Virtual Schools and 21st Century Skills

Written by
The North American Council for Online Learning and the
Partnership for 21st Century Skills

November 2006

Introduction:
Online learning through virtual schools is one of the most important
advancements in attempting to rethink the effectiveness of education in the
United States. The virtual school provides access to online, collaborative and
self-paced learning environments settings that can facilitate 21st Century
skills. Today's students must be able to combine these skills with the
effective use of technology to succeed in current and future jobs.
The full promise of virtual learning is dependent, however, on its ability to
incorporate 21st century skills in its instructional design, delivery and
implementation. Virtual school leaders, administrators and teachers must
ensure that students who learn in online environments are gaining the skills
necessary to compete as citizens and workers in the 21st century. This
document attempts to articulate a vision for 21st century learning in virtual
schools, and identify ways in which online learning can improve outcomes for
all students.

The Case for 21st Century Education:

In an increasingly competitive global economy, it is not enough for students
to acquire subject-level mastery alone. Skills like creativity, problem-solving,
communication and analytical thinking are necessary for all levels of success,
from entry-level jobs to engineering and technical fields. However the U.S. K12 education system as a whole does not yet teach and measure these skills
directly. Some sobering statistics:

Eighty-four percent of employers say K-12 schools are not doing a

good job of preparing students for the workplace; 55 percent say
schools are deficient in preparing students with basic employability
skills (such as attendance, timeliness and work ethic); 51 percent cite
math and science deficiencies; and 38 percent cite reading and
comprehension deficiencies. i
A very small percentage of 4th and 8th grade students US students
(less than 30%) perform at a proficient level in math, while up to 20%
lack the competence to perform even basic mathematical
computations. ii

The implications of such trends are troubling:

U.S. students are falling behind their peers internationally. We can no

longer claim that US educational results are unparalleled. Students around
the world outperform American students on assessments that measure 21st
century skills.
U.S. innovation is falling behind. Innovation and creativity no longer set
US education apart. Innovators around the world rival Americans in
breakthroughs that fuel economic competitiveness.
Workplace jobs and skill demands are not being satisfied. Leading high
tech employers routinely lament the lack of a skilled workforce for the jobs of
today, and are alarmed by the prospect of filling the jobs of tomorrow.

If our students are going to compete successfully in the global economy, more must
be done to support their acquisition of 21st century skills. Without this shift in
educational priorities, the prospects for our studentsand our nationwill be
diminished significantly.

The Case for Virtual Schools

E-learning is already a major driver for education and training beyond K-12
in higher education, employee training and lifelong learning. In higher
education, the Sloan Consortium reported that 2.5 million students enrolled
in at least one class online in 2004, equivalent to 11% of all students in
accredited degree-granting institutions. Growth in online higher education
programs steadily increases by 400,000 students annually. (Source: Sloan
Consortium)
Online learning is an essential delivery system for training in the business
world. Many corporations today use e-learning for training employees:
77% use distributed learning*, up from 4% nine years ago73%
increase in less than a decade!
Why do they spend money on distributed learning?
A 60% faster learning curve.
IBMs Basic Blue management training: 2284% ROI
Motorola: $30 in productivity gains for every $1 spent over 5 years.
Union Pacific: performance increase of 35%. (Source: ThinkEquity
Partners, Emerging Trends in Post-Secondary Education: The View to
2012, Dec. 2002. *Distributed learning is online learning alone or
blended with multi-media and/or traditional methods.)
21st Century Data through Learning Management Systems
Online delivery through learning management systems can improve datadriven decisions and strengthen the school to parent connection. Online
learning allows rich data environments to better inform instructional and
administrative decision-making to improve student achievement. Learning

