When thousands of American schools shuttered their doors during the second half of the 2019–2020 school year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, brick-and-mortar schools had to quickly shift to teaching virtually with almost no training or experience in online instruction.
The Study
How did the online learning experience of students enrolled in brick-and-mortar schools who transitioned to online learning in spring 2020 compare to the experience of students who were already enrolled in virtual schools when the pandemic began? During the summer of 2020, Ian Kingsbury, Education Fellow at the Empire Center for Public Policy, conducted a study to find out.
10,144 people responded to two surveys administered to parents of children enrolled in K12-powered schools. One survey asks parents to reflect on their child's experience when enrolled in a virtual school. The other asked parents of children enrolled in brick-and-mortar schools during the 2019–2020 academic school year to reflect on their experience with virtual learning that their brick-and-mortar school provided.
The Findings
Respondents were 6.5 times more likely to say their students learned more through an online school.
"I feel like my child learned a lot."
PARENTS OF CHILDREN ENROLLED IN K12-POWERED SCHOOLS
"I feel like my child learned a lot."
PARENTS OF CHILDREN ENROLLED IN BRICK-AND-MORTAR SCHOOLS WHO EXPERIENCED VIRTUAL LEARNING IN SPRING 2020
Communication
The quality and frequency of communications from instructors to students and parents were rated significantly higher for virtual schools than brick-and-mortar schools.
PARENTS OF CHILDREN ENROLLED IN K12-POWERED SCHOOLS
PARENTS OF CHILDREN ENROLLED IN BRICK-AND-MORTAR SCHOOLS WHO EXPERIENCED VIRTUAL LEARNING IN SPRING 2020
"Instructors set clear academic standards."
"Instructors provided timely feedback on completed work."
"Instructors answered calls, texts, or emails in a timely fashion."
"Instructors made themselves available to help outside classroom hours."
"Accessing course materials was easy and straightforward."
Classroom Management
Virtual teachers were more adept at keeping students organized, focused, attentive, and academically productive during an online class.
PARENTS OF CHILDREN ENROLLED IN K12-POWERED SCHOOLS
PARENTS OF CHILDREN ENROLLED IN BRICK-AND-MORTAR SCHOOLS WHO EXPERIENCED VIRTUAL LEARNING IN SPRING 2020
"There was a clear learning plan for each week."
"The pace of learning was well-suited to the needs of my child."
"Instructors were skilled in preventing and managing disruptions."
"Attendance and participation were expected and tracked."
"Instructors demonstrated competency with operating virtual classroom software."
Active Learning
Virtual school students participated in active learning activities much more frequently than their brick-and-mortar counterparts.
PARENTS OF CHILDREN ENROLLED IN K12-POWERED SCHOOLS
PARENTS OF CHILDREN ENROLLED IN BRICK-AND-MORTAR SCHOOLS WHO EXPERIENCED VIRTUAL LEARNING IN SPRING 2020
"My child participated in discussion forums."
"My child participated in group projects and/or team-based tasks."
"My child shared work with other students to receive feedback once per week or more."
"My child presented work to the entire class once per week or more."
Pedological Efficacy
Virtual schools were rated substantially higher than brick-and-mortar schools at helping students gain knowledge and acquire skills.
PARENTS OF CHILDREN ENROLLED IN K12-POWERED SCHOOLS
PARENTS OF CHILDREN ENROLLED IN BRICK-AND-MORTAR SCHOOLS WHO EXPERIENCED VIRTUAL LEARNING IN SPRING 2020
"Instructional materials worked well for learning in an online/virtual setting."
"Instructors motivated students to care about what they were learning."
"Instructors taught new material rather than simply review old material."
"Instructors motivated students to do their best."
Conclusion
Overall, the survey results indicate that virtual schools significantly outperformed brick-and-mortar schools in all areas measured. The author of the study concluded, "in the interest of student learning, states should seek to expand access to established virtual schools through the course of pandemic-related school closures.
To read the full study, Online learning: How do brick-and-mortar schools stack up to virtual schools?, click here.
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