What the COVID-19 Pandemic Taught Us and How Will It Impact the Future of Both Classroom and Online Education?

One of the most significant disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic to education was the vulnerability of relying on in-classroom proprietary learning environments to drive student performance.  Although schools around the world adapted as best they could to a remote learning environment, many teachers felt that students did not adapt well to online learning, and CB Insights found that nearly half of parents surveyed were dissatisfied with their children’s academic performance during the pandemic.

But in many cases, challenges like these can be met with increased efforts to leverage new technology innovations that can change the paradigm and create new models of learning where both the curriculum and IT teams effectively coordinate their efforts to create more flexible hybrid learning models that can adapt to both remote and in-person student needs.This article will address these three questions:

• What are the problems encountered with 100% remote learning?
• How can new education technology help schools adapt to blended learning?
• Can a hybrid learning model deliver better performance than a traditional collaborative classroom?

Children are naturally distracted, and classroom learning environments have been designed to reinforce a structured environment that ensures all students are focused, motivated, and have equal access to the teacher and learning materials, regardless of household income. With remote learning, those elements can be lost, which can result in more distracted students with substandard learning space compared to a traditional classroom. “It’s different when you’re learning from a person and you have a relationship with that person,” cognitive psychologist Daniel Willingham has said. “That makes you care a little bit more about what they think, and it makes you a little bit more willing to put forth the effort.” With the combination of lack of social structure, limited teacher reinforcement, and the absence of natural relationship building, it’s clear that 100% remote learning is not an effective long term learning model.

•  Seamless transition from in-person, online, and remote learning environments

Traditional classrooms are equipped with internet access to power proprietary interactive software for interactive in-person learning. For a more flexible learning model, both teachers and IT directors need to look for ways to harmonize the learning platforms to enable students to have a more uniform learning environment regardless of location. 

•  Flexible technology and curriculum that can adapt to student location

According to George Lucas’ Education Foundation Edutopia, “Effective tech integration must happen across the curriculum in ways that research shows deepen and enhance the learning process. In particular, it must support four key components of learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts."  One example is the need to transition from interactive whiteboards that run proprietary in-class software to more flexible interactive flat panels that can adapt to a wide variety of curriculum that can be used either in-class or remotely.

•  Futureproof hybrid learning ecosystems that deliver improved classroom safety – and simultaneous remote learning

Even without an ongoing pandemic, Covid-19 has caused educators to consider how to accommodate remote students' needs caused by illness, inclement weather, or extended travel. In 2018, many Texas schools completely shut down due to flu outbreaks or unexpected inclement weather – impacting budgets and learning plans. With new interactive screens equipped with innovations such as anti-microbial screens and live interactive cloud collaboration, educators will have more tools to ensure strong student performance without compromising in-classroom health.