Lessons from the US National Survey on Remote Education

The US Department of Education recently released initial results from a monthly survey examining how schools are handling the pandemic and balancing remote vs. in-person learning. 42 states participated in the national survey, offering insights into schools’ progress in transitioning back and how remote learning has affected students. The survey gathered information about 4th graders and 8th graders for coverage of elementary and secondary school students. 

In early 2022, 43% of elementary and 48% of secondary students in surveyed schools were still using fully remote education. On average, 76% of students attended schools offering hybrid or in-person instruction. Only 24% were in schools that remained fully remote.

 In-person learning was more common in rural areas and the South and Midwest regions, while more urban areas were less able to offer in-person learning and were more likely to stay fully remote. 85% of students were in locations with at least some remote education. 

The Shift from Remote Education to Hybrid Learning

Since remote learning began in March 2020, many schools have shifted to a hybrid model. This allows for in-person engagement while continuing remote learning. Hybrid models often alternate between in-school and at-home days or weeks. In early 2022, 30% of students followed a hybrid schedule. Of them, 13% attended school 1–2 days per week, 3% for 3 days, and 14% for 4–5 days.

Hybrid learning supports in-person experiences for core subjects and hands-on work, while virtual platforms assist with projects needing less supervision. However, it requires coordination among students, parents, and teachers, and can create confusion around schedules. But it can confuse when kids are in and out of school, and it needs student, parent, and teacher approval.

 In addition, teachers and students have complained about the lack of consistency in hybrid learning as conditions change and schools shift between hybrid, remote, and in-person models. Another issue is that it can increase teacher workload and prep time due to the need to organize in-person and remote students. One more issue is that it can increase teacher workload and preparation due to the need to organize around in-person and remote students. Some schools have attempted teaching to both in-person and remote students at once through live streaming, which can be frustrating for teachers.

 Live Video Instruction in Remote Education

 Remote learning can include live instruction, pre-recorded lessons, and asynchronous learning where students aren’t getting direct lessons. During the pandemic, schools have found a limit to the amount of instruction they can give without letting students get distracted or have learning quality suffer. Only 32% of schools gave live video instruction of more than 5 hours compared to the traditional 6 hours of in-person teaching. 40% reduced the amount to 3-4 hours of live video from teachers over online platforms, and 17% only gave students 1-2 hours of live teaching during remote learning. 

 When implementing remote learning, 10% of secondary schools questioned reported they had no live instructor available. While appropriate contexts allow the use of both live and asynchronous learning, live instruction fosters engagement and enables direct communication between students and professors. When the assignment is not time-sensitive or requires minimal human interaction, asynchronous learning can be beneficial, freeing up time for other crucial tasks.

Priorities for In-Person Learning

Schools recognize that some students suffer more than others due to the pandemic. The US national survey analyzed how schools were prioritizing certain students to receive in-person learning. 43% said they prioritized students with disabilities since these students were less able to keep up with remote learning. In elementary schools, 25% prioritized lower grades for in-person compared to 14% for upper grades, suggesting that lower grades are also struggling with remote learning. 

 While schools are rushing to return to in-person learning, remote learning has had a significant long-term impact. The abrupt adoption of remote learning and continual changes in schedules caused disturbances, but virtual learning may be adopted successfully with forethought and care paid to individuals who struggle the most with it. In fact, these transitions have contributed to noticeable changes in cognitive skills in young children, especially those in critical developmental stages. Online learning systems that provide immediate feedback and track whether students are succeeding or failing, can be used by both teachers and administrators. More data, such as that disclosed in the poll, will indicate the future of online learning.