Remote learning helps children with digital skills, claims study
As the academic year draws to a close and the learnings of the past 18 months are taken into account, new research from Lenovo reveals that seven in 10 (70%) parents and teachers in the UK believe digital skills gained during the pandemic will set children up for life beyond school.
The survey, comprising 500 teachers and 2,000 parents in the UK with children aged four to sixteen years old, outlines the changes parents and teachers want to be made to the school curriculum as a result of the pandemic.
Over half (53%) of parents in the UK believe that the way education has been delivered has changed for the worse due to the pandemic. Teachers are a lot more positive about the situation, as six in 10 (59%) say that the situation has improved.
Of these teachers, over half (51%) say it is a result of increased emphasis on independent learning while almost half (48%) believe it has enabled children to work at their own pace and revisit topics at ease.
What’s more, demand for a blended approach to learning that combines online interaction with traditional classroom methods is set to increase, with more than half of teachers (54%) and almost half of parents (47%) in the UK wanting to see the approach carried over into the future school curriculum.
Half of teachers (55%) and parents (49%) in the UK believe that children’s with remote learning, compared to before the pandemic. A quarter (25%) of teachers and one in 10 (10%) parents disagree and say that child’s digital skills have worsened as a result of homeschooling.
Independent learning was one of the main skills that parents (39%) and teachers (31%) cited as a benefit of remote learning, one that will set them up for further education and the future world of work.
Says Ellie Wilkinson, Primary School Teacher, Oxford:
“Since the start of the pandemic, we have put to use all types of technology within the classroom. Not only has the technology enhanced students’ learning and enriched the curriculum, but it has also helped to improve our staff’s knowledge of ICT to provide better education in a post-pandemic world.”
“We’re excited to move towards a blended learning approach that combines online education with traditional place-based classroom methods and have already seen how it can shape future learning and make a considerable difference to children’s lives.”
There is a huge demand for increased technology in the classroom, with three quarters (78%) of parents and 6 in ten (60%) teachers in the UK wanting desktop PCs or laptops to be incorporated into classroom learning and the national curriculum. In addition, over half (54%) of UK teachers would like to see virtual or augmented reality devices incorporated into classroom learning compared to four in 10 (41%) parents.
Both parents (64%) and teachers (39%) said this is because classroom technology gives children opportunities to learn in different ways. Making homework more interactive was also identified as a reason by half (53%) of parents and a third (31%) of teachers, whereas giving children more opportunities to learn at their own speed was cited by half (51%) of parents and over a third (37%) of teachers.
Key Research Findings:
- Six in 10 (59%) UK teachers say that the way that education is delivered has changed for the better due to the pandemic.
- Four in 10 (39%) parents and a third (31%) of teachers in the UK believe remote learning has improved children’s independent learning skills.
- Over three quarters (78%) of parents and six in 10 (60%) teachers in the UK want to see desktops or laptops incorporated into classroom learning.
