Less bullying, more time: who is suitable for distance learning?
Despite the widespread opinion about the dangers of distance education, the online format has not become less popular after the pandemic. Moreover, the number of American families voluntarily switching to remote learning grew by 47% in 2021–2022 alone. This paradox has attracted the attention of researchers.
Scientists from several American universities: Brown University, Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago and the University of Texas - decided to find out how schoolchildren and their parents feel about distance education. For their study, experts chose Los Angeles, a city in which more and more families are deciding to educate their children remotely, and dozens of new virtual educational institutions are opening. After the end of the pandemic, Los Angeles schools returned fully to in-person mode, but students were given the opportunity to remain remote.
The study consisted of two parts. First, 100,000 families with children in grades 3–8 and 11 were asked about their experiences with online learning. In particular, the scientists wanted to find out whether people were satisfied with this format of education and whether the child began to study better or worse. In the second part, families were offered 10 hypothetical scenarios to understand the extent to which the choice of school is influenced by factors such as distance from home, quality of education and its format - full-time or distance learning. After summarizing the collected responses, experts compared them with academic performance data for the 2021–22 academic year.
The results obtained generally correspond to the prevailing public perception of the shortcomings of remote learning. Overall academic performance decreased slightly during the virtual learning period; 62% of parents reported that their child did not enjoy learning from home; Almost 80% said that given other options they would not choose this format in the future. For people to find an online school attractive, it must provide an average of 40% higher quality education than a traditional one.
Nevertheless, 22% of respondents called remote learning a good option. About one in 10 students even saw their grades improve in the 2021-22 school year. At this stage of research, scientists are not ready to give a clear explanation for this. Possible reasons include the absence of physical bullying and the ability to manage one’s time more freely. What is also important, apparently, is whether the family is ready to find advantages in an unusual situation and how positive it was initially towards home schooling.
The study's authors conclude that while distance learning is uncomfortable for most and therefore has a bad reputation, it allows some children to express themselves better—hence the rise in popularity of online schools. Scientists warn: the education system should not neglect the interests of those who benefit from remote work. We need to figure out what exactly schoolchildren find in it, and perhaps offer them more flexible options for classes. One thing is clear for now: the lessons of the pandemic and, in particular, the large-scale experience of online learning gained by many countries have yet to be comprehended and learned.
