Virtual School Victoria (VSV) was recently recognised for its efforts in transforming their school curriculum into an innovative digital format at the Australasian Association of Distance Education Schools (AADES).
Held in Hobart, the awards night saw VSV take home this year’s AADES Project Achievement Award. School Principal, Bretton New, said the award recognises the school’s commitment to developing virtual learning strategies that boost students’ engagement, wellbeing and learning.
‘VSV’s new curriculum has replaced printed books with engaging and interactive virtual learning. The school’s Moodle-based learning management system, VSVOnline, has enabled real-time collaborative teaching and learning opportunities for students,’ he said.
The flexible design of the curriculum in English, STEM, Design and Technologies, Humanities, The Arts, and Health and Physical Education enables staff to meet individual students’ learning needs and circumstances.
The school’s data highlights the project’s positive results. Key findings include increased:
- engagement and completion of learning tasks
- collaboration in blogs and forums
- participation in extra-curricular activities, such as virtual and onsite excursions and workshops
- attendance in virtual classes
- student achievement.
‘Our learning programs are rigorously developed using best practice virtual learning techniques and user-experience testing,’ said Principal New.
The transformation of the school’s curriculum project was completed over four years.
‘This award recognises the tremendous work and teamwork of our dedicated teachers, instructional leaders, and wellbeing and technical support staff,’ added Principal New.
The AADES Project Award is presented every two years to a school, chapter or support organisation which has significantly improved educational opportunities for distance education students at a school level.
Virtual School Victoria, previously known as Distance Education Centre Victoria, is the state’s leading virtual school. We currently deliver 274 subjects, with an additional 18 VCE subjects being developed by 2022. With an annual enrolment in excess of 4000 students from F-Year 12, VSV is the largest state government school in Victoria.
