ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

REMOTE LEARNING OVERVIEW

Volcano Scouting is excited to offer its Summer Virtual Experience through Instructure's Canvas online course software. Utilized by public school districts and universities across the United States, Canvas allows our merit badge counselors to utilize multimedia presentations and live meetings to teach scouts about merit badge topics. Additionally, Canvas has several submission/assessment features such as assignments, quizzes, and discussion boards which allow our merit badge counselors to collect and track merit badge work conducted by scouts. Scouts will have complete access to course content starting June 1, 2020.

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REGISTRATION PROCESS

To register for this virtual event, following these instructions:

1. Complete the registration form and payment at https://endurancecui.active.com/event-reg/select-race?e=69284953

   1. Select the number of scouts you wish to register, then click "Continue". Each scout must be registered as an individual (no shared accounts), however, you can register multiple scouts at one time.

   2. In the "Your Information" section, please provide payee/billing information, then click "Next".

   3. In the following section, please provide information for each "Participant - Scout", then click "Next".

   4. Agree to the "Active Agreement and Waiver" then complete the "Electronic Signature" with the payee's full name. Click "Next". Lastly, click "Continue"

   5. Review your registration then complete the payment information. When you are ready to submit your registration and payment, click "Complete".

2. You will then receive a confirmation email with the link to access the Virtual Summer Experience "Homeroom" course. Click this link and follow the instructions to create your scout's account. We encourage scouts to create a profile that includes only the following information:​

   • First and Last Name​

   • Preferred Pronouns

   • Troop Number

   • Troop City and State

3. On Saturday, May 30, all parent/legal guardians will receive an invitation to "observe" their child(ren)'s coursework. At this time, scouts will also receive access to any stand-alone course(s) they were approved for (please see additional information on stand-alone course registration below).

4. On June 1, all course content will be published for viewing. Scouts can then begin to work through the course modules. Please note, course content for stand-alone courses that start on July 1 and August 1 will not be published until their respective start dates.

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CONTENT STRUCTURE

We are utilizing two primary content structures:

• Virtual Summer Experience "Homeroom" - This online course is required for all participants and is presented in a multidisciplinary combination of self-paced and guided learning for the completion of up to 7 merit badges. Scouts will be required to complete a successive collection of modules that address a combination of requirements from all 7 merit badges (in other words, modules are not organized my merit badge).

• Virtual Summer Experience "Stand-Alone Merit Badge/Training Courses" - These online courses focus on specific merit badge/training topics, are taught in shorter periods, and restricted to a lower number of scouts. These programs may require additional at-home, hands-on projects.

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Both content structures will incorporate preexisting curriculum from the Boy Scouts of America, government agencies, public schools, and non-profit organizations. Our team will also create and moderate their own curriculum that specifically addresses merit badge requirements and training certification. This curriculum will incorporate the following instructional methods in order to serve varying learning styles:

• Self-guided reading

• Recorded lectures

• Multimedia presentations

• Live interviews

• Interactive online simulations

• At-home, hands-on activities

• Moderated online discussion boards

• Immediate-feedback quizzes

• Scout submission assignments

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PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITIES

While participation in self-guided learning is highly recommended, scouts are required to complete all assignments, quizzes, and discussions in order to qualify for advancement opportunities. Scouts who read/watch/complete all self-guided content will have a better chance of completing merit badge/training requirements through assignments/quizzes/discussions. These participation opportunities are explained further below:

• Assignments - Scouts may be required to submit "assignments" in the form of an essay, journal, multimedia, or text entries. Assignments are evaluated on a complete/incomplete grading scheme. Course moderators will provide feedback on incomplete assignments and scouts may resubmit their revision for completion. Generally, assignments are utilized for merit badge requirements that include verbiage such as "demonstrate", "show", "conduct", "collect", "design", and "find".

• Quizzes - Scouts may be required to complete online "quizzes" that assess their content comprehension. Quizzes are evaluated on a complete/incomplete grading scheme. Upon submission, scouts will be able to see their scores and make revisions based on the provided feedback to obtain a "complete" grade. Generally, quizzes are utilized for merit badge requirements that include verbiage such as "identify", "explain", "define", and "recognize".

• Discussions - Scouts may be required to complete online "discussions" that assess their content comprehension and develop further learning. Discussions are evaluated on a complete/incomplete grading scheme. Upon submission, course moderators will approve/deny posts to the discussion board, providing feedback on incomplete submissions. Generally, discussions are utilized for merit badge requirements that include verbiage such as "discuss", "describe", and "tell".

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Scouts who need assistance completing assignments/quizzes/discussions are encouraged to reach out to their course moderator(s) for assistance. We will aim to serve all learning needs, but please understand that merit badge requirements must be fulfilled in approved mediums.

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SUPPLEMENTAL LEARNING AND ADD-ONS

At the time of registration, scouts were asked to select all stand-alone merit badge/training courses they were interested in taking. These courses are being offered at no additional cost but may require additional at-home, hands-on activities. They include:

• June 1-30

  • Nature Merit Badge Course

  • Energy Merit Badge Course

• July 1-31

  • Public Health Merit Badge Course

  • Engineering Merit Badge Course

  • Indian Lore Merit Badge Course

• August 1-31

  • Astronomy Merit Badge Course

  • Emergency Preparedness Merit Badge Course

  • Leave No Trace Awareness Training Course (Open Enrollment)

  • Hornaday Academy (Open Enrollment)

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As of May 30, all courses are full but we are still gathering/retaining "stand-alone" course interest in case spots open up or we decide to expand the capacity of a course(s).

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TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS

All scouts need to have reliable access to the internet and their own email address in order to complete these courses. Furthermore, the ability to record and upload multimedia (i.e. take photographs, sketch illustrations, record video, etc.) to your primary device is required. Our course moderators also highly recommend having access to a device with both audio (mic and speakers) and visual (camera) capabilities for live meetings and interviews. If you do not have access to these technologies, please contact a course moderator(s). 

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GIFTS AND PRIZE DRAWINGS

Periodically, Volcano Scouting will host virtual trivia challenges and prize drawings. Scouts are encouraged to participate in these fun activities for a chance to win Volcano Scouting merchandise.

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GRADING AND MERIT BADGE CERTIFICATION

Volcano Scouting will be utilizing the Canvas outcomes tracking system to track scout fulfillment of merit badge requirements. Specifically, each assignment/quiz/discussion has its own respective grading rubric that outlines the merit badge requirements covered in the assessment. Course moderators will utilize these rubrics to assess the "completeness" of each assessment and provide a complete/incomplete grade. Scouts who receive an incomplete grade (i.e. not submitting assessments, wrong answers, not addressing the question/requirement, etc.) on any assessment will have the opportunity to see course moderator feedback and resubmit the assessment with revisions to earn a complete grade. Once graded, assessment rubrics will update the outcomes (merit badge requirement) list. At the end of the summer, scouts will be sent a list of all the merit badge requirements they complete. This report will be signed by a registered merit badge counselor(s), however, it should be evaluated by the scout's advancement chair and/or unit leader for authentication. We do not input data into Scoutbook or remit signed merit badge blue cards.