An Innovative Approach to Using the Learning Management System in High School

In 2007, I was assigned to an overlay teaching position and given the task of delivering commercially produced Desire2Learn Ministry of Education vetted high school credit courses to atrisk students within the Ottawa Catholic School Board’s various high schools. Courses were originally slated to be delivered with the student and teacher separated by distance and time. Due to the perception at that time that most students who were enrolled in on-line courses were struggling and/or failing to complete them – the idea of supported on-line learning was born. The inception of the Virtual Achievement Centre’s supported online learning program and its expansion over the last five years is presented here. Challenges and successes are discussed under Lessons Learnt. Our experiences are compared with scenarios that are presently being published in academic and popular literature. Suggestions for future research projects are also given.