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Virtual Virginia
Virtual Virginia (VVa) is a statewide virtual school, offering supplemental courses to students in grades 6-12. It is located in the US state of Virginia. It provides courses to "students who would otherwise be unable to take... courses due to the lack of a highly qualified instructor, too few students for the course to be offered by their home schools, or scheduling conflicts within the school." Courses are supplemental, i.e. not full-time.
Operated out of the Virginia Department of Education, VVa has offered online courses since 2005. For-credit course enrollments reached 6,276 in 2009-10, a nearly 30% increase over 2008-09. VVA limits enrollments to 15 students per course from an individual school.
Courses are available to students across Virginia, the US, and throughout the world. Students in middle and high schools who meet the course prerequisites may enroll - with approval - through their local schools. Courses are free to some, but not all, Virginia public school students. All others must pay tuition.
Students move through the course material at the pace of their cohort/start date; courses are not self-paced.
The Virtual Virginia web site is at http://www.virtualvirginia.org/
More Details
Virtual Virginia funding is largely based on state appropriations, approximately $3 million in 2009-10.
Virtual Virginia is a combination of the former Virginia Satellite Education Network (VSEN), and the web-based Virtual Virgina Advanced Placement School (VVAPS).
Each VVa course contains video segments, audio clips, whiteboard interaction, multimedia activities, and online discussions, as well as text. Instructors are available for telephone and online communication with students throughout the day. Full-time instructors are online with students at least 40 hours per week. Adjunct instructors have posted office hours.
References
- "A National Primer on K-12 Online Learning", iNACOL, October 2010, http://www.inacol.org/research/docs/national_report.pdf
- "Keeping Pace With Online Learning: An Annual Review of Policy and Practice", Evergreen Education Group, 2010, http://kpk12.com/reports/
- Virtual Virginia web site, http://www.virtualvirginia.org/