Running head: EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Edgenuity Professional Development Project for Valley Community School Scott A. McKee EDU 699 Capstone Project Rebecca Waters Post University Module 4, 2014

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Abstract

The Edgenuity Professional Development Project is an online professional development resource for Valley Community School (VCS) educators in Merced County, CA to better understand the benefits and learn how to use Edgenuity for online, blended learning, or traditional learning environments as an option for at-risk students needing remediation, credit recovery, and test preparation. In order to create an effective online professional development resource that can also be used in a face-to-face training workshop the Instructional Designer will utilize the ADDIE (analyze, design, develop, implement, and evaluate) model and relevant available technology in the service of better learning. According to Hodell (2011, p.24), the ADDIE model, or some derivative of it, provides instructional designers with the necessary structure for designing any curriculum, regardless of the variables involved. With VCS high school drop-out rates increasing and graduation rates decreasing, VCS needs to look at 21st century options to address the growing need to help their at-risk students catch up by using 21st century pedagogy. Through the use of Edgenuity, VCS teachers will be able address these needs by creating a more student-centered learning environment while integrating site available technology and resources in an online, blended learning, and/or traditional group instruction using Edgenuity. Take the time to check it out.

Key Terms: court and community schools, alternative education, at-risk students, credit recovery, remediation, graduation rates, blended learning, Edgenuity, professional development

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Edgenuity Professional Development Project for Valley Community School Rationale and Research Base for Project Rationale Valley Community School (VCS) purchased the services of Edgenuity four years ago.

Initially small group professional development was provided for the teachers at each site. At that time not all of the site infrastructures could support adequate use of the online learning product and as a result Edgenuity has fallen by the wayside for every VCS educator and site. Time has passed and the site infrastructures have been improved yet many of the educators are no longer familiar with the benefits and uses of Edgenuity. For Edgenuity to be used effectively into the future it is necessary to create an online professional development resource for teachers to use to learn how to employ the benefits as an option for remediation, credit recovery, and test preparation to help VCSs at-risk students earn a high school diploma. Sari Factor, CEO of Edgenuity Inc., states, Every student dropout is a tragedy, and our country and economy cant afford to keep squandering talent and letting our students down. At Edgenuity, we are deeply gratified to partner with schools and districts to help drive meaningful dropout prevention results. (as cited in Edgenuity, 2013, p. 1). Matt Wicks, Vice President of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL), is quoted (Plummer, 2012) as saying, the surge of virtual credit recovery is a recent phenomenon. We probably began seeing online credit recovery become a bigger focus about four years ago. Schools noticed how online learning could be utilized for students who were unsuccessful. VCS began to consider virtual credit recovery about the same time in 2008, first with a product called School City and eventually settled with Edgenuity Inc. (formerly e2020 Inc.) in 2010. However, since then, Edgenuity has not been utilized effectively as an option by

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

VCS teachers. VCS is currently evaluating the expense of Edgenuity in relation to the benefits for students and educators. For this reason a readily available online resource for educators to access for use when needed and convenient could help bring Edgenuity back through increased use as a viable option in the eyes of VCS administrators, educators, and students. The Edgenuity Professional Development Project (EPDP) could also be delivered in a traditional face-to-face or blended hybrid training session with a well-equipped computer lab using the PowerPoint tutorials produced for the online delivery and trained facilitator(s). Research Base Watson & Gemin (2008), cite a report on a study regarding what is called The Silent Epidemic. The epidemic is the increasing dropout rate in the United States. The report is titled, Ending the Silent Epidemic: A Blue Print to Address Americas High School Dropout Crisis. According to the study; Every 29 seconds another student gives up on school. Nearly one-third of all public high school students fail to graduate with their class. Dropouts are more likely to be unemployed, in poor health, living in poverty, on public assistance, or single parents with children who fail to graduate. Dropouts are more than eight times as likely to be in jail or prison. Dropouts are four times less likely to volunteer, twice less likely to vote or participate in community projects, representing only 3 percent of actively engaged citizens in the United States. The impact of dropping out of high school affects the individual, family, community, and nation. The costs are great, based on the information presented by the study; something needs to be done to address this epidemic. In the 21st century the time has come to address problems with 21st

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT century solutions and/or options. Online and blended learning environments are a couple of those options.

