VIRTUAL LEARNING

VIRTUAL LEARNING

Connecting to the Internet

- Studying a course of your choice
- With the best teachers, using the best materials
- Exploring a virtual library
- Communicating with others and studying with them
- At a convenient time In your own home

Thats what virtual learning offers you!

Why Virtual Learning?
Good Internet learning combines the proven capabilities of:
    · Courseware
    · Databases
    · Peer collaborative learning / community learning

Why ORT Israel?
ORT Israel has significant experience in the development, distribution, and use of Internet-based learning materials.

Development
The Internet pedagogic development team at ORT is comprised of twenty people, including six experts in the integration of communications and computers in teaching, nine programmers, HTML programmers and graphic artists, as well as content advisors for each course.

Implementation
The learning model of the Aviv virtual school is the integration of Internet learning into the conventional school. To this end, Aviv has eight area instructors who train teachers of the conventional schools how to adapt to the new teaching and learning methods. Each course or project at Aviv has a content expert who acts as a virtual teacher.

Use
ORT Israel was a pioneer in the use of the Internet as an intermediary aid to learning in its network of schools in Israel. The Aviv virtual school began operation in 1997 in 17 schools, 10 of which were part of the ORT network. Today, 3,400 students and more than 150 teachers take part in 16 courses and activities.

Aviv
ORT Israels R&D Center (http://ort.org.il/mop) is a senior partner, together with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in the establishment of the
virtual school ORT Snunit Aviv (http://aviv.k12.il).

Current Available Courses
... · Telecommunications
... · The Design Process
... · Spreadsheets

	.
.	Course Format The Participants · An individual student, a class, or a group of students in a conventional school · The virtual teacher - an expert in the particular subject The Students Interactions · Using text, multimedia and multiple-choice tests · Taking part in surveys - each student is part of a learning community and expresses his or her opinion · Sending email to the virtual teacher, either in response to questions which are part of the course, or as initiated by the student. · Participating in discussion groups: as a forum for discussing different issues, for presenting the results of the learning, and as the environment in which the learning community functions · Writing short papers for submission to the virtual teacher The Role of the Virtual Teacher · Replying daily to students email · Directing course discussion groups · Conducting synchronized virtual meetings with students (in chat format) · Evaluating students assignments and their participation in the learning process The Role of the Conventional Classroom Teacher · Guiding students in their research and learning, and monitoring their progress · Maintaining contact with the virtual teacher both before and during the course · Evaluating some of the students work · Determining the students final grade which appears on the report card