The Virtual Classroom in a Real World. 

Webster's defines virtual as " . . . Existing or resulting in essence or effect though not in actual fact, form, or name: the virtual extinction of the buffalo." Webopedia starts its definition this way:  "Not real." Whatis.com gets a little closer to the current usage: "In general, virtual means the quality of effecting something without actually being that something. In information technology, there seems to be a virtual version of (virtually) everything." That little nudge at the end refers to the fact that, in the current world of technology, the word "virtual" is expanding rapidly. TechWeb's TechEncyclopedia takes this further: "[Virtual is] . . . an adjective that expresses a condition without boundaries or constraints. . . "

This emerging new definition of "virtual" is the result of how much computers, the Internet, and technology in general have become, in many contexts, almost as real as the "real" world they were originally designed to emulate and supplement. The sources for my definitions above are fine examples, since Webster's Web presence - technically a "virtual dictionary" since it lacks the binding and  ink of a real dictionary - is more usable and up-to-date than the edition sitting on the library shelf. This is even true of that venerable example of traditional reference, the Oxford English Dictionary. (OED's on line presence requires paid subscription, the only reason it is not quoted here.) At least in the area of information and reference, "virtual" has arrived.

But what about the "virtual classroom?" Webopoedia would say it's "Not real." As a classroom teacher, I would argue, and most people would agree, that I can, with a simple piece of chalk, accomplish more than any "virtual" version of a classroom. However, just as with on-line reference tools, "virtual classrooms" are not the answer to all questions, but one answer to some questions. The "virtual classroom" can fill a gap, can offer an alternative -especially when the only apparent alternative is no classroom at all.

It was university graduate programs  that first began to offer the "virtual classroom" (dubbed Distance Learning) to students who had great distances and/or personal barriers to further university studies. This model has proved popular, spawning, in Kentucky, the Kentucky Virtual University, and then, a few years ago, the Kentucky Virtual High School. These misunderstood resources have been viewed by some (especially K-12 schools) as a threat to the traditional classroom. Although a few students prefer its text-intensive and flexible environment, the promoters of KVHS and its ilk did not assume that their purpose was to replace the classroom, but to supplement, and to provide capability where none existed before.

Fayette County has attempted to extend the concept of teaching over a distance by including a real-time teacher classroom presence through video conferencing. This program - the Fayette County Video-Linked Classroom Initiative, is currently being used by Bryan Station and Henry Clay high schools, and is due to expand to the other high schools in 2002-03. The Video-Linked Classroom is still in pilot, and hence there are still questions and details to be addressed. However, in the coming years, its presence in Fayette County is destined to expand. Schools, principals, and teachers are understandably wary of this new kid on the block, but they also face an increasing demand for electives and advanced classes that their staffing and budget constraints cannot meet. Hence, for hundreds of students each year who want and need those classes, it may be that the Video-Linked Classroom will be the difference between pursuing their studies, and taking a study hall. There will be nothing "not real" about their needs - those needs can and should be "virtually" met through the appropriate application of emerging technologies.

Our language changes as the availability and character of the tools it describes change. Although the "virtual classroom"  is not appropriate "virtually everywhere," it is destined to become an important real tool in support of our charges - the students of Fayette County.

- Jeffrey L. Jones