Jefferson City, Mo – infoZine – Students and school personnel looking for online course options this school year may want to thumb through the new catalog offered by the Missouri Virtual Instruction Program (MoVIP). State education officials have announced MoVIP’s online registration will open July 15 for the 2010-11 school term.

Now in its fourth year, MoVIP is a program of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education that offers credit-bearing, online courses for students in grades K-12. Last year, almost 3,000 Missouri students took at least one online course – whether for credit recovery, accelerated learning or access to special-topic courses not offered locally.

Due to recent state budget cuts, the nearly $7 million program has transitioned to a tuition-based model. The exception is approximately $100,000 set aside by the state for tuition for medically fragile students.

For the rest of the article, go to MoVIP Registration Opens

The University of Missouri System wants to close that gap between technological advances and traditional academia. Steve Graham, vice president of academic affairs, envisions a modern academic landscape where faculty members incorporate interactive tools and videos and online resources into their courses to marry the technology students already use with the traditional curricula they learn on campus.

“I would love to see rich resources in the form of instruction and discussion among faculty members and a culture of supporting this,” he said.

There are barriers. On the Columbia campus, an online learning system already exists, and internal politics will likely snag any efforts to re-create an e-learning environment.

There will be faculty members who aren’t interested in embracing digital devices and might resist efforts to change.

For the rest of the article, go to UM System aims to close gaps between technology, academia

ST. LOUIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The St. Louis Kaplan University Learning Center, an instructional and support services site, began offering center-based classes today. The Center will help serve the community’s need for business-focused education by introducing a blended-learning model, combining online and campus-based instruction for students seeking bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Located at 1807 Park 270 Dr. in St. Louis, the Learning Center also provides on-site support services to area Kaplan University online students, allowing for greater student flexibility, convenience and personalization.

“As our first institution in Missouri, the St. Louis Learning Center brings together the proven online learning and curriculum with the added benefits and resources of a brick-and-mortar location,” said Beth Hollenberg, president of Kaplan Higher Education Campuses. “The center shows how we are continually seeking to better our student experience and support the community’s needs for an educated workforce.”

For the rest of the article, go to Kaplan University Learning Center Opens in St. Louis

COLUMBIA — Students are not the same as they were 20 years ago.

Today they blog, tweet, text, listen to iTunes and write a paper all at once. They are technology addicts who are constantly multitasking — in and out of the classroom.

Many traditional classrooms have failed to meet the needs of this new student generation. That’s why the University of Missouri System aims to address the ever-changing student learning styles by spending $482,000 to develop 124 new online courses.

For the rest of the article, go to Online course expansion aims to meet needs of new-age students

COLUMBIA — A group of public school teachers in Missouri is preparing a class action lawsuit after budget cuts forced a University of Missouri System program to cut their positions.

Three teachers from Columbia and two from Mexico are among the 45 who were fired from the Missouri Virtual Instruction Program, or MoVIP, three months into their one-year teaching contracts. MoVIP is an online education program created by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide academic credit to students who have special needs that prevent them from attending traditional schools.

For the rest of the article, go to Missouri teachers prepare to file lawsuit against department of education

Welcome to yet another state-specific website for online high schools. Brought to you by Best Online High Schools, this gives you information on all that is going on in your state with online high schools.