Varius (2011) describes blended learning as a model in which a student learns, at least in part, at a supervised physical location away from home and through online delivery where the student has control over the time, place, or pace of the curriculum. On a larger scale, blended learning is becoming a tool for problem-solving around the dropout crisis. Currently there are several online and blended learning products available for K-12 use, VCS has chosen Edgenuity. According to an article titled, Edgenuity Highlights New At-Risk Student Success Stories (2013), research from Alliance for Excellent Education shows that many students drop out of school because of lack of engagement with subject matter or challenges in making up for missed credits. Edgenuity is addressing these issues by providing flexible and personalized learning opportunities that resonate with students and help them earn credits at their own pace. For educators to adopt and feel comfortable in integrating online and blended learning, on-going professional development is necessary for VCS educators. According to the iNACOL, professional development is needed for virtual teachers in meeting the needs of students with disabilities, identifying at-risk students, and differentiating instruction, topics that are not part of the current professional development programs for the majority of virtual teachers (Rice & Dawley, 2009). The EPDP will address this need to design, develop, and ultimately implement an available online professional development resource that can also be delivered in a face-to-face training for VCS educators to learn how to get started using Edgenuity. Edgenuity could then become an option for VCS educators to help at-risk students with remediation, credit recovery, and test preparation thus, improving the students' chances of earning a high school diploma.

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Detailed Implementation of the Project The initial implementation of the EPDP was conducted during the design and

development phases of the ADDIE model. The actual implementation will begin online summer 2014 and has a tentatively planned face-to-face professional development August 15 or 16, 2014 for VCS educators prior to the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year. Design Phase After a thorough review of the literature and analysis based on the need for VCS to take advantage of Edgenuity as an online and/or blended learning option for at-risk students for credit recovery, remediation, and test preparation it was determined that a professional resource needed to be developed. During the design phase a weebly.com website was built to be a platform of delivery for the EPDP as an online professional development resource for individual users that could also be used as a traditional face-to-face professional development tool for small groups as well. Close attention has been paid to several effective elements of web design throughout the entire design phase to produce professional quality web page that will be used to deliver the EPDP. According to Moore, C. (n.d.), there are eight effective elements of web design; simplicity, consistency, identity, content, user-friendly navigation, visual appeal, and compatibility to create an effective website with a professional look and feel. Simplicity. Simplicity of design refers to keeping scolling texts and animations to a minimum. Other elements of simplicity refer to a plain background that does not appear too busy and distract from the content. The design should also avoid too many colors and clutter. Consistency. It is very important to use the same design theme throughout the entire website. Lack of consistency creates a more confusing website and a less user-friendly

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT environment. Be consistent in color choices and fonts. Identity. The purpose of the website needs to reflected in the design. It should also

reflect the philosophy and identity of the organization it represents. Color selection should also reflect the organization and any logos or branding. Content. By keeping the page simple it will load quiker and provide quick access to the user. It is very important to focus on the necessary content the user will be looking for without overdoing it or providing non-related content. For a well designed site it is important that the user have quick access to content that is up to date and accurate. It is also important that any other sources content used should be properly referenced to avoid plagarism. User-friendly navigation. It is extremely important that navigation of the website be logical and effective. Full navigation should be available on each page at least at the top or on a side bar. When using side bar navigation it is most commonly located on the left margin. By having a simple navigation bar and system while adhering to all of the other design elements it will aid in making a very user-friendly user environment. Visual appeal. The visual appeal is often based on may personal preferences and often a reflection of the organization and the personality of the designer. However, it is important that attention of the design be focused on the fore mentioned design elements. Attention also needs to be paid to the quality of the images and graphics in order provide a professional look and finish. A thought full designer will spend time evaluating other websites to develop a feel for quality. Compatability. One last critical element that is vitally important in todays virtual world, the compatability between different browsers and devices. An effective website will appear and perform consistently between browsers and devives without loss of relavant

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT appearance, navagation, and content. Development Phase During the development phase of the EPDP the main focus was the development of content, specifically the EPDP Introduction video and How To Tutorials. During this time there was also ongoing attention to the fine tuning of the website design. The EPDP Introduction Video was produced using an online video making tool called

