scholarly journals The Way of Distance Teaching Is Related to Adolescent Students’ Health and Loneliness during the School Closure in Finland

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (23) ◽  
pp. 12377
Author(s):  
Arja Rimpelä ◽  
Pirjo Lindfors ◽  
Jaana M. Kinnunen ◽  
Anna Myöhänen ◽  
Risto Hotulainen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
School Closure ◽  
Health Complaints ◽  
Distance Teaching ◽  
School Closures ◽  
Adolescent Students ◽  
Digital Devices ◽  
Learning Practices ◽  
Digital Equipment

The COVID-19 pandemic enforced countries to close schools and rapidly transfer to distance teaching without preparation. Little is known about how different distance teaching practices influenced students’ wellbeing. We studied this during the period of school closures in Finland. Wellbeing was measured by health complaints and perceived loneliness, and distance learning was measured in terms of structure and dialogue of teaching, functioning of internet and digital equipment, difficulty of given tasks, and support for studies. All lower secondary schools were invited, and 29,898 students from 340 schools (grades 7–9) participated. A digital survey was distributed through schools just when these were reopened in May 2020. The main results were that the distance learning practices were related to adolescent health complaints and loneliness, so that less structure and dialogue in teaching, more problems with digital devices and internet, more difficult tasks and less support for studies were associated with higher health complaints and loneliness. From the point of view of students’ wellbeing, it matters how the distance learning is organised, how digital communication works, and if enough support for studies is available. These results of our research on distance learning practices during the present pandemic may guide schools in future crises and pandemic situations when distance learning is needed.

scholarly journals Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Students and their Parents

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1/2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Graumann
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
New Media ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
School Closures ◽  
State Of Emergency ◽  
Innovative Teaching ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
School Learning ◽  
Internet Connections ◽  
Digital Equipment

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in school closures in spring 2020 in many countries, including Germany, to stem the spread of the virus. From one day to the next, school learning became the responsibility of parents, and school administrators expected teachers in all types of schools to switch from almost exclusively analogue teaching to distance learning – in particular to digitalized teaching – from one day to the next. In this article we analyze what this means for families. It is shown that the inequality of opportunities in education is increased when schools and families lack digital equipment and expanded Internet connections. It describes the problems that parents and children have had and will continue to have with immature and unproven concepts of distance learning, since schools in Germany are far from making up for the deficit in the area of digitized instruction. The state of emergency in the time of a pandemic also clearly shows the limits of innovative teaching with the new media and raises awareness of the importance of an intensive analogue pedagogical teacher-pupil relationship.

scholarly journals Large socio-economic, geographic and demographic disparities exist in exposure to school closures

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 522-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Parolin ◽  
Emma K. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Limited English Proficiency ◽  
School Closure ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
School Lunches ◽  
School Closures ◽  
Math Scores ◽  
Home Learning ◽  
Racial Ethnic

AbstractThe coronovirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has prompted many school districts to turn to distance or at-home learning. Studies are emerging on the negative effects of distance learning on educational performance, but less is known about the socio-economic, geographic and demographic characteristics of students exposed to distance learning. We introduce a U.S. School Closure and Distance Learning Database that tracks in-person visits across more than 100,000 schools throughout 2020. The database, which we make publicly accessible and update monthly, describes year-over-year change in in-person visits to each school throughout 2020 to estimate whether the school is engaged in distance learning. Our findings reveal that school closures from September to December 2020 were more common in schools with lower third-grade math scores and higher shares of students from racial/ethnic minorities, who experience homelessness, have limited English proficiency and are eligible for free/reduced-price school lunches. The findings portend rising inequalities in learning outcomes.

scholarly journals A Two-Sided Lockdown? Social Class Variations in the Implementation of Homeschooling During the COVID-19 Lockdown

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camille Sanrey ◽  
Sébastien Goudeau ◽  
Arnaud Stanczak ◽  
Céline Darnon
Keyword(s):  
Social Class ◽  
Social Position ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
School Closures ◽  
The Social ◽  
Position Index ◽  
Long Term Impact ◽  
Digital Equipment ◽  
Highly Involved

The COVID-19 pandemic deeply affected how schools and families functioned through most of 2020. In particular, school closures meant parents took on a more central role in their children’s learning. This study analyzed social class variations in the quantity and quality of homeschooling during the lockdown. Through an online questionnaire, 360 parents reported (1) their digital equipment and use, (2) the perceptions of their ability to homeschool their children, (3) how they handled homeschooling and (4) the extent to which they supported other activities considered more or less “profitable” from an educational point of view (e.g., reading, watching television). A social position index was used as a proxy of social class. The results indicated that all parents were highly involved in setting up homeschooling and that the lower the parents’ social position, the more they spent time homeschooling their children. However, in line with the digital divide literature, the lower the parents’ social position, the lower the digital equipment and the less the parents felt capable of homeschooling. Finally, the higher the social position of the families, the more children spent time doing activities considered to be “educationally profitable,” and the less they spent time doing “unprofitable activities.” Thus, even if all parents were highly involved in homeschooling, higher social position parents were better equipped both materially and psychologically to face the challenge of homeschooling. The long-term impact of these processes on the perpetuation of social class inequalities are discussed.

