Collaborative+Models+of+Online+Content+Development

Liz Pape, Virtual High School

Janna Vega, Idaho Digital Learning Academy Matthew Wicks, Illinois Virtual High School

IVHS Model - team approach with each person on team providing specific expertise Team Roles Partners Identification of course needs Process
 * Subject matter experts
 * Instructional design
 * Project management - shared between administrative oversight and LMS vendor academic services
 * Course developer
 * IVHS
 * eCollege
 * Sometimes other organizations - a university, perhaps
 * Annual surveys of participating schools
 * Teacher Interest (as instructors)
 * Replacing existing licensed courses - especially the more popular ones
 * Recruit the subject matter experts, often teachers
 * Orientation meeting for prospective teachers
 * Kick-off meeting - identify roles and responsibilities
 * Develop course outline
 * Proof of Concept/QA/Formal sign-off
 * Iterative process: Unit Development/QA/informal sign-off
 * Final QA/Formal course Sign-off

Middle School Consortium Model: In-house development by fulltime staff Template for all courses ensures consistency across the entire curriculum Instructional Philosophy applied to course development
 * Benefits
 * Reduced cost
 * Multiple perspectives
 * Challenges
 * Extra coordination effort
 * Differeing prioritites
 * Differing standards of organizations
 * Ongoing course maintenance
 * Curriculum and Instruction specialists in various content areas - all experienced online teachers with additional training
 * Continual need to update curriculum, resources, and technology
 * Changes made on-the-go in response to feedback from classes in progress
 * Curriculum team as a resource to teachers
 * Organizatoinal framework
 * Naming conventions
 * Checklists and scheduling
 * Clearly tyied to state standards
 * Utilize best practices and current research
 * Etc.

Model: Global Consortium Model What about joining the Virtual High School?? OR Tie payment of course developers to a calendar of deliverables! Great IDEA!
 * Course development partners - member school classroom teachers
 * Course revision partners- member school classroom teachers
 * VHS Staff - curriculum coordinators, instructional designers, instructional and education specialists
 * So they use the "Teacher's Learning Conference," at which 100 teachers a year come to get trained AND develop a course 22 weeks long (15-25 hours per week)
 * A new plan called "Netcourse Instructional Methodologies" at which a shorter training for teachers is deployed for high-demand courses that are already developed