Stupeflix. Screen shots were taken using Jing of the EPDP and Edgenuity websites and imported into Stupeflix and sequenced to highlight what the EPDP and Edgenuity have to offer. The Stupeflix theme called Comic was applied for an edgy visual effect to match the Classic Rock instrumrntal titled, Wonder Wah which was downloaded from freestockmusic.com. The results was an upbeat motivational introductory video that highlights all of the effective design elements of the EPDP, Edgenuity, and what they have to offer for the educators, administrators, and students. The first of three How To tutorial series was produced using PowerPoint software to create the slides and using Jing for screen shots to follow the script of the Edgenuity Quick Start Educator Guide. The tutorial series is titled, The Get Started Series and consists of four beginner tutorials that focus on getting the educator started in the use of setting up a personal virtual classroom in Edgenuity. The focus of this series to to teach the educator How To; Login, enroll students, assign courses, create user groups, and basic navigation of the virtual classroom. PowerPoint was chosen as the software for development because it can be delivered effectively online for individuals and used face-to-face for small groups increasing the professional development resources versatility. Future development of EPDP will continue through the summer of 2014 with the production of two other tutorial series; The Keep it Going Series and

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Student Users Series. The Keep it Going Series will cover the more advanced aspects of the use of Edgenuity for the educator and the Student Users Series will be produced for students to better understand how to use and receive maximum benefit as an Edgenuity online or blended learning student. Portions of this series may even be produced by students for students. Evidence of Implementation

http://edgenuitypdp.weebly.com/

http://edgenuitypdp.weebly.com/about.html

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

10

http://edgenuitypdp.weebly.com/user-guides.html

http://learn.education2020.com/

http://edgenuitypdp.weebly.com/edgenuity-links.html

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

11

http://edgenuitypdp.weebly.com/tutorials.html

http://edgenuitypdp.weebly.com/tutorials.html

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

12

http://edgenuitypdp.weebly.com/survey.html

http://edgenuitypdp.weebly.com/contact.html Evaluation of the Project Hodell (2011, p.69), reminds us that, evaluation is more than just a post-course event. Evaluation takes place in every element of the ADDIE model. Throughout the entire course of the instructional design process of the EPDP, everything and anything is subject to change as the instructional designer evaluates and monitors the design process of a project. For the EPDP, each week, each phase of ADDIE has undergone continuous formative self and peer evaluations. Adjustments, modifications, and changes were made as needed based on those evaluations. The peer evaluations and feedback were from MCOE/VCS technology coach colleagues, VCS

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

13

colleagues, MCOE administrators, and Post University graduate student peers in order to have feedback from a variety of sources. Invitations to evaluate were sent out with instructions for the evaluators to follow and a deadline. The peer evaluations were conducted at the end of each phase of the initial implementation; the design phase at the end of week 3 and the development phase at the end of week 6 of EDU699 Capstone Project course. The evaluation tools being used are: Survey page with applied Likert scale (quantitative), Contact page with open-ended feedback (qualitative), and a Website Evaluation Rubrics with score and open-ended feedback (quantitative and qualitative). These evaluation tools will continue to be available on the website for future users as well. The analysis of the information received from the three different formative evaluations proved to be very helpful in the design and development of the EPDP. Design Phase Formative Evaluation Data Analysis For the design phase of the initial implementation the evaluators were invited to participate and given instructions that focused on the design of the website (Appendix A). Survey data was collected from nine participants and the results were then applied to Likert scale of 1-5 for each question, tallied, and then given an average score. All average scores were 4.4 or above and the combined average for all the questions was 4.65 (93% of 5.0) which would indicate the website performed well regarding the design (Appendix A). The evaluators were then instructed to go to the Contact page and provide some answers regarding key elements of the website design and function. This qualitative data was very helpful in fine tuning some of the design elements that would not have shown up in the quantitative survey data (Appendix A). Development Phase Formative Evaluation Data Analysis For the development phase of the initial implementation the same evaluators were invited and provided a different set of instructions and a Website Evaluation Rubric that focused on the

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT website design and the content (Appendix B). Survey data was collected from eleven

