Phase3


 * Objectives for the Unit Plan**

I am going to create an online course on digital literacy for the students of Florida Virtual School. By the end of the course, students will have a clear understanding of the principles of digital literacy. Students, when presented with a research topic, will be able to navigate Internet databases and search engines in order to find the most accurate and relevant information (in order to remain open-ended, students will choose their own research topic). When presented with a website or other Internet source, students will be able to analyze the credibility of the source. Students will also understand the principles of plagiarism and citations, and will be able to properly format and cite sources in their paper.


 * Course Concerns**

//The perceived relevance of the content to career or personal interests// This course in digital literacy will continually emphasize the importance of understanding how to research, how to find and identify credible sources, and how to format and cite sources in a paper. In essence, this course will help students to be successful in all of their other courses, so they should find the content to be very relevant and immediately applicable in other courses.

//The difficulty of the course and program (i.e., amount of time/effort required)// Most high school-aged students have been conducting research since elementary school, so most of the information in this course will not be entirely new to them. Therefore, they shouldn't find the content to be too difficult, and the amount of time and effort required will most likely correspond to the amount of students' prior knowledge of the material. If the student is having difficulty in the course, they can slow down the pace and interact with their instructor for one-on-one help.

//The degree of student support available// The instructor will be available to help students at any time that they need assistance and support. The instructor will make sure that all students have access to their e-mail address, phone number, and "office hours." Additionally, Florida Virtual School offers additional student support, from technical support to student advisement.

//The nature of the technology used for course delivery and interaction// The Florida Virtual School learning platform is very user-friendly, so the students should be able to navigate the online classroom fairly easily. Also, all students are required to complete a New Student Orientation (@http://nso.flvs.net) prior to enrolling in a course; this orientation teaches students about computer skills, how to get started in their online class, and communicating online.

//The extent of the pacing or scheduling involved// Florida Virtual School's motto is "Any time, any place, any path, any pace." Students are able to write at their own pace for the most part. If students struggle with understanding the content, they can slow down the pace, and if they are understanding everything, they can move ahead quickly.

//The amount and nature of feedback received from instructors/tutors on assignments and on course progress// Student will receive quantitative and qualitative feedback on a regular basis from the instructor. Also, students are able to log into their VSA account at any time and check on their course progress; it will actually show the percentage complete. The instructor will also call students and parents at least once a month to check in and talk about how the student is progressing in the course.

//The amount and nature of the interaction with instructors, tutors, and other students// Students will have quality interaction with the instructor on a regular basis. When the student needs additional assistance, the instructor will work with the student one-on-one, much like a tutor would. While the student won't be working with other students in the same course, they can have interaction with other FLVS students through student clubs.


 * Implications of Learner Characteristics**

My learners will be made up of 9-12 grade students who are taking this course because it is not offered at their home school, or perhaps they are homeschooled students. They might be advanced students who are taking the course to earn extra credits and/or expand their knowledge for personal reasons. Or some of the learners might be at-risk students who need instruction on digital literacy in order to improve their research and writing skills.

The at-risk students will need extra support in terms of instructor interaction, detailed feedback on assignments, and support and encouragement from the instructor. "Although they have the most need for extra educational opportunities, they usually have very poor learning/study skills and have a great deal of trouble with both the techniques and the self-discipline needed for distance learning" (Moore & Kearsley, p. 183). It will be especially important for the instructor to help increase motivation by giving positive feedback for student effort, as well as frequent encouraging communication.

Some of the advanced students may need more of a challenge in their coursework, and so it will be important for them to have access to additional resources and reading material if they want to expand their knowledge of a topic and/or delve more in-depth in a topic.


 * Quality Assessment**

In order to check the quality of the course, I will use the quality standards/benchmarks outlined by the National Education Association (NEA). In their "Guide to Online High School Courses," the NEA provides an outline for assessment that covers the following aspects (p. 13-23): Curriculum; Instructional Design; Teacher Quality; Student Role; Assessment; Management and Support Systems; and Technical Infrastructure. The course will be evaluated based on these benchmarks to ensure quality. Additionally, I consulted the "SREB Essential Principles of Quality for Online Middle and High School Courses" for additional evaluation standards. For this Digital Literacy course, the success will be measured by the achievement of students taking it (FLVS funding is performance-based). The course will be evaluated over time by FLVS, and each teacher of the course will be evaluated at least once a year.


 * Dialogue and Structure**

Moore & Kearsley (2007) define dialogue as "purposeful, constructive, and valued by each party. Each party in a dialogue is a respectful and active listener; each is a contributor, and builds on the contributions of the other party or parties...The direction of a dialogue in an educational relationship is towards the improved understanding of the student" (p. 224). Using this definition, I would determine that this digital literacy course through FLVS would have a high amount of dialogue. The dialogue would take place between the instructor and individual student, rather than between an instructor and group of learners. And because this is an online course, the learner's dialogue with the instructor will mostly take place electronically, meaning the dialogue will be highly structured. A greater degree of dialogue is also due to the speed and frequency of responses by the instructor and learner to the inputs of each other.

In regards to structure, the course will allow students to work at their own pace. They can begin and complete the course at any time, and they do not have to work as a cohort with classmates. This aspect of the course equals a low structure. However, there are other, more highly structured, aspects of the course. For one, the instructor will provide detailed rubrics and grading standards to help ensure all students meet standard criteria of achievement. Also, instructors will monitor the learning performance of each student with great frequency, proving remedial activities for those that need them, and so ensure that every student has accomplished each step of the course. Overall, the course design will be highly structured and standardized, whereas each student's individual pace will allow for more flexibility. This equates to little Transactional Distance.


 * References**

Bawden, D. & Robinson, L. (2002). Promoting literacy in a digital age: Approaches to training for information literacy. Learned Publishing, 15(4), p. 297-301.

Jones-Kavalier, B.R. & Flannigan, S.L. (2006). Connecting the digital dots: Literacy of the 21st century. Educase Quarterly, 2, p. 8-10.

Moore, M. & Kearsley, G. (2007). //Handbook of Distance Education, 2nd ed//. Lawrence Eribaum.

National Education Association. (2002). Guide to online high school courses. Retrieved on February 15, 2010 from: http://www.nea.org/home/30113.htm

Southern Regional Education Board. (2001). Essential principles of quality for online middle and high school courses. Retrieved on February 15, 2010 from: []