Best practices in teaching K-12 online: Lessons learned from Michigan Virtual School teachers
Meredith DiPietro
Richard E. Ferdig
Erik W. Black
Megan Preston
Abstract
Virtual schools are rising in popularity and presence. Unfortunately, there is a relative dearth of research related to teaching and learning in virtual schools. Although there are numerous handbooks addressing teaching online, there is little research on successful online teaching in the K-12 arena. Much of the existing research focused on teaching online is rooted in face-to-face content, not focused on content areas, built upon a post-secondary audience, or fails to use data from the teachers themselves to triangulate findings. This article reports on a study of 16 virtual school teachers from the Michigan Virtual School (MVS). It reports on best-practices from the interviews conducted with MVS teachers; and also provides research triangulation for those practices. The paper concludes with implications for policy, research, and practice.
EDITORS NOTE: As a part of this Editor’s Choice special issue of JIOL, this article is a reprint of an article published in volume 7, Issue 1 of the Journal of Interactive Online Learning. The author biographical information has been updated below, however, the manuscript is presented in its original form.
About the Author(s)...
Meredith DiPietro is an Assistant Professor of Instructional Systems Technology in the Department of Educational Leadership at the University of North Carolina Charlotte. Her research incorporates theories of psychology and pedagogy to investigate the integration of digital technologies into online and off-line educational environments. She has extensive experience working with virtual schools and is currently researching the pedagogy of virtual school teachers. Dr. DiPietro may be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Richard Ferdig is the RCET Research Professor and Professor of Instructional Technology at Kent State University. At Kent State University, his research, teaching, and service focus on combining cutting-edge technologies with current pedagogic theory to create innovative learning environments. Dr. Ferdig may be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Erik W. Black is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Florida. He also maintains a teaching appointment in the College of Education’s educational technology program. His research focuses on asynchronous online learning at both the k-12 and adult level and the development of online identity. Dr. Black may be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
