One Schoolhouse

  • STUDENT COURSES
    • School Information
    • Student Information
    • Parent Information
    • Summer 2021
    • Register
  • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
    • Academic Leaders Listserv
    • Academic Leaders Retreats
    • COVID-19
    • Learning Innovation Blog
    • On-Demand Programs
    • Online Courses
    • Webinars
  • CONSORTIUM
    • Join the Consortium
    • Our Schools
  • COURSE LOGIN
    • Online Classes
    • On-Demand Programs
  • STUDENT COURSES
    • School Information
    • Student Information
    • Parent Information
    • Summer 2021
    • Register
  • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
    • Academic Leaders Listserv
    • Academic Leaders Retreats
    • COVID-19
    • Learning Innovation Blog
    • On-Demand Programs
    • Online Courses
    • Webinars
  • CONSORTIUM
    • Join the Consortium
    • Our Schools
  • COURSE LOGIN
    • Online Classes
    • On-Demand Programs

Use Research to Challenge Assumptions

3/7/2019

0 Comments

 
PictureBrad Rathgeber
When we talked about starting an independent school online, our colleagues at our schools looked at us as if we were crazy. In those days, people in our communities assumed that online learning was everything our schools were not: rote, lonely, boring, easy. When we looked online, we saw the potential for online learning to be so much more: connected, challenging, engaging.
​

The truth is, in 2009, most online courses were focused on content and rote learning, as you might be able to see from this screenshot from a college course in the same year.  But, in 2009, more and more social media tools (what we used to call “web 2.0” tools) were coming online. The internet became about connection, rather than giving knowledge. And, the tools for connection were becoming affordable in a way that they never were before.

Picture
This new way of using the internet allowed for a new way to teach online.  So, we enlisted the help of our friends at the Laurel School’s Center for Research on Girls, and their exceptional leader, Lisa Damour.  The Center scoured research available to create a pedagogical approach for teaching and learning online that was relational, developing four pillars for girls’ learning online:
  • Connection:  Students should feel a sense of connection in the online space, both with their teachers and their fellow students.
  • ​Collaboration:  Students should collaborate regularly with each other on meaningful pursuits and projects.
  • Creativity:  Learning online should value creativity, and inspire students to be creative.​
  • Application:  Learning online must have purpose and meaning to the real world.

Thus, connection, collaboration, creativity, and application became the cornerstone of our work with students online, giving us the basis for challenging the assumption that learning online could not be exceptional and relational.
​

And now, 10 year later, what do we know about at our courses? Well, 97% of our students say that their One Schoolhouse courses are as challenging or more challenging than their face-to-face classes, 82% report gaining greater academic maturity, 77% report being inspired to be creative, and 85% report seeing direct ties between classroom learning and real-world application.
​ 

We make progress on each of these fronts every year, continuously going back to the research to update our practice, staying true to our roots of being research driven in order to create something beyond expectation. I’ll write about that part of the journey next month - Design Backwards, Then Measure​. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Authors

    Brad Rathgeber (he/him/his)
    Head of School & CEO
    Corinne Dedini (she/her/hers)
    Assistant Head of School for Academics
    Elizabeth Katz (she/her/hers)
    Assistant Head of School for School Partnership
    Peter Gow (he/him/his)
    Independent Curriculum Resource Director
    Sarah Hanawald (she/her/hers)
    Assistant Head of School for PD & New Programs
    Tracie Yorke (she/her/hers)
    Instructional Designer for Equity, Inclusive Innovation & Accessibility
    ​Lorri Palko (she/her/hers)
    Finance & Operations Advisor; CFO (retired)
    Karen Douse (she/her/hers)
    Director of School & Student Support (retired)

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    March 2014
    October 2013
    August 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    October 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    November 2011
    July 2011
    June 2002

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Organization

About
Welcome
​History
FAQs
​Calendar

Policies

Tuition & Policies
Non-Discrimination Policy
Technology Requirements & Policies
​Privacy Policy




Team

Team Members
Board of Trustees
Employment Opportunities
Contact Us
1701 Rhode Island Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
info@oneschoolhouse.org
T: 202-618-3637​
© COPYRIGHT 2020, ONE SCHOOLHOUSE, INC.. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.