Delivery
Systems
A short overview of various Delivery Systems
A delivery system is the medium a school uses to interact with its
students online. Some school use a very simple webpage format, other
use a very elaborate professional platform. Each offer benefits
and drawbacks.
In reviewing many of the Virtual School websites, it has often
been difficult to determine which delivery system a school is using.
Virtual schools independently serve many different needs with many
different types of online environments. Some schools use their own
in-house developed systems, while some opt for professional platforms.
Primarily, a delivery system is chosen not necessarily for the
audience it is addressing, but for the purpose it is serving. For
example, a school that is directing its online measures toward an
advanced "Distance Learning" program may not need the
more technical functions of a professional delivery platform. Conversely,
a school that is persuing a full online learning program may opt
to use two or more different professional platforms.
At the K-12 level there doesn't seem to be as much consistency
in platform or method, as there is at the college level.
Who is using what:
Virtual
High School "NetCourse" LearningSpace
Forum
Kentucky VHS
ecollege
Michigan VHS - Apex
Learning or Aventa
Learning content provided systems
they also use another format
which is not named on their site. The Mivhs offers courses in three
formats, Traditional (semester long) (flex 90 ind study) and AP
courses through the outside learning groups (Apex Learning or Aventa
Learning)
Florida VHS
Educator from Ucompass
Keystone eSchool / eCollege.
Keystone began as a support for Home schoolers and now offers both
correspondence and online learning courses through their accredited
program.
Prince Williams Country
Blackboard
Clintondale,
MI Blackboard,
however they use this delivery system as an
independent learning tool.
UCCP uses several
outside vendors to provide content material (such as Apex)
Nevada VHS
NovaNet
from Pearson's
Visions
academy uses Blackboard
and Tapped
in for synchronous situations (like a MUD)
Choice2000
- Worldgroup
and Interwise
|