Digital Civic Engagement Spring 2021: Re-Thinking remote education

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought attention across the country to an issue that had existed long before — that there is severe educational inequality and much to be improved upon. The flaws of the New Orleans education system have been well documented, and an honest resetting of this system is necessary. The last time that the New Orleans school system was reset in such a matter was after Hurricane Katrina, but that system left much room for improvement. When COVID-19 forced a shift to remote learning, many schools were left in a difficult position. Schools have seen a decline in student engagement, grades have fallen, and morale has generally gotten low — but I believe that remote learning offers a great opportunity to address educational inequality. If reframed, the possibilities of remote learning are limitless. 

Many school districts around the country have announced that remote learning will be used in the future in the case of severe weather or other events requiring school closures. In the case of New Orleans, the importance of a high-quality remote learning plan is necessary due to the future potential for such school closures, but it also presents an opportunity to face and correct a number of the current flaws within the school system. Additionally, using remote learning to connect New Orleans students with educators across the country will give these students a much greater opportunity for success. 

The big issue: Accessibility

Of course, in order to implement these practices, it will be necessary to build our digital infrastructure. In Louisiana, more than 25% of children lack stable internet connection — a necessity for remote learning. The first step before us will be to increase accessible internet services and to provide necessary supplies to students in order for them to engage properly with remote learning opportunities. Improving accessibility to remote learning would improve accessibility to learning in general. It would help to connect children in areas with strained education systems to anywhere that they need to go. Thus, this task ought to be considered essential if we are to address the future of remote learning.

In order to create a convincing case to improve online accessibility, it will be necessary to prove the potential that remote learning holds. In this article, I will outline a few principles of digital learning that would improve student engagement and help to prepare students, families, and educators alike to make the most of future remote learning opportunities. The practices and suggestions that follow come from advice from educators as well as local news sources following the pandemic. These guidelines are rooted in the potential benefits of remote learning and can be broken down into the following three major categories: 

Focus on learning 

Remote learning is fundamentally different from the traditional classroom. For that reason, feedback on remote learning ought to come in different forms. In order to escape the trap of digital interaction becoming impersonal, feedback on remote learning should prioritize the building of a relationship between the student and the educator. That is, traditional letter grading systems do not have a place in the remote classroom. In Louisiana, 90% of school districts have already stated that they support a pause in letter grades, a practice that should be taken more broadly into account when facing the future of remote learning.  

Additionally, the focus should be on teaching students about what they are able to do with the technology provided to them, rather than trying to erase technology’s role from the learning equation. If education planning is reshaped to teach students how to make the most of the resources that are available, it benefits the student’s relationship with and excitement about technology. 

Personality and personalization are essential

The risks of losing yourself when engaging digitally are high. Remote learning should emphasize personality — that is, the development of a digital identity complete with personality and character. Instructors should make an effort to give students the opportunity to get to know them and should provide students with the opportunities to get to know not only the instructor but also each other. The goal should be that each participant in the remote learning exchange feels as though they are bringing their fullest self to the situation. 

Also, remote learning provides greater potential for customization than the traditional classroom model. The ability to cater to the educational needs of individual students is greater, and the ability to privately provide students with necessary feedback is much more appropriate than it is within a classroom model in which it might be necessary to pull students aside in front of an entire class. 

Preparing for an increasingly digital world

As the future looks more and more towards digital interaction, remote learning provides students with an opportunity to develop their own digital citizenship in a productive environment with more supervision than other networks of digital development. While concerns for child safety online exist, remote learning provides a strong and safe opportunity for children to learn to navigate the digital world. Remote learning should provide students with a variety of ways to engage digitally — encouraging independent work as well as video and other forms of interaction. This way, students are able to become familiar with the vast digital landscape, and also to develop a sense of their own learning strengths and styles. 

Following Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans school system was reset. Now, COVID-19 has presented the opportunity to reset this system again. If we can make remote education better, we unlock an entire assortment of learning opportunities. The possibilities with remote education are huge, if it is used properly. This form of digital engagement would not be an easy or immediate change, but it holds great potential for the future of New Orleans schooling.

Sophie Miller is a Junior at Tulane University. She has spent the last year learning in both in-person and online classes and has been able to enjoy both the highs and lows of learning virtually.