Time, Space, and Virtuality: The Role of Virtual Learning Environments in Time and Spatial Structuring

There is no lack of speculation and theorization on the current and future roles of virtual schools. However, when one looks at virtual schools through the prism of the role of calendars–the chronological superstructure of schools–a different, rather less theoretical picture emerges. Many e-learning institutions call themselves virtual schools, but there is a continuum from “bricks-andmortar” schools with elements of virtual schooling, to true virtual schools where all educational teaching and learning occurs in the virtual environment. At this time, more tend to have elements of virtual schooling than to be true virtual schools. Because of this situation, we will mainly refer to virtual schooling except for those situations where a true virtual school is in view. Much of the discussion of virtual schooling is ahistorical: From documents extolling virtual schools one would think virtual schooling dates from the widespread growth of personal computers and the World Wide Web in the mid- 1980s, whereas much of the structure is directly attributable to distance education which has existed for nearly two centuries.

There are three main types of time structuring in modern schools: The school calendar or chronological superstructure (usually used to describe the duration of study throughout the year, but also including the number of days in the week and the number of hours in the day); attendance and absenteeism of students (the degree to which students show up to school and to classes), and the organization of the school day (into classes, lunch, study periods, etc.). Each of these topics has received a fair bit of study. The key direction at this time in current calendar research is around the advantages or disadvantages of the full-year school versus the importance of the summer vacation (Gold, 2002; Weiss & Brown, 2003). Attendance has been examined both as a sociological phenomenon and for its role in student achievement (e.g., Brown, 1999). The importance of the organization of the school day was recognized by the authors of Prisoners of Time, the 1994 report of the National Education Commission on Time and Learning (1994). However, in a virtual environment, it is difficult to differentiate time structures: Therefore, an examination of the school calendar will look at all three of these issues. Given its key role in an understanding of virtual schooling, we believe it necessary to briefly discuss the concept of the “calendar”.