Website Strengths:Massachusetts Virtual Academy's website has a variety of strengths. The first strength I found was the easy access on the site. It is very easy to get to as well as navigate through. I didn't have any problem finding any specific information that I was looking for. The navigation is made easy through the tabs listed at the top titled, "Home", "Who We Are", "How it Works", "Our Curriculum", "Community and Events", "FAQs", and "How to Enroll". Each of these tabs have a drop down menu with more information. I really found the bulleted list about "why students might enroll". The curriculum is easy to access because it links you straight to the K12 curriculum website. You can even find sample lessons which are very helpful. |  |
Website Limitations:The first thing I was expecting to see on the homepage of MAVA was a mission statement headline. They have a statement however it doesn't specify if that is the actual mission statement which can be somewhat confusing to viewers as it left me questioning if that was it or not. Mission statements are powerful and usually are looked at by potential students or parents. The site was also lacking pictures in my opinion and had a lot of words. Photos make websites appealing and I was expecting to see some photos of students in action with learning through MAVA. Lastly the only other thing that may be confusing for someone not familiar with navigating through a website is that most information is on the K12 curriculum website which must be clicked on. With the use of two websites it can be overwhelming. |  |
Community and Events:MAVA offers opportunities for staff, students, and parents to gather locally as well in different parts of the state during the academic school year. These gatherings focus on celebration of successes, future planning, sharing of ideas or tips, and most importantly having fun. I found this to be very important and a great idea for MAVA. Traditional schools offer different events throughout an academic year and I think it is important that virtual schools do as well.The other thing I liked about MAVA's community section was that they offer regular information sessions, online or in person. These sessions are to be used for questions, learning new information, and understanding the curriculum. This is an important aspect of making a virtual school run successfully. | |
