On-line learning, not such a level playing field

Professor Cathy Lewin says enforced online learning favours the socially advantaged and suggests remedies to level the field

School closures at national level is unprecedented, forcing teachers to switch from delivering lessons in their classrooms to providing work for home use via the internet and other means, at relatively short notice. Teachers can readily share teaching materials that already exist for use in the classroom and/or for homework such as presentations, worksheets and online subscription services. Technology of course offers many opportunities for teaching and learning including tools for communication and collaboration, and multimedia resources. However, this rapid shift in the model of delivering education to our children, albeit temporary, is likely to create many, many challenges for schools, teachers, students and parents/carers alike.

There is relatively little research on school education provided through fully online learning, particularly so in primary school contexts. Research in the US suggests that students do not make as much academic progress in online charter schools as they do in face-to-face schools. However, this could be for a number of reasons including differences in the characteristics of the students and teachers who have so far chosen to study/work in this way. Notably, some online schools in this study bucked the trend suggesting that effective online education is possible. A meta-analysis published in 2009 concludes that online learning is no different to face-to-face delivery and can ‘offer a modest advantage over conventional classroom instruction’ (although most of the studies concerned undergraduate or adult learners, a limitation acknowledged by the authors). This study also notes that online learning is likely to be more effective when there is some element of teacher direction or collaboration/interaction embedded in the activities rather than leaving students to work through resources independently.

We do need to remember that research to date is based on schools and projects that have been specifically designed and supported to deliver online teaching and learning rather than having to radically rethink teaching and learning at a moment’s notice. We are in unknown territory.

Home access to technology and connectivity is critical. Alternatives need to be considered for those students who do not have access at all and schools will already be aware of those families that need additional support. But equally, many families will be facing the challenge of who has access to the technologies available in their homes and when. Not all homes will have technology available for every family member to use simultaneously. Initially, as demand increases, online services and resources may experience capacity issues restricting access further. All these issues need to be considered as schools develop their approaches to supporting learning at home.  Funding should immediately be made available to enable schools to temporarily provide home access to technology and fast connectivity for those students who do not have it.

Teachers across the country will undoubtedly have different levels of experience of using technology to support teaching and learning. Sharing information about online training resources and exemplars of good practice for supporting online learning is essential. This has already begun via various channels (eg Twitter), and useful curated lists and an online Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from Futurelearn are providing useful starting points for those who might not know where to start. However, creating new online resources and thinking about how to use technology to support learning can be time-consuming particularly for those who have less experience of doing so. It is essential to put in place systems that ensure that senior leadership teams and teachers can easily access the most useful information and existing resources for supporting teacher development at no cost. Similarly, providing a national curated repository of existing free resources to support the national curriculum that can be re-used or amended would be beneficial. Connecting teachers who use technology regularly with those who have made little use of it in the past through a mentoring scheme could go some way to raising the quality of online teaching as it develops over the next weeks and months.

Students need to adapt to working entirely from home and certainly will miss the social interaction that is central to everyday school life. Research suggests that to benefit the most from online learning, students need to be self-motivated, autonomous, and manage their workload. These skills are not easy to develop and maintain, as many adults who now find themselves working from home will be experiencing first hand. Younger students will require more supervision and support if they are expected to learn in this way. As my colleague Carrie Adamson says, parents will play a vital role in supporting this shift but many will require guidance and support to do so. Policy-makers should consider providing a service to support students’ development of self-study skills, resilience and strategies to enhance their well-being would be beneficial.

Perhaps the biggest and certainly the most important challenge is that this significant (temporary) change to education is likely to widen the inequalities that schools and their staff work so hard to address. Clearly all students will be provided with materials and guidance for home study in some shape or form. Those with access to technology and connectivity are likely to be in a more advantageous position. Those with unlimited rather than restricted access even more so. Students who are self-motivated and well-organised will be more engaged than those who are not. Students will receive varying levels of support from their parents and family members for many different reasons. The longer that our school system is in this situation, the greater the impact that these divides will have on our most vulnerable students but also on many others who won’t necessarily be identified for additional support. Policy makers need to ensure all students have home access to technology and connectivity to level the playing field; this is key but will not be sufficient on its own.

Professor Cathy Lewin is a professor in education at Manchester Metropolitan University, and a member of the Education and Social Research Institute. Her research focuses on the ways in which technology can support teaching and learning in and out of school.