UK instructors are teaching college courses through live video in Kentucky high schools

At Lexington’s STEAM Academy this week, teacher Leslie Valley sat in front of her students as expected in a typical high school classroom, but she remained quiet. Her role was to facilitate while someone else did the teaching.

The students were focused on screens where University of Kentucky instructor Sy Bridenbaugh was teaching their college preparation course through interactive video. And the teens were virtually interacting with both Bridenbaugh and students at Marshall County High School in Western Kentucky who were taking the same class.

With the University of Kentucky’s new dual credit program, taught by high school teachers and UK professors and instructors, students can earn both high school and college credits.

“Typically, in dual credit courses, a high school instructor teaches the college material, but the UK model partners college faculty with high school teachers and allows for virtual ‘face-to-face’ instruction,” UK spokeswoman Amanda Nelson said.

Four of the schools that have participated in UK’s Center for Next Generation Leadership Academy are pilot sites for the dual credit initiative: Students at the Elkhorn Crossing School in Scott County are taking ‘Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies.” Marshall County High School and Paris Independent High students are taking “History of the U.S. since 1877.” Students at the STEAM Academy in Fayette County and Marshall County are taking “Theories of College Student Success.”

Additional high schools will be added in Fall 2021.

Valley thinks more students participate in an online chat with Bridenbaugh and students from Marshall County than they might if they were engaged in a verbal conversation in class.

“Some of our students who are a little bit more hesitant to speak out in class, they have no problem in putting their thoughts in the chat,” Valley said.

Valley said she doesn’t feel displaced with Bridenbaugh taking the lead. She said her students need her help to clarify assignments and what is expected of them in the college courses. The high school and college teachers work hand in hand.

“This experience has exceeded my personal expectations so far this semester,” said Bridenbaugh who is teaching the dual credit courses from offices at UK’s College of Education. “As an educator and motivator, I focus on making connections with the students I work with, and I was concerned that may be an issue with an online course. But it has been quite the opposite. ... I still am able to form those connections with students even though we are not all in the same physical space.”

The dual credit approach was developed by the UK Center for Next Generation Leadership at the UK College of Education. Through the new program, juniors and seniors at some Kentucky high schools become UK Next Generation Scholars.

“Schools are paying particular attention to what it takes to prepare students to meet the demands of a fast-changing career landscape,” said Lu Young, the center’s executive director and an associate UK clinical professor. School leaders want to help students have a smoother transition to college and careers.

Next Gen scholars can take up to 10 UK courses while in high school.. Course tuition may be paid by either the school or the student, as determined by each district’s policy.

Matthew Smith, a 17-year-old STEAM junior, said the instructors give students advice virtually that they might not get from their high school teachers.

Also, Matthew said, “we get to communicate with people from other counties, like Marshall County.”

Aisha Ndayishimiye, a STEAM senior, expects that the credits she is earning at UK will transfer to another college. She wants to major in communications because she is already president of a nonprofit that provides school supplies and backpacks to students in her home country in East Africa.

“I think I get a better experience,” in the virtual dual credit class, Aisha said, “There’s definitely less distractions in the classroom taking an online course. You would assume since its an online class, you won’t have a one-on-one connection to the teacher, but he knows my name..”

Christopher K. Flores, the STEAM administrative dean, said junior and senior students in dual credit classes attend school on the Bluegrass Community and Technical College Cooper Drive Campus, and ninth- and 10th-graders attend school in the STEAM building on Sixth Street. While STEAM students have been able to take classes at BCTC, the new pilot program allows them to take classes at UK for the first time in at least five years, Flores said.

“We intentionally try to encourage them to take this UK course because its facilitated by a high school teacher but also they are getting the experience of being in a real college course,” Flores said.

Students taking UK dual credit courses will have an adviser from leadership academy who checks in on their progress, helps complete college applications and promotes a successful transition to college.

“We believe this is a game changer,” said Patrice Thompson, assistant superintendent at Paris Independent Schools. “Many of our students have never thought of themselves as UK-eligible and we want to change that perception. The wrap-around support provided by an adviser at UK, coupled with support at our school, is more support than our students would ever experience as a freshman at any university. I believe we are setting them up for success and completion of a university degree.’’

This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 6:29 AM.