Profoundly Gifted Students’ Perceptions of Virtual Classrooms

Abstract

The intent of this case study is to understand profoundly gifted students’ perceptions of virtual programs. The participants for this study were five profoundly gifted students who were enrolled in a fully virtual writing course hosted by a school that serves the profoundly gifted population. The researcher gathered data via asynchronous focus groups on an online discussion board, observations of synchronous sessions in their virtual classroom, and individual interviews with the participants. The participants reported a preference for frequent interactions with classmates and the instructor, but expressed concern about the lack of social opportunities. While technical difficulties did occur, these were mostly due to operator error or disuse of available tools. Finally, in terms of curriculum and pedagogy, the participants saw little difference between brick-and-mortar and virtual classrooms, suggesting that for profoundly gifted students, the quality of the content and instruction outweighs the realities of the learning environment. This information can be used either to improve online gifted education, or create new programs, thus diversifying opportunities.