Distance Learning: What is the Impact on Learning? Part 1

Author and speaker Patsy Clairmont has a book titled, “Normal is Just a Setting on Your Dryer.” Her goal was to free her readers from the pursuit of the unattainable. That makes me wonder or question if distance learning is a vehicle that will achieve the necessary gains needed for student success.

Distance learning is a term that has been at the forefront in education for a year now due to the pandemic. October 28, 2020 I wrote a blog post about distance learning and all the things that I was thinking about in regard to the impact distance learning was having on student success. Since many schools, teachers and students have been involved in distance learning now for a year, I wanted to revisit the topic and consider what is occurring for students and teachers.

I recently read an article published March 2021 by McKinsey & Company titled, Teacher Survey: Learning loss is global — and significant. McKinsey & Company is an American worldwide management consulting firm. As stated in the title, the perspective of this article is that of the teachers and the effect distance learning is having on student performance. The title of the article is alarming. Here are some of the highlights that I pulled from the article.

Learning Loss During the Pandemic

Some of the unfortunate outcomes of distance learning are:

• Students have paid a heavy price in lost learning. As we look back, decisions were made quickly and sometimes hastily in response to the deadly threat of the Covid-19 outbreak. As teachers were required to make quick adjustments to distance or online learning, often they were learning as they go. Often teachers were trying to replicate in person learning in the online format and that didn’t always work effectively or achieve the desired outcome.
• A computer is not an effective replacement for a classroom in regard to student learning. One unfortunate outcome of online learning is that it is contributing to mental health issues among young people due to the stress and isolation that students are experiencing. Especially for middle school students, where socialization is a huge part of their natural development. Removing the opportunities for middle school students to interact with each other is striping them of a normal part of their development.
• Growth and achievement remain difficult for students who struggle with issues such as learning challenges, isolation, or a lack of resources. Stop for a moment and reread that statement. There are three BIG factors mentioned that are negatively impacting growth and achievement for some students that cannot be ignored.
• As distance learning continues teachers see the ongoing disengagement and learning loss. As these issues continue to escalate, one has to question the effect this will have on students in the future in regard to their economic well being. Will they be able to overcome the lost learning?
• The survey reiterates other data that, virtual classes have been found to be especially ineffective for students in high-poverty schools and are exacerbating educational inequalities that already existed. Policy makers need to pay attention to these findings and resolve these inequities to eliminate this issue.
• Resources availability makes a difference. One of the reasons for this inequity is the resources that are available for high-poverty schools. As I discussed with Dr. Antonio Cediel in the Learning For Life virtual summit, Achieving Students Best Outcomes: A Different Path to Success, schools are funded based on property taxes. Low property values in areas where high-poverty schools are located equates to less funding for schools in these areas. In contrast, schools in affluent areas reap the benefits of being funded by homes with a high property tax valuation.

What can we learn about student learning?

• It is too early to fully assess the pandemic’s impact on student learning. Unfortunately, early data is not encouraging and shows that the achievement gap that already existed prior to the pandemic, has only increased over the past year of distance learning.
• “Studies from several countries suggest that school shutdowns in the second quarter of 2020 put students up to six months behind the academic milestones their cohorts would typically be expected to reach. Losses were greater in math than in reading, and disadvantaged populations experienced more severe setbacks in all subjects.”

All the articles I read are alarming in regard to student achievement and success. Tomorrow I am going to discuss what the past year has done on teacher job satisfaction.

Join me for the second Learning For Life virtual summit, Achieving Students Best Outcomes: Different Paths to Success March 31st and April 1st. Please take a moment to click this link to sign up for your COMPLIMENTARY ticket to the summit. Can’t wait to see you there!

“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”

― Frederick Douglass

The joy is in the journey!

Blessings and Peace,

Mary