Before enrolling in the virtual academy, students take a course introducing them to the principles of online learning, including time management and how to use virtual calendars and a course management system.
Kipp takes full advantage of all that virtual learning has to offer; her students use message boards to reflect on assignments and hold groups discussions. She suggests setting minimum participation requirements, such as asking each student to post to a message board three times per week, to keep group discussions ongoing and relevant.
Currently, Kipp’s seniors are reading different science fiction novels. She built groups for different novels in Blackboard, and students are posting reader response journals in their assigned novel groups. Next, they’ll create a wiki within that group to explore different themes and aspects of the novels.
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Online discussion boards also help typically shy students interact more frequently. “They have time to compose, sit there, and really think” about their responses, Kipp said. And because the discussions in Kipp’s classes remain online and active, students can revisit topics throughout the course.
“It’s fun for me to see how their conversation about a novel continues over the course of several weeks,” she said. “They may come back to an idea that they posted on the board earlier and expand on it later as they read the novel.”
Kipp uses a handful of key strategies to remain in communication with her online students and to ensure that they are engaged and successful in their online courses.
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