REVIEW OF Ontario Virtual School BY student, Aayan Khan

(5) Student Experience

I only took one course on OVS, which was MCV4U, and I can say it was very flexible. It is great for me, as I am busy managing both my day school and many extracurriculars, such as clubs, sports, research, and a job. Honestly, I loved OVS; it gives you the option to book 1-on-1 tutoring with your teacher to ensure your understanding of the course and help you develop overall when completing coursework. One thing that I wish I knew before was that you have 365 days to complete the course, giving you time for other things. Honestly, I don't think it needs any changes, but if I were to suggest something, it would be the addition of more structure and check-ins to help students stay motivated.

(5) School Leadership

I respect all of the staff at the school. My teacher is very quick at providing support, marking my assessments, and replying to my general questions. The staff is very quick at getting my marks submitted to OUAC and my day school transcript, ensuring all my marks are forwarded to universities. I also appreciate the 1-on-1 tutoring that my teacher offers if extra help is necessary. I believe they don’t have anything more they could do as a private online school in Ontario.

(5) Teaching

I think the teachers ask a perfectly fair amount of work from me, especially for the high-level course that I am taking (MCV4U). I believe that they are very clear with their instructions, allowing me to completely understand what they expect of me. It also depends on the student to ensure that they practice properly before all assessments. When teachers speak about success with me, I believe they just want to support me with whatever I plan on doing post-secondary. They are extremely kind and give genuine feedback to ensure that I get good grades on my assessments. I think when they speak about success with me, they just want to support my journey as I head into undergraduate programs.

(5) Academics

The work is perfectly reasonable. For MCV4U, there were 6 unit assessments, 1 final exam, and 2 optional assignments, just to improve your understanding. I believe this number of assessments is perfect for a course as rigorous as Calculus and Vectors. The assessments help ensure that you have a good understanding of each unit as you prepare for the final exam. Some parts of the course, such as vectors, were a bit harder, but the videos and resources helped my understanding a lot. I think what I learned will be useful later, especially if I go into something like engineering or math, as I will be required to take more Calculus courses throughout post-secondary. Even if I don't go into engineering, taking the course helps me with problem-solving and logical thinking.

(5) School Life

Since Ontario Virtual School is a private online school, it does not have a real-life campus. If I were to give a tour of the resources that the website offers, I would start by making sure students can find their lessons. The lesson videos include short quizzes at the end to ensure that you understand the course material. It is the best tool to help with your understanding of the course, so, of course, I would show it first. After this, I would likely show them where to find the course textbook, the textbook answers, and the homework book. This helps ensure that, as you go through the course, you have the same level of understanding as a student taking the course in school.

(5) Admissions

I switched to a new high school in the middle of the semester, so the course Calculus and Vectors was already full at my high school. I was then referred to Ontario Virtual School (OVS) to take the course online, and it was surprisingly easy. The staff at OVS ensure that your midterm and final marks are submitted to your day school with just the click of a button. The process to take the course was very easy to navigate, and I would recommend it to anyone going through a similar situation.