Virtual schools: a critical view -- Administering a virtual school -- Managing virtual schools: the Canadian experience -- Distance learning success factors in the RPR cycle and virtual school accreditation -- Distance learning as a form of accommodation -- Teaching any time, any place, any pace -- Professional development recommendations for online course designers -- Instructional design factors and requirements for online courses and modules -- The management of virtual classes in school district digital intranets -- Virtual vignettes and pedagogical potentials: insights into a virtual schooling service -- The collaborative critical incident tool: supporting reflection and evaluation in a web community -- Science Net: a virtual school for the extension (science) education of the public in Singapore
Summary
Virtual schools are a result of widespread changes in knowledge about learning, in available technology and in society. Virtual schooling is growing in popularity and will continue to attract students because of the benefits it offers over traditional schooling. Stakeholders in virtual schools need information to guide their decisions. For the foreseeable future, virtual schools will continue to meet diverse student needs, and to evolve in response to further change. This publication brings together knowledge of virtual schools as a reference for scholars and other groups involved in virtual schools. The chapters review best practice from concept and development, through implementation and evaluation
