The document discusses virtual schooling in Europe, specifically analyzing 68 virtual schools across 18 European countries. It aims to inventory and systematically review international and national exemplar ICT-enhanced learning initiatives for 14-21 year olds. It develops a typology of virtual schools, from fully virtual to supplemental virtual to online learning communities. Finally, it discusses some policy traps around legislative frameworks, quality assurance, and funding, as well as opportunities around inclusion, niche demands, and data potential.

1. Virtual schooling in Europe:
Removing the policy traps. VISCED:
A Transnational Appraisal of Virtual
School and College Provision
website: http://www.virtualschoolsandcolleges.info/
wiki: http://virtualcampuses.eu/index.php/Main_Page
barry.phillips@sero.co.uk

2. VISCED aims "to make an inventory and to carry
out a systematic review of international and
national levels of innovative ICT-enhanced
learning/teaching 'Exemplar' initiatives and 'e-
mature' major secondary and post-secondary
Developing a typology for VISCED: The education providers for the 14-21 age group
five level description (including Virtual Schools and Colleges)."
Fully Virtual: Supplemental Virtual:
may be purely virtual for e.g. languages, maths etc
or physical ‘school’ (student has physical host school)
with face2face
TEL Savvy
Online
School:
Learning Virtual School
physical school
Community: Within a Physical
with some
Notschool, School: e.g. US may
distance/off
Mixopolis etc be for catch-up etc
campus
provision

3. 68 ‘Virtual
Schools’*
Across 18
European
countries*
From 25-1,400
students*
Mean is c470*

4. Virtual Schools in Europe: Profiles - headlines
• Student numbers/enrolments from 10s to 1,000+ and (potentially) 1,000s
• Public, Private, Public/Private, Not-for-Profit
• Mainstream – full or wide curriculum coverage
• Mainstream – niche subjects
• Inclusion – variety of target groups
• Revision/catch-up
• Expatriates/cultural/language needs
• Continuing education (beyond school leaving)
• Geographical isolation *usually combined with another factor – not typically the primary motivation
• Pedagogy: broad spectrum – 100% online > significant face-to-face

5. Policy Opportunities
• EC priority area – inclusion
Policy Traps
 children of a migrant background
 travelling - itinerant - transient
• Do existing Legislative Frameworks
 tackling early school leaving
disadvantage virtual schooling? (Is it legal?
PE?) school-phobic
excluded/at risk of exclusion
• Are there tensions between sovereign states geographically isolated.
and EU (State v Federal)? sick/hospitalised
credit recovery
• Quality assurance? Common standards –
requiring support for transition to HE
courses? TT?
young offenders – in custody > on release
• Inspection regimes? common language/cultural needs/connections
 young parents with childcare responsibilities
• Cross-border ‘safeguarding’?
• EU wide niche demands
• Accreditation? Validation?
 expatriates/children of service personnel
• Who ‘owns’ the qualifications? overseas
 elite athletes
• Funding? Cross-border funding?  curriculum gaps
 revision/acceleration
• OER? OE? OA?
• Rich data potential
• Public Opinion?
• Driving broadband uptake
• Exacerbating inequality?