Missouri Virtual School courses are available two ways.  One is delivered synchronously and the other is through blended technologies.  Synchronous is real time and uses either interactive television (ITV) via a videoconference unit or the computer through a voice over IP program called Adobe Connect Pro (formally Breeze).  Blended technologies are used for very small classes and combines synchronous and asynchronous components.  Material is presented through a course management system for the asynchronous part combed with real-time delivery two to three days a week.  The delivery method is determined by the needs of the individual school, students and the state of technology at the participating school.  No matter the delivery method, each individual student will be required to have an email address.  MVS prefers to issue each student a Gaggle account for their email.  According to DESE regulations, MVS must have the ability to monitor email accounts to ensure accountability.  Gaggle accounts allow us that flexibility.

Missouri Virtual School courses are placed in the student’s regularly scheduled course of study and meet every day (or every other day if on a block schedule).  Most courses are supported by a course management system (usually Moodle) where announcements, additional resources, assignments, etc. can be found.  Moodle is a password protected site. 

Synchronous delivery can be through either ITV or Adobe Connect Pro.  ITV is two-way interactive television and is a continuous presence format that allows both the instructor and students to hear and see each other.  It comes the closest to being a teacher-in-the-classroom.  As the price for the ITV setups decrease in price, more and more schools are opting for this delivery method.  ITV classes are supported with SmartBoards and other distance education technologies that allow for a multitude of teaching formats and materials to be used to present materials. 

The synchronous courses taught by Adobe Connect Pro (ACP) use the ACP software program to provide teacher-to-peer and peer-to-peer voice collaborations, shared collaborative classroom tools such as whiteboards, collaborative pods, and computer program application sharing.  The entire package simulates a dialog-based classroom.  A course management system (usually Moodle), multimedia software, and various printed materials continues to be used along with the Adobe Connect Pro software to support the course. 

The blended technology courses offered by MVS connect students to the instructor using Moodle supported by additional multimedia computer programs, as well as printed and published materials.  Information is downloaded and submitted in the students’ individual timeframe.  The instructor then connects with the student real time several day a week through either an interactive television setup or through Adobe Connect Pro as determined by the individual school’s available technology.   

 

Equipment Requirements for Interactive Television

Videoconference unit

Television or data projector

Speaker phone in the room if possible

Document camera or smartboard if possible

Equipment Requirements for Adobe Connect Pro 

Microsoft® Windows® 2000 or XP

Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher /Mozilla Firefox 1.5 /Netscape Navigator 7.1 /AOL 9

Mac OS X 10.2, 10.3, 10.4

Safari 1.1 or higher / Mozilla Firefox 1.5

Additional Requirements include:

Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher

Minimum bandwidth requirements of 56 kb/sec

16 bit color

Sound card

Headset and microphone combination

 

Blended Technology

See requirements for Adobe Connect Pro and, if connecting through ITV, then ITV requirements as well