14

participants and the results were applied to the Likert scale of 1-5 for each question, tallied, and then given an average score. All scores were 4.5 or above and the combined average for all the questions was again 4.65 (93% of 5.0) which indicated consistency between phases and that website still performed well regarding the design (Appendix B). Even though each questions average score fluctuated from the design phase the overall average remained the same. Each participant was then instructed to go to the Contact page and provide some open-ended feedback regarding the website performance and quality of the content regarding the purpose of the EPDP (Appendix B). Development phase website evaluation rubric formative evaluation data analysis. Each participant was asked to use the Website Evaluation Rubric (Appendix C) to further evaluate the website and its content and provide a score. This evaluation was more time consuming and only three evaluators participated. The rubric has 13 elements based on a scale of 1-4 each for a total possible score of 52. The three scores were; 49.5, 52, and 48 for an overall average of 49.8 out of 52 which equals 95.8% (Appendix C). This portion of the evaluation provided another opportunity for the evaluator to provide more open-ended feedback (Appendix C). Summary of Formative Evaluation Both sets of data (quantitative and qualitative) from each of the three evaluations worked well in conjunction with one another to provide sufficient information to confirm that the website had a good appearance, was user-friendly, easy to navigate, and contained quality content related to the purpose of the EPDP. Formative evaluations will be on-going as data is collected through the actual implementation beginning for online use the summer of 2014. The first summative

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT evaluation will be conducted upon completion of the professional development tentatively

15

planned for VCS educators at the in-services prior to school starting on either August 15 or 16, 2014. These evaluation tools and the data collected will provide sufficient information for the EPDP to adjust to meet the current and future professional development needs for VCS educators in the use and benefits of Edgenuity for online and blended learning environments to be used as an option for at-risk students regarding remediation, credit recovery, and test preparation. Discussion and Reflection Discussion The EPDP will make a contribution to VCS Juvenile Hall by enabling a 21st century option for students and teachers to use for students to have an additional opportunity to advance and recover lost credits in the process of graduating high school. Other VCS sites and educators will also have the opportunity to participate and become more proficient in the use of Edgenuity as an option to help their at-risk students graduate. Edgenuity is not the answer to every student; however, it is a 21st century option for a very diverse population of at-risk students to address their learning needs to help achieve a high school diploma. Sari Factor (2013), CEO of Edgenuity Inc., states, Weve seen online and blended learning solutions help students stay in school and change the trajectory of students lives through flexible, personalized, engaging instruction. The EPDP professional development resource for Edgenuity will be made available online and easily accessible to share with all VCS educators interested in using Edgenuity. The EPDP will also have the ability to be delivered face-to-face in a more traditional professional development format for small groups in a computer lab with a trained facilitator. Contribution to Personal Skills The EPDP allowed me the opportunity to apply many skills and much of the knowledge

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT that I learned in this masters degree program at Post University. It has also provided an

16

opportunity for me to demonstrate that I have developed the knowledge and skill sets needed to meet the M.Ed. Core Outcomes and Instructional Design and Technology Outcomes that have been identified as key for this project in a high quality professional manner. Through the process of analyzing, designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating the EPDP I have been able to experience the entire Instructional Systems Design process by applying the ADDIE model to create an original professional development resource that will have the ability to increase the use of Edgenuity by VCS educators and provide another option to help VCS students succeed. I have had the opportunity to explore the functional elements and artistry of website design in the process of utilizing and integrating a variety of technology tools, software, and multimedia. For future students who are preparing to plan, develop, implement, and evaluate their capstone project I would encourage them to put a genuine effort into EDU698, Capstone Project Planning. The work I put into EDU698 made the actual project much easier because I was able to; identify the problem or need for VCS, analyze the current literature to address the need, identify a potential solution, choose a project that addressed the need, and complete a realistic timeline to follow in EDU699. I cannot imagine being able to have completed this project in eight weeks without not having taken the planning seriously. Really, I looked at the capstone project as two courses that are sixteen weeks in duration, EDU698 and EDU699 combined. You should share your ideas for your project with your colleagues and administrators. Talk about your project at every opportunity to keep the ideas fresh, remember, out of sight, out of mind. Get their input and support as early and often as possible to minimize unexpected issues while implementing and documenting your project. Keep everyone up to date on your