management systems include tools that allow parents to view grades,

completed or incomplete assignments, teacher feedback, and updates or
announcements from teachers. While most middle or high school parents in
traditional school settings will admit that they know very little about what
goes in during the school day, parents of online students can be as involved
as they want to be at the click of a button. As the use of learning
management systems grows for online learning, it is quite conceivable that
their use will also grow in traditional settingsespecially as the lines between
online learning and traditional learning continue to blend.
Increasing Opportunities for All Students
In the United States, 40% of high schools do not offer a full college
preparatory curriculum. Schools lacking advanced courses are more likely to
be in rural or low income communities. Students have more choices and
increased access to educational excellence through online learning. Students
seeking high quality math, science, foreign languages and other courses that
may not be available locally, now have the ability to enroll online.
In addition, students have many choices for personalizing and individualizing
instruction to meet their needs. For example, at Florida Virtual School, these
options include what month of the year they want to start, what time of day
they want to work, where they want to work, and they even have choices
about how to respond to assignments. Students may have the option to
demonstrate mastery through a PowerPoint presentation, a podcast, a
traditional essay, or through the creation of a website. These kinds of options
give students the opportunity to shine in their areas of strength.

Do Virtual Schools Produce 21st Century Outcomes?

Mastery of 21st century skills occurs through intentional instructional design,
direct instruction of quality curriculum and meaningful assessments
regardless of whether the students complete courses online or in a brick and
mortar building. Virtual schools inherently are well-equipped to provide
expanded and innovative learning opportunities. It is critical that virtual
school leaders embrace a 21st century skills vision for all those who are
teaching and learning online to build on their strengths and achieve
outcomes that matter for their students.
Virtual school leaders, in course design and quality standards, should include
21st century skills directly, intentionally and measurably. Many programs
use high quality course design standards. Ensuring that 21st century skills
are included in the standards is essential.
Imagine a geography course online. The assignment requires students to
work in teams to identify the best possible location for a new public park in a

given city, using GPS mapping software and online research databases.
Students must collaborate with their team members online, delegate tasks
and co-author a PowerPoint presentation making their case. They are
assessed not only on factual knowledge, but also on being able to analyze
information, solve problems, collaborate and communicate effectively.
Formative assessments build toward the final project.
Imagine, now, a traditional teacher interested in acquiring the skills to
facilitate such an exciting and supportive learning environment for students.
Perhaps this teacher would collaborate with a middle school or high school
language teacher. Both teachers would require professional development in
how to move into the online environment, to successfully facilitate students
to work together, to develop content knowledge and application, and to
develop thinking skills that are not limited to a single content area.
Professional development of current teachers and preparation of future
teachers requires re-thinking in order to ensure student success in life and
work.

Virtual Schools and 21st Century Skills

Virtual schools and online learning is growing rapidly an estimated 30%
annually in K-12 education. Recent research highlights that virtual schools
expand access to rigorous academic courses and curriculum; and, training
teachers to teach online can improve instruction. When virtual schools
intentionally focus on student mastery of 21st century skills, these schools
take full advantage of their inherent strengths. They enable:
Global Awareness
In 21st century communities, neighborhoods and workplaces, an
understanding of world cultures and the ability to relate to individuals
from diverse backgrounds are required skills. Students in online
learning environments are well-equipped to develop these skills
because they have access to greatly expanded networks of people.
Students can easily work with and learn from individuals from all over
the world, leading to enhanced awareness of the global nature of
communities in the 21st century.
One example of this is the online Chinese Language course offered by
the Michigan Virtual High School (MVHS). It is a semester-length
course that introduces both language and culture to beginning Chinese
language learners. A qualified native Chinese-speaking instructor,
with expertise in second language learning teaches the MVHS course.
The course employs a task-based language-learning curriculum that
focuses on enhancing basic communication skills and cross-cultural,
global awareness and understanding. This online course uses a
combination of self-study and virtual meeting modules, and is

