The Pandemic
As soon as the pandemic hit, I was struck with the realities of remote learning. As a 22-year-old college student, I sat at the crossroads of several career choices. I was frustrated to find myself watching prerecorded lectures, competing with the increased ease of cheating on exams, and dealing with a new degree of isolation. These circumstances were especially poignant when I felt the desperate need for a human connection to help me choose my career path. Classes got easier and more detached when I needed the best that my university could offer.
This time of frustration made me wonder how the rest of the rising generation is handling this change in how we learn and grow. Millions of youths and young adults languish in so-called “remote learning.” Learning remotely isn’t working, depriving youth of the opportunity to grow and develop in ways far more profound than basic academic achievement. Is this the new normal? As the global pandemic seemingly ends, let’s explore a few of the reasons that got us to this point.
Why Remote Learning?
The world wants to return to normality, but that is not yet possible. As we consider the needs of older people and those with compromised health, we realize the need to compromise in many aspects of our lives. Even as a vaccine becomes widely distributed, the danger is still present and real to people with preexisting conditions. In addition to the real risk of reopening, there is widespread support behind at least restricting the number of days that school is held in person. A recent poll by IPSOS, a global market research company, states that “16 major countries, almost two in three people (65%) support restricting the number of days children can attend school.” This data is summarized in Figure 1:
This shows significant support in the United States and several other nations for at least some sort of restriction from meeting in person. As we go forward, we still face the reality that despite a vaccine becoming more available, many are still at risk for infection. Especially as popular support is behind these restrictions, remote learning is our “normality.”
The Benefits
As many have adapted to this new way of work and school, many students have enjoyed remote learning and the increased flexibility it brings. In many cases, students can study wherever and whenever they want. These changes have allowed students to thrive, especially for students with specific needs. An article from Edutopia, a foundation dedicated to transforming K-12 education, outlines some of the surprising benefits of this shift to remote learning. Nora Fleming, a senior editor at the foundation, shares that “increasingly, teachers in our audience are reporting that a handful of their students—shy kids, hyperactive kids, highly creative kids— are suddenly doing better with remote learning than they were doing in the physical classroom.”
She states that self-pacing has allowed students to structure their days to be less stressful and more beneficial for the list of tasks in their busy schedules. In an interview quoted in the same article, a high school teacher from Camas, Washington, comments on some of the hidden benefits of these changes: “I think a huge part of [some students’ work improving] is that we’ve dramatically ratcheted down the total workload in order to make tasks accessible rather than overwhelming.” ii While the changes related to remote learning have had a positive impact on some students’ lives, the data shows that the transition has been problematic for many students.
The Cost of Learning
During the last year, school administrators, teachers, and health professionals have noticed the toll remote learning has had on the rising generation. Kimberly Bird, an administrator in Utah’s Alpine School District, comments on the effects of the change to remote education on academic performance: “Last year in term one, 97% of our students passed their first term’s credit. This year, our face-to-face students passed at 90%. However, our online students passed their credits in the 60% range.” iii To corroborate these findings, I had the chance to interview a middle-school math teacher, Mark McCullough, who teaches at Dessau Middle School in Austin, Texas. The first thing he told me about the transition to remote learning was the “stark” decline in performance. He commented that “there’s no accountability at home” and that “the school district has been lowering the standards to help people just pass the classes.” iv The faculty are doing all they can to help students in need.
McCullough and his colleagues have held after-school tutoring labs. Still, the attendance has been “minimal.” v Mark’s conclusion on low participation is confirmed by a formal report by Nat Malkus from the American Enterprise Institute, which focuses on research designed to change public policy. Malkus summarizes that “during last school year and since numerous reports have documented that large percentages of students did not participate in the remote instruction that school districts offered.” In Los Angeles, the district “reported that as many as 40 percent of students failed to participate in its remote-learning programs.” Malkus also mentions a school district in Nevada where teachers “were unable to contact 35 percent of the student body.” vi Not only are students disengaging, but in many cases, they are not participating. Finally, a formal statistical report by a group of partners from McKinsey and Company, a consulting firm, outlines the differences in the overall quality of the remote learning experience that K-12 students have received. Interestingly, according to Figure 2, only 32% of students are deemed to have even an “average [or] above-average remote instruction,” while the other 68% have either had “low-quality” instruction or none at all. vii The solutions to continue learning despite the pandemic are far from perfect. The education of the rising generation is at stake.