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

17

progress while you are working on your project and invite them to evaluator if it is possible and appropriate. Also make contact with your professor early in EDU698 if possible to build a good rapport and open line of communication. If your professor for EDU698 is different than your capstone project professor make contact early as well. Most likely the professors will have to communicate at some point about you and your project. Either way keep an open line of communication, contact them personally if possible when you have a question and whatever feedback they give you take it to heart and apply it to your project as best as you can because they know what they are talking about. One last thing I found helpful was to keep a daily journal of my activity and progress that I could call upon as I moved forward with my capstone project. You will be able to use it for discussion board updates and use it as a reminder because you will have a lot going on and it is hard to keep track of otherwise. Reflection There should be nothing easy about your capstone project if you do it right. It should be challenging, yet fun. I should be original and allow you to be creative. It should provide you the opportunity to create improvement or change to an educational need, issue, or problem that affects you and those whom you work with and for, your stakeholders. Lastly, your capstone project should give you the opportunity to show Post University and your professors that they have done their job by demonstrating to them as many of the program and concentration outcomes as possible in the process of completing your project and earning your masters degree. Core program outcomes. The key M.Ed. outcomes demonstrated by the EPDP are; Students will develop a vision for the future of education, a personal critical and

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT creative perspective on issues and changes in education, and several means to adapt to future realities. Students will develop and demonstrate leadership thinking in critical areas of interest within their field. The EPDP has identified the need for professional development for VCS educators regarding the use and benefits of Edgenuity as an option for improving student success rates. Identifying this need demonstrates a vision for VCSs future. Taking the lead on piloting Edgenuity and designing, developing, and implementing an online professional development resource demonstrates creative perspective on issues and change in education while demonstrating leadership thinking in critical areas of interest.

18

Students will develop expertise in designing and delivering instruction to support the achievement of a diverse population of learners of all ages in a variety of settings (e.g., public education, private education, charter schools, corporations, elearning, et al.).

The EPDP by edudigitalteacher.com has been designed to deliver instruction to VCS educators who teach in an alternative learning environment and is intended to increase the use of Edgenuity as an option for at-risk learners to improve their educational situation by recovering credits and graduating high school. Students will be able to identify and use current relevant technology in the service of better learning. Students will demonstrate an understanding of creativity and innovation as applied to education. The goal of the EPDP is to create an effective and engaging learning experience for its

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

19

users. The EPDP has identified and integrated relevant technology to enhance the users learning experience and create an engaging online learning environment that demonstrates innovation and creativity which can be used individually online at ones convenience or face-to-face in small groups in a computer lab with internet access and a trained facilitator. Instructional design and technology outcomes. The key outcomes for the M.Ed. concentration in Instructional Design and Technology demonstrated by the EPDP are; Students will be able to design and develop learning environments using models of instructional design, such as the ADDIE model. The EPDP uses the ADDIE model to analyze, design, develop, implement, and evaluate the projects instructional design through to completion and will continue to be developed until the need for the EPDP expires. Students will understand and be able to apply theories of design and instruction to the development, design, and implementation of educational experiences and events. Along with the ADDIE model, the EPDP focuses on the effective elements of web design and evaluations in the form of user survey, open-ended feedback, and evaluation rubrics as a framework to aid in the creation of an exemplary and effective online professional development tool that adheres to the theory of design and instruction of instructional experiences and events. Students will be able to integrate appropriate technology in a diversity of educational settings, including schools, universities, corporations, non-profits and government agencies. The EPDP identifies and integrates appropriate technology to create an effective and engaging online learning environment for VCS educators to better understand the uses and

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT benefits of Edgenuity as an option to improve student success in remediation, credit recovery, and test preparation.

20

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Appendix A Design Phase Evaluation Week 3 Evaluator Invitation I need your help;

21

I am almost half way through my last class to earn my M.Ed. in Instructional Design and Technology (5 weeks left to go). I am putting together my capstone project; The Edgenuity Professional Development Project. As part of the design and development phase I need your help to perform some formative evaluations and to test my project website prior to implementation in 2 weeks. I would like to invite you to help me out. If you are interested and willing here is what I need you to do for me by this coming Wednesday, March 26. Print this email out for the instructions; it will make it easier to follow the instructions below for your website test. I need website evaluators. Please participate this is part of my project evaluation. Go to edgenuitypdp.weebly.com - I need the help of my administrators and colleagues to test tabs, links, survey, and contact before I complete my tutorials this week and add them to the website. Please take 5-10 minutes ASAP to help me out... Follow the instructions below. Evaluation 1 Instructions Once on website; 1. Once on the home page click down arrow at bottom of graphic to see abstract. Scroll back up and touch Home tab and go to Mission & Vision. Scroll down and test Video, should open up in new tab or page. 2. Scroll up and go to User Manual Tab. Scroll down and try to open a pdf and check to see that the scribd.com windows appear and work. 3. Scroll back up and go to Tutorials Tab. None of the tutorials are embedded yet and still in production. The written content is there just no audio/video tutorials or PowerPoints (That will

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT be the next and final step before implementation testing).