designed around four components: an e-textbook, a group problemsolving project, IP-based audio conferencing and discussion, and a
group writing project.
Self-Directed Learning
The fast-paced nature of the knowledge economy means that citizens
and workers must know how to continue learning throughout their
lives and careers. Directing ones own learning path is not only
valuable, but necessary, in the
21st century. Online learning
I think that students should take
environments provide ample
online courses because it teaches
opportunities for self-paced and
them how to be independent
self-directed learning, reinforcing
about their studies. I feel that it
helps you out with college in the
these necessary skills. Virtual
long run. College is more
schools are unique in their
independent than high school and
abilities to empower students in
online classes do help.
making flexible, individual
Colorado Online student
choices based on their own
interests and schedules.
For example, at Florida Virtual School students can choose the rate at
which they will complete courses, ranging from a traditional 36-week
school year to a reduced or extended time frame depending on
individual needs. In doing this, students learn to effectively manage
their time, using the module or unit organizers provided in each course
and customizing them to fit their unique needs. Since students are
able to complete and submit assignments at any time of the day or
night, any day of the week, they enjoy significant flexibility while still
being held accountable for the end product by instructors. This is a
model not unlike the working world of today, where telecommuting
and virtual offices are a reality, but accountability and quality
expectations for the end product remain high.
Information and communications technology (ICT) Literacy
The rate at which new information becomes available today is
astounding when compared to previous decades. In order to succeed
in the 21st century, students must master the ability to use appropriate
technologies to process, analyze and present information efficiently
and effectively in school, life and work settings. Because virtual
schools require students to master technology as part of their
everyday learning, students are able to exercise and refine their 21st
century technology skills in settings that are quite similar to those they
will encounter in the real world.

Todays graduates must be adept with the tools of collaboration and

communication that are the reality of a global, web-driven workplace.
Online learning affords unprecedented opportunities for students to
complete their work using applications that are common to todays
workers, such as web-based conferencing, project management, or
digital media and communications tools.
In an online class, the student must learn a host of technical skills such as posting to
discussions, attaching documents, and accessing online whiteboards. This teaches self
sufficiency and basic computer skills regardless of what class they are taking. Although
I teach algebra, my online students learn much more than just the algebra curriculum.
Theyre learning other valuable skills that prepare them for the 21st century. Matt
Vangalis, Florida Virtual Online Algebra teacher

Problem Solving Skills

All citizens and workers in the 21st century must be able to think
analytically and solve problems if they are to be successfulwhether
they are entry level employees or high level professionals. Virtual
schools are uniquely suited to enhance these skills because they rely
upon competency-based learning models that focus on demonstrable
knowledge and skills, not seat time. Further, problem-solving most
often requires team or group thinking and development, skills that are
routinely developed in online courses.
Such an approach is illustrated by Florida Virtual School, which designs
curriculum and teaching practices around the idea of using problem
solving skills and real world applications. For example, in a Geometry
class, students are directed to complete a project which requires some
real world architectural skills. After sharing digital examples of floor
plans and blueprints, students are directed to draw a front view of a
home. In another assignment, students learn about slope, pitch, rise,
and run as they directly relate to local buildings.
Time Management and Personal Responsibility
Skills like problem solving are practically meaningless if students
cannot manage their time efficiently and productively. Virtual learning
environments encourage students to hone these important life skills.
Online classes are structured in ways that require students to be
effective in managing their time and responsibilities. Collaborative
assignments and tools allow students to coordinate and communicate
within groups to delegate
The hardest part about taking an
tasks and meet deadlines
online course is staying up to date.
efficiently. All of this
This course taught me more selfreinforces the students
discipline in one semester than in all
ability to manage his/her
of my other years combined.
Colorado Online student

own workload in ways that reflect real world working environments.

It is important to note, however, that while most virtual schools have
enormous potential to enhance 21st century learning, this potential can be
realized only if online students are taught these skills in intentional and
measurable ways. It is imperative that all students of virtual schools master
the skills that are necessary for success in work and life in the 21st century.

Principles - 21st Century Virtual Schools

We believe that 21st century learning is critical to virtual schools. We believe:

The framework identified by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills

should be integrated, wherever possible, into all aspects of virtual
school curriculum, instruction and assessment.

Online students should be expected to demonstrate mastery of 21st

century skills as a distinct outcome of their educational experiences.

Virtual school teachers should be provided with appropriate

opportunities to learn effective techniques and best practices for
teaching 21st century skills in online environments. Pre-service
teachers should have these skills within the course of preparation.

Collaboration among leaders of virtual schools and those advocating

for 21st century skills is vital to producing enhanced learning
opportunities for students who are learning online today.

