In science classes, lab is 40% of the grade. I like the idea of digital scavenger hunts. It may be necessary for districts to invest in virtual labs. Creating content at the secondary level that is meaningful can be complicated, expecially if you are required to produce 1 lab per week.
I believe that it is important for instructors to consider feedback and check points along the way to gauge the progress and understanding of online learners. This is why time management and planning is essential for developing asynchronous courses and encouraging self-directed learnng.
Having taken several online college courses, I have to agree that time management is very important. Setting intermittent checkpoints is a great way to encourage students to stay on time with their tasks. Using discussion boards is a very good way to get feedback from students and their progress on their tasks and to see if anyone will need additional help or clarification. Gamification is also a great way to motivate the student to be productive and to set "goals" or "levels" for completion of a task or assignment.
