As part of AVI CHAI’s investment in the field of blended and online learning, we are excited to share with you the first in a series of four cases that study and document the experiences of day schools introducing and implementing this mode of learning. Our goal is to bring to life this innovative model and share real-life examples of the learning in action.
“Zafon Elementary School: A Station-Rotation Model for Supporting 21st Century Learning,” describes an Orthodox, pre-K through 2nd grade school, which opened in 2012 with blended learning as a core element of its design. As the study’s author remarks, “This case is in many ways a study of implementation, of translating from a design on paper to the delivery of a program in practice.”
Each case study is driven by a set of questions that the authors believe will help to bridge theory to practice, namely:
- What prompts educators to move to blended and online learning?
- What happens as day schools and teachers engage in these new strategies?
- What capacities are needed and available to implement the methodology?
- What outcomes do educators see from their efforts?
- What challenges remain to be addressed?
The four schools selected for the case studies series reflect a range of schools (elementary and high schools, new and established), of religious affiliation, and of implementation approach (school-wide to single classroom). Three are new schools; one is established. One of the new schools will not continue as a case because it was unable to enroll enough students or secure enough funding to continue as a school.
In addition to the three forthcoming cases, there will also be subsequent follow-up studies (including for Zafon) that will trace its further growth over its third year. Please note that, conforming to norms of academic research for confidentiality, we will use pseudonyms for all individual schools and staff.
Read the Zafon case here.