A staff member then provides technical support, answering questions about hardware, software, and how to send an attached document. Students thus have a person who can help them over the mechanical hurdles of on-line, as well as the intellectual ones. Frequently Asked Questions are posted to the site to help the students and avoid redundant phone calls and emails. Pedagogical Innovation VMCP is not an on-line book, but rather an innovative adult learning model. Each module is designed with two or three paragraphs of content, followed by interactive exercises related directly to the type of work done by each student.
Students can move around within a module, talk with other students, and communicate with faculty.
To increase interactivity, the faculty sponsor monitored chat rooms on topics pertinent to student work on a regular schedule. An early assignment requires the students to share their plans with their supervisors and revise them based on those discussions. One student reported her supervisor was so impressed with the plan and assignment that she is budgeting to help this student complete her baccalaureate. The results are shared with faculty to determine learner progress and if revisions in a module are needed. The learners receive their results as well.