Virtual Learning: A Novel Approach on Human Growth and Development

Esteemed philosopher Allan Bloom once stated, “Education is the movement from darkness to light.” During the pandemic, virtual learning was a satisfactory alternative to in-person education; however, it cannot last long-term. As such, we must transition from darkness to light by devising alternative learning mechanisms to allow virtual students to receive educational equity paralleled to an in-person experience.

Students learned less this year than in previous academic years; this resulted in knowledge gaps, which emerged due to reduced class times. Scientists analyzed data across several years to understand the learning curve trajectory of students before and after the pandemic. Researchers at the Economic Policy Institute reveal that students usually gain knowledge by 0.3 standard deviations and about 0.5 SD to 0.7 SD per year (varies by ages and subjects). The 2019–2020 school year was cut by one third of its normal length, which causes a loss of approximately 0.1 SD. Based on the findings, it is clear that virtual learning has inadequately prepared students to progress forward. Research conducted by the Brookings Institution concludes that students began fall 2020 with roughly 70% of the learning gains that they usually should in a typical school year. As a result, online school is not only an inferior substitute for in-person school but also a detriment to the traditional learning curve, causing students' learning time to significantly decrease.

Many parents assume that their childrens' reading skills have only marginally weakened since the pandemic. Though debatable in nature, it is evident that their math skills have taken a negative toll since online learning began. Analysts at Brookings Institution reveal that students performed comparably in reading to same-grade students from the previous year. However, the math scores of students in 2020 was about 5 to 10 points lower. Because schools had shut down, students were unprepared for the new academic year. This coined the term “COVID slide”, which refers to a decline in learning development during the pandemic. As mentioned by experts from Education Week, studies vary in how severe they gauge the “COVID slide” to be, but they observed that students lost more math cognition than reading. Research concluded that students will lose up to a full year in math 2020-21. In most grades, two to five months of learning were lost, in comparison to a month loss in reading. Even though reading is currently not a big drawback, it has the potential to become one in the near future.

Similarly, many parents strongly believe that enrolling their children in a private school will enable them to learn more effectively, even if classes are held online. However, this is not the case: virtual learning of any sort cannot surpass the benefits of in-person learning, no matter how reputable a school is. In reference to the studies of Higher Ed, remote learning is temporarily sufficient, but it cannot match the education that most schools provide in-person. As a result, many parents enrolled their children in face-to-face private schools in order to optimize their educational opportunities. In-person schools allow students to engage with their classmates, connect with teachers, and actively participate in class discussions. Clara Obermeier, an engineer, was among many parents who believe virtual school is ineffective. Her son's academic performance was weakening, and she struggled to find a solution. As mentioned in her interview with TIME Magazine, “I waited and waited to figure out what the plan was from the school system,” Obermeier says. Over the summer, Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland announced that the district would not offer in-person education until January. “At that point, we were like, OK, this is definitely not going to work out for us,” Ergo, even if you attend a selective school, virtual school can still cause students to lag behind. However, if you attend an in-person school, you are more likely to receive a better education.

Perhaps learning development could be accelerated if online schools could be motivate their students by being more in tandem with in-person schools, such as enforcing more group projects, for example. Society is slipping further into the abyss, and we must pull ourselves out. Not only has is online education a poor substitute for in-person schools, but it has also substantially reduced the learning curve and mathematical cognition of students worldwide.