The Virtual Classroom:

The Virtual Classroom (VC) is a cyberspace specially designed to host and deliver e-education. Instructor and students interact via the Internet.
The teaching/learning process in my VC is based on andragogy
The virtual classroom is a computer-generated space (computer-mediated communication system) which allows teaching-learning online interactive collaboration between students and instructors.
Activities in the virtual classroom focus on the learner.
It is an alternative approach to the traditional instructor based, lecture/programmed testing mode of instruction used in most courses.
My concept of VC includes:
 

1) Online asynchronous teaching/learning
Online asynchronous teaching/learning is anytime anywhere education.
This instruction modality is structured to give learners control on their own development by using a clear statement of topics, activities, abilities and competencies for every unit contain in it.
There are no class sessions instead Internet virtual classes are implemented whereby    students visit specific sites.
Students do not attend classroom for lectures  instead they do: (1) readings from the textbook, and (2) programmed activities  through the Internet for each session of the course. Both activities ensure the development of required competencies.

2) Self-paced instruction
Self-Paced is a flexible online format for programmed self instruction with frequent tests to monitor your progress.
In the self-paced format the rate of progress in the course is controlled by student's effort.
However, there are pre-determined dates by which time you must have taken a number of exams and completed essays.

3) The fundamental building block of the VC is the asynchronous course
Courses in the virtual classroom are learner-based, learner-organized, and self directed to optimize teaching/learning interactions.
Student assessment in these courses results from: (1) online assignments; and (2) written topic essays.
Assignments and Essays are submitted through the Internet at specified dates and time.
Asynchronous courses are andagogically structured to facilitate the learning and to enhance the teaching process. My courses follow an organization based on the principle that students should have access to all the course content since they first day of classes.
Each course in my VC has a Course Plan which is andragogically designed to facilitate the development of abilities and competencies according to the course content.

4) Real-time communication
Synchronous (Face-to-Face, synchronous chat, or telephone contact) is not used and should not be expected. In the virtual classroom students and instructor interact via Internet e-mail.
 

How to Browse this Site
This is the homepage for the website for Prof. Longoria's Virtual Classroom. This homepage  is designed to show you at first glance what is available. This website follows a full web linkage structure, which means that all the pages in the site are linked so you can access any page at any time. However, it is strongly recommended that first time visitors start browsing  the site from the base of the branching tree.

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