Modular Learning Courses [E-lert for Dec. 2]

The modular learning concept was born from this question: "Why should we wait until a students fail a course to offer them credit recovery help?" Now when students fall behind in a course, schools can now enroll them into any one of our 24 modules from English, math, digital communications, and science courses. Students will have the opportunity to master the module's concept (usually over a 1-2 week period) and catch back up with their peers in class.

Right now modular courses are open just to pilot districts, but they will be offered statewide in Spring 2011.

For more information on our modular learning opportunities, follow the link below:

http://www.thevlc.org/2010/11/modular-learning.html

Thanks to Jennifer Nobles, one of our modular learning specialists, for the great overview!

Rolling Enrollment with Modular Courses [E-lert for April 1]

In the fall, NCVPS will have rolling enrollment for our modular courses. Our modular courses are designed to help students who fail a module in their face2face course.

After a student fails a face2face module, the student could then be enrolled in the NCVPS module. The student would then have an opportunity to master that module with the help of an NCVPS teacher and then be back on pace with the other students in their face2face course.

Students would remain in their face2face course while they took the modular course with NCVPS. We would submit a grade to the face2face teacher, and they could use that how ever they want. The idea is to not wait until a student fails to get help with credit recovery.

Be ready for that in Fall 2010.

NCVPS Introduces Blended Modular Learning to North Carolina [E-lert for Jan. 28, 2010]

Typically when a students fails a unit in a course, the student has to advance to the next unit when the rest of the class does, regardless if he or she is ready to advance. Modular learning takes the best of what online and traditional classroom resources have to offer and helps the failing student master the concepts of a unit and advance with the necessary skills.

NCVPS and three districts are piloting modular learning this spring on a small scale. Specific modules in Algebra I, Algebra II, English I, and Physical Science have been developed. This blended learning approach allows the face-to-face (f2f) teacher to use NCVPS modules with NCVPS teachers to reteach material a student may be struggling with in the f2f environment. The NCVPS teacher works with the f2f teacher as the student moves through the online material.

Our plan is to finish development of these four courses this spring and have them available for the state in the fall 2010. Further courses will become "modularized" as we are able to develop them. Training modules will be created for the participating districts.