scholarly journals COVID-19-associated school closures and related efforts to sustain education and subsidized meal programs, United States, February 18–June 30, 2020

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0248925
Author(s):  
Nicole Zviedrite ◽  
Jeffrey D. Hodis ◽  
Ferdous Jahan ◽  
Hongjiang Gao ◽  
Amra Uzicanin
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
School Districts ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Closure ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
School Closures ◽  
The Us ◽  
Meal Programs ◽  
K 12

Pre-emptive school closures are frontline community mitigation measures recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for implementation during severe pandemics. This study describes the spatiotemporal patterns of publicly announced school closures implemented in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and assesses how public K-12 districts adjusted their methods of education delivery and provision of subsidized meals. During February 18–June 30, 2020, we used daily systematic media searches to identify publicly announced COVID-19–related school closures lasting ≥1 day in the United States (US). We also collected statewide school closure policies from state government websites. Data on distance learning and subsidized meal programs were collected from a stratified sample of 600 school districts. The first COVID-19–associated school closure occurred on February 27, 2020 in Washington state. By March 30, 2020, all but one US public school districts were closed, representing the first-ever nearly synchronous nationwide closure of public K-12 schools in the US. Approximately 100,000 public schools were closed for ≥8 weeks because of COVID-19, affecting >50 million K-12 students. Of 600 districts sampled, the vast majority offered distance learning (91.0%) and continued provision of subsidized meal programs (78.8%) during the closures. Despite the sudden and prolonged nature of COVID-19–associated school closures, schools demonstrated flexibility by implementing distance learning and alternate methods to continue subsidized meal programs.

scholarly journals Large Socio-Economic, Geographic, and Demographic Disparities Exist in Exposure to School Closures and Distance Learning

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Parolin ◽  
Emma Lee
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Limited English Proficiency ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Closure ◽  
School Type ◽  
Educational Performance ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
School Closures ◽  
Math Scores

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many school districts to turn to distance or at-home learning. Studies are emerging on the negative effects of distance learning on educational performance. Less is known, however, about the socio-economic, geographic, and demographic characteristics of students exposed to distance-learning across the United States. We introduce a U.S. School Closure & Distance Learning Database that tracks in-person attendance across more than 100,000 schools from January through October 2020. We measure year-over-year change in in-person attendance for each school throughout 2020 to estimate whether the school is engaged in distance learning after the onset of the pandemic. Our findings reveal large socio-economic, geographic, and demographic disparities in exposure to distance learning. In October 2020, schools recording the lowest third-grade math scores are nearly twice as likely to be closed compared to schools recording the highest math scores. The average racial composition of closed schools is 25 percentage points less white compared to schools operating in-person (40% versus 65%). Moreover, closures are more common in schools with a higher share of students who experience homelessness, are of limited English proficiency, are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunch, live in single-parent families, or are racial/ethnic minorities. Distance learning is more common in high schools and middle schools relative to elementary schools, but disparities in exposure to distance learning are comparable across school type. Given the potential negative consequences of school closures on educational performance, the vast inequalities in exposure to distance learning portend rising disparities in learning outcomes.

scholarly journals Covid-19 and Crisis-Prompted Distance Education in Sweden

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Bergdahl ◽  
Jalal Nouri
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
School Closure ◽  
Distance Teaching ◽  
School Closures ◽  
Pedagogical Strategies ◽  
Travel Restrictions ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Rapid Transition ◽  
School Preparedness

AbstractThis study represents the first research effort to explore the transition from traditional teaching into distance teaching in Swedish schools enforced by covid-19. Governments made gradual and injudicious decisions to impede the spread of the pandemic (covid-19) in 2020. The enactment of new measures affected critical societal functions and included travel restrictions, closing of borders, school closures and lockdowns of entire countries worldwide. Social distancing became the new reality for many, and for many teachers and students, the school closure prompted a rapid transition from traditional to distance education. This study aims to capture the early stages of that transition. We distributed a questionnaire to teachers’ (n = 153) to gain insights into teacher and school preparedness, plans to deliver distance education, and teachers’ experience when making this transition. Results show that the school preparedness was mainly related to technical aspects, and that teachers lack pedagogical strategies needed in the emerging learning landscape of distance education. Findings reveal four distinct pedagogical activities central for distance education in a crisis, and many challenges faced during the transition. While preparedness to ensure continuity of education was halting, schools and teachers worked with tremendous effort to overcome the challenges. Results expand on previous findings on school closure during virus outbreaks and may in the short-term support teachers and school leaders in making informed decisions during the shift into distance education. The study may also inform the development of preparedness plans for schools, and offers a historical documentation.

scholarly journals COVID-19-associated school closures and related efforts to sustain education and subsidized meal programs, United States, February 18–June 30, 2020

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Zviedrite ◽  
Jeffrey D. Hodis ◽  
Ferdous Jahan ◽  
Hongjiang Gao ◽  
Amra Uzicanin
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
School Districts ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Closure ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
School Closures ◽  
Meal Programs ◽  
K 12