The Unseen Costs
In addition to these stark declines in student performance, many unseen and unexpected negatives have been realized during this transition to remote learning. In a recent article, Kayla Rivas, a health reporter, cites some of these unseen costs that the rising generation faces as they have transitioned to a remote learning model. In her Fox News article, she states that there is “anecdotal evidence of kids often gaining an additional 10 to 20 pounds or more within three to six months” of remote learning. Rivas also cites an associate professor from John Hopkins University that ties altered sleep cycles to this transition. She concludes that these issues, coupled with a ‘very low level of physical fitness,’ compound risk factors” for the rising generation. viii Besides the detriment to health that remote learning has shown, students need to take advantage of benefits outside of the education itself.
Selena Gordon, a reporter from WebMD, a popular health reference resource, discusses in a recent article the safety of the reopening of schools: “School is important for a child’s development. Many children are reliant on school for free lunch and other meals. Other kids get special education services like speech therapy and occupational therapy. Schools are a real, clear piece of kids’ behavioral health support and community support.” ix In-person schools also allow students to associate with people their age and develop social skills. Basic social skills like maintaining eye contact, speaking clearly, getting along with others, resolving conflict, and developing relationships with those of the opposite sex cannot be replaced in a remote environment.
Going Forward
The rising generation represents the future of society and the country. Whatever can be done to improve the rising generation’s well-being and education is worth whatever sacrifice. Dr. Chagla, an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University, suggests the sacrifices we can make to make in-person learning possible. x Figure 3 outlines some of these, including using masks, symptom screening, and strategically separating students to limit opportunities for contagion. With so many options and strategies already being put into place all around the country, it is apparent that it is possible to reopen our schools and be safe. At the same time, many have enjoyed and benefitted from learning from home. Going forward into the future, we can look at this last year of learning about remote learning technology and techniques as a springboard for finding the perfect learning approach for each student to enhance learning.
i Nora Fleming, “Why Are Some Kids Thriving During Remote Learning?”. Edutopia, April 24, 2020, https://www.edutopia.org/article/whyare-some-kids-thriving-during-remotelearning#:~:text=Why%20Are%20Some%20Kids %20Thriving%20During%20Remote%20Learning %3F,the%20Chatter.%20…%205%20Getting%20 Enough%20Z%27s.%20.
ii Fleming, “Kids Thriving”
iii Nichole Berlie, “New Research Shows Negative Effects From Remote Learning,” NewsNation. November 30, 2020, https://www.newsnationnow.com/health/coro navirus/news-research-shows-negative-effectsfrom-remote-learning/.
iv Mark McCullough, March 19, 2021, Interview with Middle School teacher Mark McCullough by Benjamin Kloepfer. In person. Provo, UT.
v McCullough, interview.
vi Nat Markus, “Too Little, Too Late: A Hard Look At Spring 2020 Remote Learning Education”. Heinonline, October 6, 2020, https://heinonlineorg.erl.lib.byu.edu/HOL/Print?collection=covidc ol&handle=hein.amenin/aeiadew0001&id=5.
vii Emma Dorn, Bryan Hancock, Jimmy Sarakatsannis, and Ellen Viruleg, “Public Sector Practice.” McKinsey and Company, June 2020, https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey /Industries/Public%20and%20Social%20Sector/ Our%20Insights/COVID19%20and%20student%20learning%20in%20th e%20United%20States%20The%20hurt%20coul d%20last%20a%20lifetime/COVID-19-andstudent-learning-in-the-United-StatesFINAL.pdf.
viii Kayla Rivas, “Kids’ Weight Gain Tied to Idle Virtual Learning, Disrupted Sleep, Pediatricians Warn.” Fox News, February 16, 2021, https://www.foxnews.com/health/kids-weightgain-tied-to-idle-virtual-learning-disruptedsleep-pediatricians-warn.
ix Selena Gordon, “Can Schools Really Reopen Safely?” WebMD, May 11, 2020, https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/2020051 1/can-schools-really-reopen-safely#1.
x “Back to School – in Person vs. Remote Learning: Challenges Facing Parents, Teachers and Governments.” Ipsos, July 31, 2020, https://www.ipsos.com/en/back-schoolperson-vs-remote-learning-challenges-facingparents-teachers-and-governments.