22

4. Scroll back up and go to User Login. This is a link to the Edgenuity Login Portal; it should open in a new tab or window. Go back to my website and click go to the Survey Tab. Pick random answers for each of the 5 questions and click Submit. This should send me an email with the results from your survey. Then click the Contact at the bottom center of the page. 5. Once on contact page, fill in the required information and provide me some of the following feedback; a. Any problems you may have had or things that did not work for you. b. What type of device were you using? What browser were you using? c. Was it user-friendly? d. Your opinion of the layout, appearance, and content organization. Once you have provided the above info, click submit. I should then send the results to my email and tell you, Thank you; your information has been submitted. Once I get the information I will send you and email to confirm your participation. Please participate in this portion of my formative evaluation on the design and development phase for the Edgenuity Professional Development Project. Thanks again, Scott Design Phase Quantitative Survey Data Question / Response 1. Check all pages you visited: 2. The content of the tutorials and resources was relevant to my needs/job. * 7/9 evaluators 3. I have a better understanding of the uses and benefits Edgenuity has to offer my students? * 5/9 evaluators 4. I will be more likely in the future to use Edgenuity as an option for my students in the future. * 5/9 evaluators 5. The website was well organized and easy to navigate. *

Strongly Agree = 5

All evaluators reported visiting every page (100%)

7/9 evaluators

Agree = 4 Not Sure = 3

2/9 evaluators 0/9 evaluators

4/9 evaluators 0/9 evaluators

3/9 evaluators 1/9 evaluators

2/9 evaluators 0/9 evaluators

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Disagree = 2 Strongly Disagree = 1 Average Likert Scale Score 0/9 evaluators 0/9 evaluators 0/9 evaluators 0/9 evaluators 0/9 evaluators 0/9 evaluators

23 0/9 evaluators 0/9 evaluators

NA

4.8

4.6

4.4

4.8

Survey Overall Average Likert Scale Score = 4.65 (93% of 5.0) Design Phase Qualitative Contact Feedback Data 1. Scott your website looks great! You did an awesome job developing it all and I am super impressed. Everything worked for me. I used Internet Explorer with my laptop, very user friendly and easy to navigate around Post University Peer 2. Everything worked well when I tested it. I used my laptop with internet explorer and it worked fine. Very user friendly, although every once in a while I would have too many tabs open because each link brings you to a separate tab. Layout, appearance and content are great! Post University Peer 3. Great job! I love your site - you've done an awesome job! Feedback: The video did not open in a new tab or page---it was embedded. Your tab is called User Guides, not User Manuals - so you might want to use that same terminology in the survey. I had to hit the BACK button when I was on the scribd.com website - I could not find your menu at the top. Hope this helps... Let me know if I can do anything else MCOE Administrator and Technology Program Manager 4. This is a super site. Really organized and easy to navigate and find things. You have done an outstanding job so far and I look forward to seeing your finished product. - Post University Peer 5. I am looking forward to using this one day in the future. I did get a Blocked warning

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

24

when I used the Manual Tab and tried to open it. I must say though I am not sure exactly what type of system we use here. VCS Colleague 6. I did not see any problems or encounter any links which did not work. While evaluating this project I was using a PC and accessing the internet using Google Chrome browser. The site was user- friendly and appealing. The content is also very well organized. MCOE Technology Coach Colleague 7. The video did not open in a new tab it played on the same page. The scribd.com worked except download, you need to have an account or login with Facebook. In order to click on the tutorials from the scribd.com you have to arrow back, your tabs aren't showing on the Scribd.com page. The login portal, survey and contact at all worked fine. I was using my school laptop connected to my docking station and browser was Chrome. Yes it was user friendly. I really like the look, layout and organization. Great job! MCOE Technology Coach Colleague 8. Looks Great!! VCS Colleague 9. I used Google Chrome to view your website. Overall it worked well. One thing about Chrome is that it does not always adjust the text appropriately to fit the screen when you use the split screen option. That is something I will check with Firefox or IE. However, I really liked what you did. It's easy to use, easy to navigate, and very user-friendly. I think your choice of Weebly to design your website was a good choice. Overall, everything works well and there were no issues. I can't wait to see it when all of the content is on there. Thank you! MCOE Administrator and Technology Coach Leader

