My name is Jason Siko, and I’m currently an assistant professor of educational technology at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids. My research interests included K-12 online and blended learning. I am looking for teachers, administrators, and researchers to review a series of modules that promote readiness skills in online learning.

These modules were developed to align with the Educational Success Prediction Instrument (ESPRI), a survey that examines student beliefs in four areas: technology use/self-efficacy, academic risk-taking, organization, and achievement. Various studies using the ESPRI have found that it has an 80-90% accuracy rate in determining student success (i.e., pass vs. fail) in online and blended courses (see references below).

There are four modules: one for each of the four areas of concern in the ESPRI. In theory, students could take the ESPRI, and low scores in one or more of the areas would alert an online teacher or facilitator to encourage the student to work through the appropriate modules. However, any student could be encouraged to work through any or all of the modules.

At this point, I am looking for feedback from experts in K-12 online and blended education. If you are interested, please contact me at [email protected]. I will set you up with a student account so that you can view the modules as a student would and attempt the tasks associated with each module. Upon completion of each module, a survey will appear allowing you to provide feedback.

Those who successfully provide feedback on all four modules will be entered into a drawing for a small prize.

Thanks in advance.

References
Roblyer, M.D., Davis, L., Mills, S.C., Marshall, J., & Pape, L. (2008). Toward practical procedures for predicting and promoting success in virtual school students. The American Journal of Distance Education, 22(2), 90-109.

Roblyer, M.D., & Marshall, J.C. (2003). Predicting success of virtual high school students: Preliminary results from an educational success prediction instrument. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 35(2), 241-255.

Siko, J.P. (2014). Testing the waters: An analysis of the student and parent experience in a secondary school’s first blended course offering. International Journal of E-learning and Distance Education, 29(2). Retrieved from http://www.ijede.ca/index.php/jde/article/view/882