Michigan Virtual
Michigan Virtual™ operates one of the larger state virtual schools in the country with over 25,000-course enrollments in SY 2016-17. Michigan Virtual, formally Michigan Virtual University® (MVU)®, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, and Michigan Virtual School®, works in partnership with K-12 schools to supplement and expand online learning opportunities. Working with 500 Michigan schools, Michigan Virtual offers over 200 online courses to students through online web-based services using Michigan-certified teachers. Michigan Virtual’s online learning school was created in 2000 as Michigan Virtual School to serve both traditional and nontraditional students and since its inception has recorded over 200,000-course registrations. In 2011, Michigan Virtual School was awarded a five-year accreditation renewal by AdvancED.
In 2012, Michigan Virtual established the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute® (MVLRI®). The goal of MVLRI is to expand Michigan’s capacity to support new learning models, engage in active research to inform new policies in online and blended learning and strengthen the state’s infrastructures for sharing best practices.
Projects and highlights:
- At the request of the state legislature, MVLRI authored a report highlighting enrollment totals, completion rates and the overall impact of virtual courses on K-12 pupils, and provided a glimpse into K-12 virtual learning in Michigan. The report revealed larger virtual learning enrollment numbers than originally anticipated, and identified mixed performance results. This report is available at the “Research and Reports” page of this website.
- Michigan Virtual, in partnership with Kent State University, ran a MOOC for K-12 students during SY 2013-14. This five-week course that focused on K-12 teaching in the 21st century drew 848 participants.
- Working collaboratively with several statewide organizations, Michigan Virtual identified and developed a set of practical resources to support schools as they expand online learning options. This Tool Kit includes implementation guidelines, sample letters, forms, draft policies and an interactive Online Learner Readiness Rubric that can be used to identify individual student needs prior to enrolling in online courses. To create awareness of the state’s online learning policies related to course choice, Michigan Virtual partnered with the Michigan Association of Broadcasters and the MDE to implement a statewide radio/television public service announcement campaign.
- Michigan course choice legislation allows a student to choose courses from a statewide catalog or those offered by the student’s resident district. Michigan Virtual created and maintains the statewide catalog of courses for students and parents to take advantage of online options.
