You are here

FAU Collections » FAU Research Repository » FAU Theses and Dissertations

Approaching Authentic Assessment: Using Virtual School Teachers’ Expertise to Develop an Understanding of Full Time K-8 Virtual School Teacher Practices

Download pdf | Full Screen View

Date Issued:
2016
Summary:
According to Molnar (2014), full time virtual school education lacks a measurement tool that accurately measures effective virtual teacher practice. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, the current study sought to understand the common practices among full time K-8 virtual school teachers, the extent to which teachers believed such practices impacted student learning, as well as the methods in which current standards, recommendations and practices were implemented in the full time K-8 virtual school setting. The relationship between virtual school teacher practices and their Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) was also explored. Using the standards, practices and recommendations developed for online learning from International Association for K–12 Online Learning (iNACOL), National Education Association (NEA), Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) a team of focus group members gave input on the common practices for teaching students in the full time K-8 virtual school environment. The results included 11 general virtual school teacher practices, 12 teacher practices relating to evaluation and three practices relating to special needs and diverse learners. Qualitative and quantitative findings indicated that teachers most frequently meet the established practices through the following strategies: phone conferences, live sessions with students, feedback on assessments, webmail communication, professional development, collaborating with peers/teacher collaboration, professional learning communities, curriculum based assessments on the phone, communicating with family stakeholders, and determining students in the bottom quartile. A framework for K-8 full time virtual school pedagogy which includes evaluating student learning and individualizing instruction through technology tools and collaborative methods was developed. Finally, the quantitative findings indicated that of the three virtual school teacher practice categories (teacher practice, evaluation and special needs and diverse learners), evaluation was the leading predictor of teacher TPACK scores. Specifically, collaboration, having an online voice and presence, and using data from assessments to modify instruction were found to significantly predict a teacher’s Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge. Using virtual school teachers’ expertise on the practices which most impact student learning and the methods for implementing virtual school teacher practices, the researcher created a draft full time K-8 virtual school teacher evaluation rubric.
Title: Approaching Authentic Assessment: Using Virtual School Teachers’ Expertise to Develop an Understanding of Full Time K-8 Virtual School Teacher Practices.
196 views
86 downloads
Name(s): Seamster, Christina Lambert, author
Weber, Roberta K., Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
College of Education
Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2016
Date Issued: 2016
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 242 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: According to Molnar (2014), full time virtual school education lacks a measurement tool that accurately measures effective virtual teacher practice. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, the current study sought to understand the common practices among full time K-8 virtual school teachers, the extent to which teachers believed such practices impacted student learning, as well as the methods in which current standards, recommendations and practices were implemented in the full time K-8 virtual school setting. The relationship between virtual school teacher practices and their Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) was also explored. Using the standards, practices and recommendations developed for online learning from International Association for K–12 Online Learning (iNACOL), National Education Association (NEA), Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) a team of focus group members gave input on the common practices for teaching students in the full time K-8 virtual school environment. The results included 11 general virtual school teacher practices, 12 teacher practices relating to evaluation and three practices relating to special needs and diverse learners. Qualitative and quantitative findings indicated that teachers most frequently meet the established practices through the following strategies: phone conferences, live sessions with students, feedback on assessments, webmail communication, professional development, collaborating with peers/teacher collaboration, professional learning communities, curriculum based assessments on the phone, communicating with family stakeholders, and determining students in the bottom quartile. A framework for K-8 full time virtual school pedagogy which includes evaluating student learning and individualizing instruction through technology tools and collaborative methods was developed. Finally, the quantitative findings indicated that of the three virtual school teacher practice categories (teacher practice, evaluation and special needs and diverse learners), evaluation was the leading predictor of teacher TPACK scores. Specifically, collaboration, having an online voice and presence, and using data from assessments to modify instruction were found to significantly predict a teacher’s Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge. Using virtual school teachers’ expertise on the practices which most impact student learning and the methods for implementing virtual school teacher practices, the researcher created a draft full time K-8 virtual school teacher evaluation rubric.
Identifier: FA00004741 (IID)
Degree granted: Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Teachers--Training of--Evaluation.
Teachers--Rating of.
Public schools--Effect of technological innovations on.
Educational change--United States--Evaluation.
Educational technology--United States--Evaluation.
Pedagogical content knowledge.
Computer-assisted instruction.
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Sublocation: Digital Library
Links: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004741
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004741
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.