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Appendix B Development Phase Week 6 Evaluator Invitation Hi everyone,

25

I need your help for my second evaluation of my capstone project website. Print out the attached evaluation instructions and rubrics then go to edgenuitypdp.weebly.com and follow instructions. Your participation and feedback will be very valuable to me as I complete this project to earn my M.Ed. in Instructional Design and Technology. I need you evaluation for evaluation portion of my written report. If possible complete the evaluation on or before Wednesday April 16th. My capstone project will be completed on April 26, 2014. Email me your total rubrics evaluation score (52 possible) and identify any areas I did not get a score of 4 on and what you think I could do to make that section a score of 4. My goal is to get a 52/52 or at least an average over 90% (47/52 or better) on the rubrics evaluation, please be honest. Thank you for your support! Evaluation 2 Instructions Edgenuity Professional Development Project 1. Go to edgenuitypdp.weebly.com 2. On Home Page click the down arrow or scroll down to abstract and read. Then scroll up and hover over Home and click on Mission and Vision. 3. On Mission and Vision, read and watch video (video will play on screen). Scroll up and click on User Guides. 4. On User Guides, read and then open each User Guide pdf, they should open in a separate tab or window. Scroll up and click on Tutorials. 5. On Tutorials, read then watch Intro video (video will play on screen). Scroll down to Get

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

26

Started Series and open each Power Point tutorial and go through each slide (should open in a separate Power Point window). Scroll up and click on Edgenuity Links. 6. On Edgenuity Links, read then open each link and browse (each link should open in a separate tab or window). Scroll up and click on Survey. 7. On survey, complete and submit each of the 5 questions for my evaluation. At bottom of screen click on Contact button. 8. On Contact, provide any open-ended feedback that will help me improve this website and its userability then submit. 9. Complete attached Website Evaluation Rubrics and email me your score and any areas I need to improve. Any questions let me know! Thank you for your time and participation. The information and feedback you provide will be very helpful Development Phase Quantitative Survey Data Question / Response 1. Check all pages you visited: 2. The content of the tutorials and resources was relevant to my needs/job. * 3. I have a better understanding of the uses and benefits Edgenuity has to offer my students? * 6/11evaluators 5/11evaluators 4. I will be more likely in the future to use Edgenuity as an option for my students in the future. * 5/1evaluators 5. The website was well organized and easy to navigate. *

Strongly Agree = 5

All evaluators reported visiting every page (100%)

6/11evaluators

Agree = 4 Not Sure = 3 Disagree = 2 Strongly Disagree = 1 Average Likert Scale

2/11evaluators 3/11evaluators 0/9 evaluators 0/9 evaluators 4.7 (-0.1)

3/11evaluators 3/11evaluators 0/9 evaluators 0/9 evaluators 4.6 (no change)

5/11evaluators 1/11evaluators 0/9 evaluators 0/9 evaluators 4.8 (+0.4)

4/11evaluators 1/11evaluators 0/9 evaluators 0/9 evaluators 4.5 (-0.3)

NA

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Score

27

Survey Overall Average Likert Scale Score = 4.65 (93% of 5.0) Development Phase Qualitative Contact Feedback Data 1. The last page on the group tutorial at the top with the quotes I felt should have all caps at the beginning of word I thought. I thought you coined the term CREDIT RECOVERY. I cant help you out any more than that; I think you really did a great job. You should get an A. VCS Colleague 2. I used the Chrome browser to view the website. Overall, everything worked fine with the exception of the User Guides and PowerPoints. The user guides opened in the same tab and the PowerPoints were automatically downloaded. Other than that, everything worked fine. MCOE Administrator and Technology Coach Leader 3. That looks awesome. I dont want to show my website anymore. LOL, on the user guide, it didn't open in a new window. Overall this looks awesome! - MCOE Technology Coach Colleague 4. Great job. MCOE Technology Coach Colleague 5. Very nice job---it really looks good and very functional. Feedback: Grammatical correction on the User Guides page; "Edgenuity, formerly e2020, has provided training for VCS in Merced, Ca a couple of times in the past few years." I think CA should be capped and another comma after the CA check online for correct way. The user guides did not open in another window. On Tutorials page, PowerPoint is one word with the second P capped as well as the first. It is a brand name and that is how they write it. On the PowerPoints you created, I think a regular title page on each one with the second slide being an OBJECTIVE page with a brief description (very brief) of what they will learn, just my personal opinion. Just a question - do

