At the request of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Military Readiness Policy’s Children, Youth and Families (OMFRP’s CYF) division, the Virtual Lab School (VLS) team has recently made three of the Focused Topics Courses enrollable. The suite of courses that address behavior and childhood adversity are now enrollable for direct care staff and providers, as well as Training & Curriculum Specialists (T&CSs), Program Managers (PMs), Installation Administrators (IAs), and Headquarters Administrators (HQAs). As of Nov. 7, 2020, registered military-affiliated users can now earn certificates in Supporting Children with Challenging Behaviors, Sexual Development & Behavior in Children and Youth, and Trauma-Informed Care in Child Care Settings.
To enroll in these three Focused Topics courses, direct care staff or providers must be enrolled by their T&CS or Program Manager. T&CSs, PMs, IAs, and HQAs automatically enroll in these courses by completing the 'Demonstrate' quiz in any lesson of the course.
Two courses will include multiple choice assessments and one course will additionally contain brief essay questions. End of Course Assessments (EOCA) and certification within these Focused Topics courses work differently than EOCA and certification within the Foundational Tracks. Following the successful completion of Demonstrate questions within each lesson of Sexual Development & Behavior in Children and Youth and Trauma-Informed Care in Child Care Settings, users will be asked to complete a brief online assessment with multiple-choice questions. For all users, including direct care users, the VLS system will automatically assess learners’ responses, and when sufficient mastery is displayed, award a course certificate. Coaching from the T&CS is only needed in this process if a direct care staff member or provider needs additional support to achieve mastery.
When a direct care user successfully completes the Demonstrate questions within each lesson of Supporting Children with Challenging Behaviors, they will be asked to complete a brief online assessment with multiple choice and short-essay questions. The user’s T&CS will then review their answers online, engage in coaching and follow-up as needed, and certify the user when they have displayed sufficient mastery. For more details on End of Course Assessments and the Certification process within Focused Topics courses, please see these support articles:
- Approving & Certifying User Progress
- DC: Lesson Approval and Certification
- Certificates
- End of Course Assessments
The End of Course Assessment and certification type used for each Focused Topics course was chosen based on consultation and collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense’s OMFRP’s CYF division. We will examine user feedback and acceptability data from the launch of these first three courses to inform development regarding future Focused Topics course enrollment and certification. Over the upcoming year, the VLS team will aim to make all Focused Topics courses across the Virtual Lab School enrollable. We will alert users when they can earn certificates in additional Focused Topics courses.
Please reach out to support@virtuallabschool.org if you have additional questions.