ANDOVER

Virtual sessions provide opportunities for real-time discussion and dynamic interaction between teachers and students. Virtual sessions enable teachers to duplicate any learning environment, from lectures and debates to small group discussions, presentations, and office hours. By attending virtual sessions, students find the online content more approachable, accessible and easier to understand. As a result, students experience increased success in the course.²

Andover eCademy teachers use Blackboard for virtual sessions. Blackboard is a Web-based learning management system (LMS) designed to support fully online courses or provide a space for face-to-face course supplementation. Blackboard is a virtual classroom product that allows 2-way audio communications, instant messaging communications, and the use of a shared, interactive whiteboard to display educational content. Since classes are all online, they are accessible to all students. Common uses of this software platform include:

• One-to-one or one-to-many real-time online instruction.
• Live online tutoring sessions as drop-in homework help or scheduled sessions.
• Virtual office hours.
• Creating recordings as asynchronous content and reusable learning objects.
• Recording traditional classroom for later reference and review by instructors and students.
• Delivering synchronous and asynchronous blended programs, both online and onsite.¹

¹“Blackboard Resources: What is Blackboard?” The University of Texas at Arlington. The University of Texas at Arlington. 2014.

                Web. 19 Dec. 2014.

² “Using Live Lessons to Enhance the Online Learning Experience.”  Online Learning Consortium. Online Learning Consortium.

                        2014. Web. 19 Dec. 2014.