Improving the Quality of Distance and Blended Learning. Brief No. 8

Abstract

This brief is one in a series aimed at providing K-12 education decision makers and advocates with an evidence base to ground discussions about how to best serve students during and following the novel coronavirus pandemic. It addresses one central question: How can schools provide high-quality distance and blended learning during the pandemic? To answer this question, the brief breaks down the issue into four points: (1) With the abrupt end of in-person schooling in the spring of 2020, learning opportunities available to students varied enormously with some students receiving almost no distance instruction and others engaging in meaningful learning; (2) Student engagement in available distance learning opportunities was uneven and inequitable in the spring, partially but not entirely due to students' challenges in accessing online learning; (3) The move to distance learning reduces opportunities for many of the crucial social aspects of learning; and (4) Early elementary children and vulnerable student populations are most at risk from the move to a distanced setting. Based on these points, the brief provides six strategies to consider and two strategies to avoid.