Action Steps 21st Century Virtual Schools

The following action steps are proposed for virtual school leaders and
advocates:

Ensure that online courses are designed to teach students 21st century
skills in direct and measurable ways.

Project- and portfolio-based assignments must include 21st century

skills as outcomes.

Ensure that online teachers can access a well-designed professional

development strategy for online instruction of 21st century skills.

Identify and employ all applicable high-stakes and formative classroom

assessments that can be used in online environments to measure 21st
century skills.

Pursue collaborative efforts with others who are working to integrate

21st century skills into K-12 education: national and state education
leaders, community leaders, district leaders, school leaders, etc.

Conclusion
Online learning through virtual schools is one of the most important
advancements transforming education in the U.S. It is imperative that 21st
century skills be incorporated into the design, delivery and implementation of
virtual schools. By expanding access to high quality, rigorous academic
courses teaching 21st century skills, we can expand the opportunities for all
students. Both P21 and NACOL share a vision of the future of K-12
education that will increase access to educational excellence for all students,
teach 21st century skills and improve outcomes for a 21st century society.

Appendix 1: Example
Broward County Public Schools, in partnership with Florida Virtual School,
uses online learning in middle and high schools to develop global awareness,
self-directed learning, information and communications technology literacy,
problem solving, time management and personal responsibility in our student
population. An online AP and Honors American History course included:
* Real world problem solving
* Evidence of strong collaboration
* Extensive and varied measures for evaluation
The project increased 21st century skills and created opportunities for
students by offering advanced placement and honors courses online. The
online courses allowed the students a non-traditional approach to
demonstrating content mastery via a wide array of submission styles. The
assignment formats consisted of, but were not limited to: timelines, poetry,
essays, use of graphics, images and pictorial essays, discussion groups within
the class, and a group thematic multimedia presentation. The online courses
were designed to deliver rigorous, interesting, web-based, and interactive
course content. The curriculum of the project centered on the events of
World War II for both the United States and Japan. Through this collaborative
project, Japanese and American students had the opportunity to engage in a
healthy discourse regarding these topics via videoconferencing and email
interaction. Special attention was paid to Japanese-American internment, as
well as our present relationship with Japan.
Using videoconferencing technologies, Broward Countys Pompano Beach
High School students studying Japanese as a foreign language, and their
teacher Satako Sagne Fisher, acted as interpreters enabling online students
to interact with Japanese high school students in Chiba, Japan. Use of
information and communication technologies also provided opportunities for
local guest speakers: a Japanese-internment camp prisoner, a Holocaust
survivor, and a professor of Asian Studies from Nova-Southeastern
University, to videoconference and discuss and debate the similarities and
differences between the two confinements during the Second World War with
students. Guest speakers also discussed survival stories from both the
European concentration camps and the Japanese-American internment
camps.
There were four different groups of students who participated in the project:
students in Chiba, Japan; online students from Broward Virtual School; and
traditional students from both Pompano Beach and Coral Springs high
schools. During the course, students presented multimedia presentations
they created to understand curriculum themes within the AP and honors

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American History courses. These multimedia presentations were

subsequently housed on a district server and included as both online and
traditional course content for future teacher and student use. Emphasis was
placed on core curriculum, problem solving and real-world application.
This project, while researching and studying the social science curriculum of
World War II using online course content and technologies, had a deeper
rationale. Incorporated into the fabric of this project was a desire to build a
bridge across the cultures between students from both countries. By using
online and videoconferencing technologies, students of these two countries
collaborated face to face in an effort to form a dialogue of mutual respect
and understanding that created new content and encouraged cultural
awareness.
This project was subsequently the recipient of the 2004 Cisco Growing with
Technology Award for Innovative Use of the Internet and the 2005 United
States Distance Learning Association Bronze Award for Videoconferencing
and Online Teaching.

i
2005 Skills Gap Report - A survey of the American Manufacturing Workforce, Deloitte
Development LLC , 2005
ii
Rising Above the Gathering Storm, National Academies of Science, 2006

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