K-12 Challenges and Solutions
The challenges with implementing and growing eLearning programs faced by K-12 schools and programs are unique. Desire2Learn provides the solutions to address those challenges through its new K-12 Suite.
Expanding Access and Opportunity for All Users
Challenge: How can you offer the widest variety of rigorous courses with a highly qualified teacher?
Solution: Even the largest of schools has trouble offering a wide variety of courses to engage student interest. Often there are too few students, making course scheduling difficult or economically unfeasible. Lack of a qualified teacher to meet NCLB requirements may also be a challenge. By offering elearning courses through the Desire2Learn Learning Environment those concerns can be overcome. An online teacher can physically be at any location and may work on a part-time or per class adjunct status. Retired or stay-at-home teachers, who want to remain active in the work force but require personal flexibility, are able to be involved in the rewarding world of education, on their own schedule. Students can be aggregated from a variety of locations or just a few accommodated.
Implementing An eLearning Program
Challenge: My program lacks the technical experience to run an elearning program.
Solution: From in-depth implementation to end-user support, Desire2Learn can provide for all aspects of an elearning program to free you up to focus on teaching and learning. Through account management that encompasses your goals our partnership commitment is to see clients succeed. The Desire2Learn K-12 suite focuses on best meeting K-12 clients needs through a variety of functionalities from providing customized reports, that meet administrative and reporting mandates, to competencies and standards which can be aligned through out content, assessment, reporting, tagging and storage in the Learning Repository.
Engaging Users and Personalizing Learning
Challenge: Students expect to use social networking tools and other technology.
Solution: Encouraging the extension of the classroom beyond the traditional bricks and mortar settings as well as interaction between student and teacher encourages a more participatory style of learning.
Just-In-Time Professional Development
Challenge: How can my program provide a variety of just-in-time professional development opportunities to ensure quality and accountability?
Solution: Local education authorities desire to expand professional development opportunities to their users and provide needed and effective training. Through the Desire2Learn K-12 suite of products, professional development can be offered at many levels of customization based on the client's needs. From functionality, provided in the Learning Environment, to multi-purpose objects created and stored in the Learning Repository through to presentations collaborated on in the ePortfolio, the ability to train any level of user for a variety of outcomes is possible. Realizing savings in eLearning through the Desire2Learn K-12 suite of products enhances efficiency, increases cost effectiveness, provides just-in-time training and reduces repitition of effort.
"The Desire2Learn platform has met and exceeded the expectations of our staff and students as our selected online software. The functionality of this program has given us the opportunity to provide quality programs with ease in the online environment."
Jim SmokrovichPrincipal
Grand Rapids High School