). • More than one in four higher education students now take at least one course online (Allen & Seaman, 2010). UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010 14

15. Students with Disabilities in Higher Education • Students with disabilities make up about 11% of all college students (GAO, 2009). • Students with learning disabilities make up over 3% of all college students (Pryor et al., 2009). • Learners with cognitive disabilities are the largest disability group worldwide (WebAim, n.d.). • Web accessibility has focused on blindness, physical disabilities (Bohman & Anderson, 2005). UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010 15

16. Students with Disabilities General Accounting Office. (2009). Higher education and disability: Education needs a coordinated approach to improve its assistance to schools in supporting students. Washington, DC: Author. UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010 16

17. Student Survey & Interview Results - Advantages • Flexibility (related to time – work around schedule) • Flexibility (related to space – no commute) • Ability to work at your own pace • Access to a wide range of resources • Opportunity for reflection, in-depth processing (UDI Online Project, 2010) UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010 17

18. Student Survey & Interview Results - Challenges • Lack of communication, feedback, and teacher interaction • Need to teach and manage self • Learning through reading only • Trouble receiving extended time for exams (UDI Online Project, 2010) UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010 18

19. Technology Skills – A Must!! • Model Core Teaching Standards: A Resource for State Dialogue • Revision to Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) model standards (1992) • Now applies to teachers at all career stages • Delineates what teachers should know “to help all students reach the goal of being college and career ready in today's world” (p. 1). • Calls for: • High expectations for all students • Recognizing diversity, including learners with disabilities • Viewing differences as strengths Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010, July). Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Model Core Teaching Standards: A Resource for State Dialogue (Draft for Public Comment). Washington, DC: Author. 19

20. Technology Skills – A Must!! • Emphasis on “new possibilities” via technology • “Young and old alike have instantaneous access to both an unlimited amount of information and to their peers, colleagues and experts all over the world.” • “Teachers no longer have a monopoly on pacing, timing, resources, or even the content of the curriculum.” • Need for “new approaches” • “Systems can be developed to support instructional practice that focuses on personalizing learning so that each student can engage in unique and diverse ways of learning that incorporates and exploits new technologies to maximize and individualize learning; that models how young people learn today by allowing them to take charge of their own learning and do it in creative ways…..” Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010, July). Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Model Core Teaching Standards: A Resource for State Dialogue (Draft for Public Comment). Washington, DC: Author., p. 4. 20

21. Technology Skills – A Must!! • Postsecondary institutions increasingly have Computer Technology Competencies: • Computer Operation Basics • Electronic Communication - E-Mail • Internet - Navigation of Web Sites • Word Processing • Presentation Software • Spreadsheets • Databases • Graphics and Multimedia UConn’s Computer Tech Competencies (http://www.ctcs.uconn.edu/) UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010 21

22. Basic Technology Skills -Student Perceptions Grant, D., et al. (2009). A comparison of student perceptions of their computer skills to their actual abilities. Journal of Information Technology Education, (8). UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010 22

23. Basic Technology Skills –Reality Grant, D., et al. (2009). A comparison of student perceptions of their computer skills to their actual abilities. Journal of Information Technology Education, (8). UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010 23

24. Advanced Technology Skills UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010 24

25. Preparing Students for Learning After High School • Take a broader perspective on technology: • More than AT • “Mainstream” technologies needed by all students • Assess technology skills as part of the IEP process • Foster time management, organizational skills • Foster independence in learning • Provide prompts and probes that foster deeper level reflection on materials rather than lower level identification and recall UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010 25

26. UDI e-Toolbox http://www.udi.uconn.edu/index.php?q=content/e-tool-library UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010 26

27. Additional Information • UDI Online Project • www.udi.uconn.edu • udionline@uconn.edu • Manju Banerjee • Manju.banerjee@uconn.edu • Joseph Madaus • Joseph.madaus@uconn.edu • Kim McKeown • Kimberly.mckeown@uconn.edu 27 UDI Online Project Team, University of Connecticut 2010