Lessons learned? The digital future of education
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The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital learning tools in education. Key lessons learned include a shift towards more blended and personalized learning, and a greater focus on digital assessment over exams. While new technologies have enabled continued learning, inequities in access remain a challenge. Moving forward, successful strategies will require a holistic approach, robust tools that fit the new pedagogical model, and policy changes to support equitable access and a sustainable funding model for schools. Remote learning appears set to continue playing a role alongside in-person instruction as part of a blended learning approach.
Lessons learned? The digital future of education
- 1. Roundtable: Lessons learned? The digital future of education
- 2. Originally appearing in Education Technology, our EdTech Strategist Patrick McGrath answers key questions on the lessons learned from COVID-19 and its impact on the future of education.
- 3. 1. With education establishments closed for an unspecified time, the sector has forcibly accelerated its digital adoption. What does/will this mean for current and future student generations?
- 4. Key lessons: Assessment will change; new digital focus; learner inequalities; personalised learning; blended learning The immediate impact has been the absence of end of year exams and testing. This means current students are approaching learning from a different position - not with an exam in sight, but the more immediate needs of the remaining course or curriculum content, and using digital tools and new approaches to understand new concepts.
- 5. They are also experiencing an overnight shift from paper based work to electronic work - handwritten pieces suddenly move to digital, worksheets now move to require completion online, and formative/summative assessment occurs with online quizzing and forms.
- 6. On the downside, those with individual needs may not be receiving the support they need to succeed, and for some may not even have the devices or access to effectively take part in learning. It’s created an inequity, but one that can be addressed moving forward to facilitate our new normal.
- 8. We’ll see a drive for more blended learning and the growth of digital platforms. In the medium term, it’s inevitable that we move away from end of term exams - students will be assessed differently, perhaps through learning analytics.
- 9. This will see a shift towards a more personal, bespoke learning experience where students can work at pace and to interests. It’s accelerating what we’ve all known for a long time - the need to move to being learner centric, not teacher centric.
- 10. 2. What will prove to be the lasting benefits of the new learning model(s) that we have all quickly adopted?
- 11. Key lessons: Impact of technology on student learning; importance of teacher CPD; lasting change is in the pedagogy When school closures happened, there was a scramble for technology to enable ‘remote or distance learning’. This did have the benefit that teachers went on a steep learning journey - experimenting with new tools, considering approaches they never would have previously and finding solutions to the challenges of learning remotely.
- 12. We’ll see this approach settle and teachers select the right tools to succeed in this new way of working - based on evidence of impact and of effectiveness. It’s clear that the technology approach will not disappear.
- 14. The lasting impact is in the pedagogy - the different, new approach to motivating learners, to being flexible, to how we engage and then how we assess. These are the fundamentals of education, and they are changing, fast.
- 15. 3. And what are the challenges that they present?
- 16. Key lessons: Choosing the right tools for your context; holistic approach to CPD; policy changes are essential From a people perspective we have to ensure that we are supporting teachers in their professional development, that we upskill students so they understand how to use technology for learning, and we have to be involving parents at every step.
- 17. In technology terms, we have to ensure that solutions are robust and genuinely fit the criteria for this new way of learning. We have to carefully select the right tools from our current experiences and ensure they form a clear strategic plan to integrate into the learning cycle.
- 18. All of these changes can only be supported by wider change - exams, curriculum, equity of access, how we inspect schools and of course funding. We’ve all shown the will, and the ability to change things for this new way of learning. To sustain it requires policy change.
- 19. 4. Which particular tools and resources have best enabled learning to continue in the current climate?
- 20. Key lessons: Google Classroom uptake; motivating students remotely; teaching synchronously with video and other tools Google tools, and in particular Google Classroom, have seen massive traction over the recent period. Classroom has been used as the almost de facto tool for educators to store and send out work, assignments and materials - creating a structured digital workflow.
- 21. Educators have built an ecosystem around this core platform - ways to complete worksheets, to have work assessed, to quiz and provide feedback and enable discussion.
- 22. Beyond that, there’s been a huge rise in video use. Not just the usual ‘YouTube’ clips - but teachers embracing tech creatively to create explanation videos for new concepts, walk through assessment pieces, and in many cases teaching synchronously.
- 23. The tools that are now seeing a huge rise in use are those that provide motivation. As an example, our Fluency Tutor tool encourages students to practice reading aloud. It’s a simple concept - students select a reading piece, record themselves reading and can send it back in one click to a teacher to get feedback or have it assessed.
- 25. 5. How has the coronavirus outbreak impacted edtech policy development? Has it shifted the focus away from one area to another (e.g. safeguarding staff and students while working from home, alternative methods for assessment, etc.)?
- 26. Key lessons: Equity of access & learning loss gap need addressed; accessibility concerns; re-thinking assessments & exams The more immediate impact on policy is around equity of access - in two ways. First, for students that don’t have internet or device access. They are clearly, massively disadvantaged in this new way of working. The gap will widen at a considerable pace if policy isn’t put in place to address this.
- 27. We’ve been here before (see FELTAG) - with a proposal to create infrastructure and provide devices and access for all students. Now is the time to make this happen, and we’re seeing welcome initiatives to provide laptops/chromebooks and broadband connectivity to certain groups of students.
- 28. Second, around those students with individual needs. In the clamour to move to digital learning, little consideration has been placed on the specific needs of many students. It’s clear this is now being recognised and there are policies and processes being discussed to address it.
- 29. Areas like accessibility, assessment, motivation and the importance of parental engagement are being highlighted together with some clear recommendations to schools.
- 30. Looking ahead, there will be policy changes around assessment and exams, because as the new ‘blended’ approach takes its ship over the coming academic year, systems will have to be in place to either support public examinations. Or look at digital, or continuous assessment based alternatives.
- 31. 6. How has the outbreak impacted already tight school budgets?
- 32. Key lessons: The real impact on budget will be seen over the course of the next 2 academic years Schools have only managed to keep to budgets because tech tools have by and large been free during this time, and they’ve been able to lean on parents for access and devices. Government has put in place some additional funding for exceptional budget needs outside of technology for the current situation, which has helped.
- 33. It’s not this academic year that we see being impacted heavily however - it's over the course of the next two, where schools will be expected to sustain this level of online learning and fund tools and devices in an ongoing way. If we are to do it, schools need new funding beyond the current allocation to make things work.
- 34. 7. With the easing of lockdown and the move to the ‘new normal’, how much of this remote learning structure is likely to continue?
- 35. Key lessons: Focus is now on blended learning; technology is here to stay but needs a strategic approach with learning at core Funding and policy are core to this structure staying at an effective scale. The focus now is on blended learning - with a reduction in pupil numbers in school and therefore by default, many more pupils studying and learning at home. It’s therefore crucial that we build on everything we learnt during lock down.
- 36. Teachers have upskilled fast, students have received a more personal experience and technology is here to stay. We’ve proved we can do it as educators. We know the solutions exist and are effective. If we are strategic and ensure that learning is the centre point of our motivation for change and our new way of teaching and learning, we’ll never go back.
- 37. It’s been ‘sink or swim’, and our educators have learnt to be olympic class swimmers in this new world. The tide of remote learning that’s carrying us is not going to stop. It’s here to stay. As long as we ensure equity of access, we leave lock down with improved ways of learning - digitally.