Are Our K-12 Students Ready For Virtual or Online Learning at Home?


Are our K-12 students ready for virtual or online learning at home?
Student readiness for at home virtual or online learning based upon:
- Experiences using technology in school for learning
- Positive feelings about virtual or online learning
- Access to technology outside of school
- Student experiences using technology in school for learning
- Majority of students in grades 6-12 report spending:
- 1-2 hours total per school day using technology for learning
- Plus another 1-2 hours per day doing homework using technology
- 1/3 of grade 6-12 students use a school provided laptop, Chromebook or tablet at school – and take it home for extended learning
- 12% of grade 3-5 students are doing the same!
- Most popular uses of technology in school:
- Google apps for education – 83% of students in grades 6-12 say they use these tools weekly
- Taking online tests – 61% weekly
- Using an online curriculum – 43% weekly
- Reading an online textbook – 39% weekly
|
Urban schools |
Suburban schools |
Rural schools |
Students in grades 6-8 |
81% |
87% |
82% |
Students in grades 9-12 |
81% |
81% |
83% |
- Majority of students say they have had instruction in school about:
- How to use technology appropriately for learning and how to self-protect themselves and their data when they are online
- I know how to be safe when I am online
- 71% of Gr 3-5 students
- 72% of Gr 6-8 students
- 68% of Gr 9-12 students
- Students’ positive feelings about virtual or online learning
- 53% of students in grades 6-12 say they would like to take a fully online or virtual course as part of their education
- 3 in 10 students have already taken a self-paced online course outside of school on their own
- Students value the personalized learning outcomes from the use of technology to support learning (Grade 6-12):
- Learning at my own pace (54%)
- In control of my learning (52%)
- Learning that fits my personal style (47%)
- Educators’ personal experiences with online learning
- Only 1/5 of teachers and principals have taken an online course for professional learning
- School administrators are hesitant to provide online learning as an option for all students due to concerns about:
- Quality of student-teacher interactions
- Teachers’ skills teaching in an online environment
- Students’ appropriate access to devices and the Internet outside of school
- Students’ access to technology outside of school
- Evidence of the “homework gap”:
- 1 in 8 students in grades 6-12 say they cannot do digital homework due to a lack of access to technology outside of school
- Is this optimum? Students are using smartphones to write papers and do math homework
- Where are “homework gap” students getting online to do homework:
- 36% in coffee shops or fast food restaurants
- 34% on public transportation
- 31% in public libraries
SOURCE: Speak Up Research Findings from 464,629 K-12 students, parents, educators and community members who shared their ideas on digital learning with Project Tomorrow during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years. The Speak Up Research Project is facilitated annually by Project Tomorrow to inform local, state and national policies and programs on education. Learn more at www.tomorrow.org.