Online learning opinions and facts
MVU began as an agent for change in education, promoting the expansion and improvement of online learning in Michigan. That role focuses on the K-12 community, providing online learning products, services and solutions for students, teachers and administrators.
This collection of reports and articles is intended to provide some of the latest research and thought regarding MVU and online learning.
Planning Guide for Online and Blended Learning
MVU published the Planning Guide for Online and Blended Learning as a means of helping facilitate a strategic planning process to expand the use of online and blended learning. Please contact our offices to explore how we can help you develop an implementation plan for online learning in your district.
 Planning Guide for Online and Blended Learning (PDF)
MACUL Journal articles
MVU is a regular contributor to the MACUL Journal, a quarterly publication of the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning. Recent editions include articles about online professional development, project-based learning and online assessment.
MVU Partners in Innovation to Define Future in Online Learning (2012 Conference, page 14)
Inch Your Way Toward Integration (Conference 2012, pages 10-12)
Promoting Higher-Order Thinking with the iPad (Winter 2011-12, pages 12-13)
MVS: Bringing Your Classroom into the Cloud (Fall 2011, pages 8-9)
The Medium Is the Assessment (Spring/Summer 2011, pages 14-15)
Well-trained Teachers Are Essential for 21st Century Learning (Conference 2011, pages 14-15)
MVU Offers Online Teaching and Learning Mastery Program Developed with Project-based Learning Concepts (Winter 2010/11, page 11)
Mackinac Center report recommends expansion of online learning
A report released by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Virtual Learning in Michigan's Schools, written by the center's Education Policy Director Michael Van Beek, extols the benefits of online learning and says that "Michigan should expand leadership role in online education." The study analyzes the financial costs and academic benefits of online learning, and it explores how it could further benefit Michigan students.
Digital Learning Council report recommends major changes to state education policy
The Digital Learning Council, headed by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise, has recommended major changes to state education policy. The recommendations are part of the council's 10 policy suggestions in Digital Learning Now! (PDF), a report issued Dec. 1, 2010, that calls for states to use digital learning as a catalyst for transformational change in public education.
The council defined the elements and identified the actions that need to be taken by lawmakers and policymakers to foster a high quality, customized education for all students. This included technology-enhanced learning in traditional schools, online and virtual, and blended learning that combines online and onsite learning. The council’s report identified 10 core elements of high quality digital learning.
The 20-page report contains more than three dozen specific recommendations for lawmakers and policy leaders, such as abolishing seat-time requirements, administering state assessments digitally and replacing textbooks with digital content.
Reports address dropout recovery and professional development for online learning
MVU worked collaboratively with Dr. Richard Ferdig of Kent State University to produce two reports that provide educators with insights into two key areas of online learning: online professional development for teachers and the student dropout problem. Both reports were released at MVU’s 7th Annual Online Learning Symposium on Nov. 9, 2010.
Dr. Ferdig’s first report, Continuous Quality Improvement Through Professional Development for Online K-12 Instructors (PDF), provides a review of the research that has been conducted in this emerging area of study, explores the challenges of online professional development and concludes with a set of recommendations and implications for K-12 educators. In his second report, Understanding the Role and Applicability of K-12 Online Learning to Support Student Dropout Recovery Efforts (PDF), Dr. Ferdig provides a valuable overview of the expanding role that online professional development is playing in K-12 education.
National study focuses on online student performance
A 2009 U.S. Department of Education report “found that, on average, online learning students performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.”
The report, Evaluation of Evidence-based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Practices (PDF), said the “difference between student outcomes for online and face-to- face classes ... was larger in those studies contrasting conditions that blended elements of online and face-to-face instruction with conditions taught entirely face-to-face,” thus pointing out the role of the teacher is critical in both online and classroom teaching.
The report was prepared for the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies, Washington, D.C. 2009.
Report tracks trends in online learning
Nationally, only one in 10 students in grades 6-12 have taken an online course through their school, according to a report by the California-based Project Tomorrow and Washington, D.C.-based Blackboard Inc., but almost half of them have researched or are interested in taking an online course. Read the entire Learning in the 21st Century: 2009 Trends Update (PDF) report.
MVU document guides Board of Directors and managers
The MVU Framework for the Future (PDF) document provides an overview of MVU’s accomplishments, core assets and challenges, and examines trends in online learning. It also establishes a framework that reaffirms the organization’s vision, priority goals and core strategies for the future. This document is intended to serve as a guide for the MVU Board of Directors and senior management team over the next five years.
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