Welcome to SETDA's Toolkit 2005 on Virtual Learning. This site was created as part of the 2004 National Leadership Institute in Washington, DC.
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Step Two: Beginning the ConversationAs the eLearning Attributes Matrix makes clear, eLearning programs can include a wide range of characteristics and draw from different models that can look and function very differently from one another – there is no absolute when determining what an eLearning program must look like. Whether starting a brand new eLearning program within a state or refining a program that has existed for several years, state leaders constantly have to assess the eLearning issues with which the state is grappling and make informed decisions about how to proceed. Another subgroup of the eLearning Leadership and Policies work group wanted to provide leaders with a starting point for discussion when making these decisions and recommendations. Their work is intended as that – a beginning review of the issues a state leader must consider and some of the key decision points in the process – to assess a state’s capacity and need for eLearning programs. In sum, this is meant to help state leaders begin the process of identifying which eLearning programs might be appropriate for his/her respective state. In choosing which type of eLearning model to adopt and implement, a state leader must make many key decisions about which of these different attributes and characteristics to include or exclude or which models to use. A subgroup of the eLearning Leadership and Policies Work Group created the Decision Points for State Leaders chart to further assist state leaders in identifying these key issues and decision points for determining the nature and scope of the particular state’s role regarding eLearning. This chart provides specific issues to consider at these various decision points and lists the potential benefits and policy implications associated with different choices. It can be used by state leaders to remind them of the issues they should consider before selecting an e-Learning approach. The group acknowledged that the particular context of the state—e.g. current policies regarding both traditional schools and eLearning, established funding formulas, historically accepted roles for particular levels of government—plays a large role in making these decisions. The information in the chart is, therefore, purposefully general and makes no recommendation regarding preference for one choice over another. This Decision Points tool, rather than being a comprehensive checklist, should serve as a starting point for discussion about important aspects to consider when choosing and implementing an eLearning model.
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