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

28

you need to get Edgenuity's permission to link to their site on your links page? I am not sure. All in all, Scott, I am thoroughly impressed and see the work you have put into this - it is awesome! MCOE Administrator and Technology Program Manager 6. Just a quick point to note as I did do the evaluation. I had only one difficulty when I clicked on Edgenuity Links. I could not access those links. I will attach a picture of what I received when I clicked on it in BlackBoard. Post University Peer Appendix C Website Evaluation Rubrics Feedback - Development Phase Week 6

Website Evaluation Rubric Score (Quantitative Data) Possible Score 52 Evaluator 1 score 49.5 Evaluator 2 score 52 Evaluator 3 score 48 Average score 49.8 Percent Value 95.8%

Website Evaluation Rubrics Feedback Comments (Qualitative Data) 1. I would say everything is a 4 except the music for the Intro, if its not your kind of

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT music 3 minutes is a long time to listen to it, kind of gets on your nerves after a bit. You cant adjust the volume on the video. I tried clicking on the speaker to lower the volume but it just muted it. That is the only thing I wouldnt rate a 4, it would be more like 2.5 or 3. So my total would be 49.5 50. Oh one more thing, when I opened the user guide pdf it doesnt open in a

29

new window and you have to arrow back to get back to your site. MCOE Technology Coach Colleague 2. I sent my feedback via the website---as for the rubric, I will give you 4s across the board with the following to think about (or maybe answer): Links have you considered linking to some articles or websites that discuss how students can be successful with online courses? Spelling and Grammar just the CA and the comma is all I found (as I submitted online) Copyright do you need permission from Edgenuity? Not sure about this Have you considered making videos on the HOW TO Tutorials vs. PowerPoint? Other than that its awesome and you have done a wonderful job with the site and the tutorials. I think the teachers will find the tutorials very beneficial. Let me know if there is anything else I can do. MCOE Administrator and Technology Program Manager 3. I gave you a score of 48/52. I used Chrome to access the website. The PDF links to the user guides opened in the same tab and not a different tab. PowerPoints automatically downloaded as well, although, I do not think there may be a preview tab for that. Your lowest score was on accessibility. I could not find any accommodations for the visually impaired. However, I must admit that I may not know where to look, so if you can point me in the right direction that would be great. I have included a copy of the rubrics for you to review. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks. MCOE Administrator and Technology Coach Leader.

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT References Edgenuity[poster]. (2014, January 10)[posted]. Edgenuity brand video. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEXkDudTcB0

30

Edgenuity Inc.. (n.d.). Professional development quick start guide. Edgenuity.com: Edgenuity Inc. Hodell, C. (2011). Isd from the ground up: A no-nonsense approach to instructional design (3rd ed.). Alexandria, Virginia: ASTD Press. Kalkman, D. (2003). Website evaluation rubric. Retrieved from http://www.cedu.niu.edu/pt3/centter/ITC/Website_Evaluation_Rubric.pdf Moore, C. (n.d.). Elements of effective web design. Retrieved from http://moorec.people.cofc.edu/effectivewebtips.htm Plummer, L. (2012). Credit recovery programs combine the best of online and in-class instruction. The Journal, March. Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/Articles/2012/03/08/Online-credit-recovery.aspx?Page=1. Rice, K., & Dawley, L. (2009). Going virtual: The status of professional development for K-12 online teachers: Insights and implications. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 17. Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/28226. Unknown. (2013, May 30). Edgenuity highlights new at-risk student success stories. Retrieved from http://www.edgenuity.com/information/media-room/press-releases/edgenuityhighlights-new-at-risk-student-success-stories/. Varius, L. (2011). Getting to graduation: Can blended learning curtail the dropout crisis? Education, 53. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/educationupdate/aug11/vol53/num08/Getting-to-Graduation.aspx.

EDGENUITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Watson, J., & Gemin, B. (2008, June). Using online learning for at-risk students and credit recovery. Retrieved from http://www.inacol.org/cms/wpcontent/uploads/2012/09/NACOL_CreditRecovery_PromisingPractices.pdf.

31