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Virtual Learning Research Paper

Hillary Hard

CAT 531

Dr. Penny

April 6, 2021
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A current prevalent issue in the education world is the topic of the effectiveness related to

virtual learning during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Due to the unprecedented time of a

global pandemic, 55.1 million children were forced to participate in a learning platform that

many school systems were not prepared for due to the spread of COVID-19 (Kuhkeld &

Tarasawa, 2020, p.2). Virtual learning is defined as instruction in an online learning setting

where teachers and students are separated by environment. The teacher provides course content

through multimedia resources (Rashid, 2021, p.209). I interviewed Laurie Presley, my assistant

principal at my school. I also interviewed a teacher at my school Krystal Hamilton. She is a

teacher who oversees the virtual learning students and who also teaches first grade at my school.

We discussed the successes, obstacles, ways to advocate for equitable access, what the future

could look like in the future, and possible solutions to improve upon virtual learning.

Successes

For virtual learning to be effective and successful, a teacher must show willingness in the

areas of the teaching and learning process (Rashid, 2021, p.210). Creating that partnership

between the students and parents is vital especially since the interaction is not face-to-face.

Laurie stated that virtual learning has been very helpful for helping parents that are concerned

with health risks or have high-risk family members. Virtual learning has been a relief for

students who feel like they do not fit in or feel isolated in the school setting. It also has given the

opportunity for students to continue to connect with school and their assignments during the time

of global pandemic. Schools, families, and communities are collaborating in several ways to

support their children academically during this crisis (Kuhkeld & Tarasawa, 2020, p.5). For

example, at my school we are providing opportunities for students to attend tutoring and summer

school to help close those gaps. Possible solutions to aid parents during the pandemic included
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online libraries, TV broadcast, guidelines, resources, video lectures, and online channels. Many

services including Microsoft, Google, Zoom, and Slac offered free products to parents (Basilaia

& Kavadze, 2020, p.3).

Obstacles

When talking with Krystal, she found the biggest challenge has been juggling her in-

person students, remote learners, and her own personal children who are virtual students. Both

Laurie and Krystal expressed the concern whether virtual learners are actually learning on their

own and not with someone elses help when help should not be given. Laurie brought up many

issues that we have faced throughout this year. Some include students getting further behind,

teachers not being able to get in touch with students or parents, lack of peer socialization, and the

loss of school family interactions. According to Basilaia & Kavadze (2020), “the number of the

computers owned by families, especially in the rural areas of the country, are lower than 50%.

That can have a negative influence on the whole online education, but in some cases, the modern

smartphones can be used as a substitute, if the platform of education is mobile friendly or have

the mobile application available” (p.2). This poses a challenge because not all the digital

platforms have been proven to be user friendly on a mobile platform.

Advocate for Equitable Access

A major issue we faced at our county has faced is the growing demand for devices and

the reality that students who do not have a good internet connection at their homes do not have

equal opportunity to learn. There are also not enough funds to support our students and families

to help with the training needed for virtual learning. Krystal mentioned that parents and teachers

need to express concerns and provide feedback. As a teacher, it is our duty to make sure all
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students and families have access to appropriate, engaging content materials, quality instruction,

and support from the school setting. It is one significant way we can avoid opportunity gaps from

growing. We need to address the most pressing challenges first, like closing the digital divide by

providing increased access to the Internet and technology (Kuhfeld & Tarasawa, 2020, p.4).

The Future Regarding Virtual Learning and What Can We Do Next?

Krystal stated that as of now, our county has said that all students will be returning for in-

person learning for the 2021-2022 school year. We need to be better prepared by having proper

supplies and equipment for the future in case if we find ourselves in another pandemic. This will

give us a greater chance at being successful and effective. Next steps for teachers could include

collecting data to plan future instruction to be able to gather resources most impacted by

COVID-19 school closures (Kuhfeld & Tarasawa, 2020, p.4). Laurie stated that classroom

teachers need to continue to incorporate more technology for classroom and home assignments.

Overall, we will continue to see the options and possibilities of virtual learning grow. Laurie

stated teachers need to continue to think out-of-the-box and go the extra mile. Activities could

include group virtual meeting times, peer teaching, and having a virtual guest for a lesson. We

need to find more affordable ways to learn more and share these resources with our students at

home. Teachers need to be offered more training and professional development to learn creative

and innovative tools that could be used at home. The biggest take away from the pandemic of

2020 will be the need to establish new laws, regulations, platforms and solutions for future cases

and to make our country better equipped to handle virtual learning (Basilaia & Kavadze, 2020

p.7).

Conclusion
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In conclusion, virtual learning is an area where we face challenges, but we are continuing

to make improvements as we learn what works and what does not. As an educator, it is important

to find ways to reduce the digital divide and look for steps on what we can do next. Overall,

hopefully we will continue to see the options and possibilities as virtual learning grows.
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References:
Interviewee: Krystal Hamilton-First Grade and Virtual Teacher at Holt Elementary-
knhamilton@tcss.net
Interviewee: Laurie Presley-Assistant Principal at Holt Elementary- lpresley@tcss.net
Basilaia.G., & Kvavadze.D (2020). Transition to online education in schools during a SARS-
CoV-2 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Georgia. Pedagogical Research, 5(4), 1-9.
Kuhfeld.M., & Tarasawa. B (2020). The COVID-19 slide: What summer learning loss can tell us
about the potential impact of school closures on student academic achievement. NWEA. 1-7.

Rashid, A.H.A., Shukor.N.A., Tasir,Z, & Kew, S.N. (2021). Teachers’ perceptions and
readiness toward the implementation of virtual learning environment. International Journal of
Evaluation and Research in Education, 10(1), 209-214.