AbstractPre-emptive school closures are frontline community mitigation measures recommended by CDC for implementation during severe pandemics. This study describes the spatiotemporal patterns of publicly announced school closures implemented in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and assesses how public K-12 districts adjusted their methods of education delivery and provision of subsidized meals. During February 18–June 30, 2020, we used daily systematic media searches to identify publicly announced coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)–related school closures lasting ≥1 day in the United States (US). We also collected statewide school closure policies from state government websites. Data on distance learning and subsidized meal programs were collected from a stratified sample of 600 school districts. The first COVID-19–associated school closure occurred on February 27, 2020 in Washington state. By March 30, 2020, all but one US public school districts were closed, representing the first-ever nearly synchronous nationwide closure of public K-12 schools in the US. Approximately 100,000 public schools were closed for ≥8 weeks because of COVID-19, affecting >50 million K-12 students. Of 600 districts sampled, the vast majority offered distance learning (91.0%) and continued provision of subsidized meal programs (78.8%) during the closures. Despite the sudden and prolonged nature of COVID-19–associated school closures, schools demonstrated flexibility by implementing distance learning and alternate methods to continue subsidized meal programs.

scholarly journals Impacts of course type and student gender on distance learning performance: A case study in Taiwan

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Chen Hsiao
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
General Education ◽  
Learning Performance ◽  
Distance Teaching ◽  
School Closures ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Gender ◽  
General Education Courses ◽  
The University

AbstractThe global outbreak of COVID-19 since January 2020 has forced the closure of schools and universities in over 180 countries to control the pandemic, affecting approximately 90% of students worldwide. Distance teaching has been adopted during school closures to suspend classes without suspending learning. Scholars have claimed that distance teaching is more effective than face-to-face teaching and can replace face-to-face courses. However, further investigation is required to confirm whether distance learning is suitable for all types of courses and all students. Thanks to the effective containment of COVID-19 outbreaks in Taiwan, universities in Taiwan face a less problematic situation than do those in other countries; however, plans and preparations remain essential. The present study recruited 18,085 students from a technology university in Taiwan and used the baseline data of the past three academic years before COVID-19 (2016–2018) to explore the influences of course type and gender on distance learning performance. The results revealed that compulsory courses are more suitable for distance learning courses, whereas face-to-face teaching is more suitable for elective and general education courses. The learning performance of males and females is also different: face-to-face courses are more suitable for males, whereas no significant difference between teaching methods was observed in females. This result suggests that not all courses offered by the university are suitable for distance learning courses, and not all students are adept at distance learning. Based on these results, it is recommended that a new teaching model be established for the post-COVID-19 era.

Is Distance Teaching-Learning-Evaluation Triad a Form of Digital Art?

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-19
Author(s):  
Tatiana Antipova ◽  
Ioana Riurean ◽  
Simona Riurean
Keyword(s):  
Point Of View ◽  
Educational Activity ◽  
Distance Teaching ◽  
Software Support ◽  
Alternative Teaching ◽  
Evaluation Procedures ◽  
Learning Evaluation ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Computer Knowledge ◽  
Teaching Learning

The pandemic situation at the beginning of March 2020 forced teachers to develop alternative teaching methods, and most important to find the best ways to keep teaching for every student no matter the situation, as for example, the lack of computer knowledge or hardware/software support. Teachers worldwide struggled to support, encourage, find the best ways not only to help students to keep learning but support them emotionally. At the end of the academic year, teachers made efforts to develop fair, appropriate evaluation procedures adapted to distance education. This paper summarizes the Distance Teaching-Learning-Evaluation (DTLE) evolution in Russia and Romania and some methods developed from March to December 2020 to support the educational activity. Some benefits, challenges and difficulties are identified during the same period of time in different DTLE scenarios, from the point of view of teachers and students, as well. Examples of new adapted methods, dedicated to the DTLE scenarios are al-so addressed in this work.

scholarly journals From Resistance to Digital Technologies in the Context of the Reaction to Distance Learning in the School Context during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
Giusi Antonia Toto ◽  
Pierpaolo Limone
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
School Context ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
View Factor ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Professional Perception ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Professional Perceptions

In the relationship between teachers and distance learning in the context of COIVD-19, a series of unprecedented dynamics have emerged relating to a process of open-air experimentation that is going on in the world of school. The main constructs investigated in this paper concern the professional perceptions of teachers in terms of their skills and resistances towards digital technologies. To investigate this topic, a questionnaire on distance learning was administered to a sample of 658 teachers. From a methodological point of view, factor and reliability analyses and correlation and regression analyses were conducted. From the analysis of the results, it emerged that the questionnaire measures the resistance of teachers to distance learning and focuses on three main dimensions (two positive and one negative) that link teachers’ perceptions to the resistance to distance learning. In conclusion, the theme of the acceptance of technologies in the practice of teachers is still a subject full of meaning for professional perception and vision. A second issue concerns precisely the relationship between digital technologies and users, which must no longer focus only on the relationship with students but also on the perspective of the other training actors, including teachers.

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