2021 Education magazine

2021 Education Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS February 18, 2021 Page 9 R emote learning became reality for a lot of the students this last year. Even after nearly a year, parents and administrators are asking; just how effective is remote learning? The quick answer is that remote learning is effective for some types of learners. Students who prefer to work at their own pace, and can handle the responsibilities of directing their own learning can absolutely thrive in this type of educational environment. But for others, the lack of stimulation, as well as the continued remote learning over long periods, can lead to burnout. Previous research has found that chronic absenteeism, which affects reading levels, grade retention, graduation rates and dropout rates, can become more of a problem for certain students trying to learn remotely. For example, as cited by Kevin Bessler in the Center Square, “Attendance dipped in Chicago’s public schools this fall, especially for Black students and those with special needs.” A report from the American Psychological Association cited Megan Kuhfeld, PhD, and Beth Tarasawa, PhD, of the Collaborative for Student Growth at the educational nonprofit organization NWEA. They predict that overall, “students in grades three through eight will return to school with roughly 70% of the learning gains in reading and less than 50% of the learning gains in math compared with a typical year.” However, other research shows that online learning can be as effective as in-person instruction, “if you have a good setup,” said Michele Gregoire Gill, PhD, a professor of educational psychology at the University of The efficacy of remote learning Continued p