Enriching Education: Remote Learning and Learning Loss

 As kids return to school, educators expect students to experience learning loss – a reversal in academic progress – due to the extended time away from in-person learning. With summer break approaching, the question remains how can teachers and parents ensure kids have the resources and time needed to catch up for the upcoming school year.

I had a chance to interview Grant Hosford, co-founder and CEO of codeSpark, to learn more.

1. What is learning loss, and how are the potential impacts from Covid different from typical summer learning loss?

 

Learning loss is real. In simple terms is the loss of academic skills or knowledge after a lengthy break in the school year, and too often, it disproportionately affects low-income students. It’s different in the summer – kids know they are going back to school in a few months and parents can help them stay engaged with play-time with kids in their neighborhood and summer-school activities. Kids can make up for lost time IF they are engaged, believe school is relevant and believe they can succeed. But during a pandemic when kids can’t support each other in person, school activities are closed and no one knows when in-person classes may resume as normal, it’s difficult to build and maintain that relevance so students know how important school is in their life. As my daughter asked me recently, “How is social studies going to save me from a pandemic?” If we fail to make school relevant during the pandemic and afterward, we run the risk of losing kids interest in learning altogether.

 

2. How can remote learning be effective in closing a learning loss gap?

 

My approach could be summed up as the “Three P’s.” – Passion, Purpose and Pride. The first thing that needs to be done is to discover what a student is passionate about. Then you connect that passion to schoolwork and success in school. Finally, you give the student ownership of the material he/she needs to master building agency and pride in the process. Remote learning can be effective in using the Three P’s to close the learning loss gap as it breaks the traditional classroom mold where students passively listen to an instructor give instructions on the material. Switching to a hybrid or remote learning model allows teachers, parents and students to re-evaluate what they want out of the education process and adapt it to the student.

 

3. What happens when students are in charge of learning?

 

When students are in charge of learning, it gives them more agency over the process and helps them discover their own passion, purpose and pride in education. Stepping away from a classroom setting and into remote learning provides kids more responsibility and let them own the learning they accomplish. In doing so, this independence and freedom to be creative accelerates the absorption of materials and makes kids invested in their work. Instead of taking notes, students are encouraged to participate, provide peer support, share ideas and build upon their own creative ideas and concepts. Technology plays a significant role in helping students take charge of their learning.

 

4. How can codeSpark Academy help students learn and stay excited about education?

 

At codeSpark, we believe the three P’s work for even the youngest learners - which is why our coding platform allows kids to design and program their own video games and interactive stories. For example, the love of video games draws a learner in as they discover that making games is both art and science. The creation process requires practice, skill, logical thinking and other knowledge that connects their passion to school work. The desire to make increasingly sophisticated games drives their desire to master more complex concepts. We also connect young creators with a global community of 30 million like-minded kids so they can safely share their creations and learn from each other in the process. Again, it’s passion, purpose and pride that is driven by a student’s own excitement.