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The Shift to Digital in K–12

Educators are looking at possible changes in teaching and learning as a result of the pandemic.

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Taashi Rowe is the managing editor for EdTech: Focus on K-12 magazine.

Although some schools were starting to adopt digital and online tools before COVID-19, a national survey of 2,168 K–12 administrators and educators conducted in March by Bay View Analytics found that the shift to remote learning has caused significant changes in the classroom. In their report, “A Year Apart,” the survey’s authors note that “it has become clear that schools, teachers, and administrators may not decide to return to pre-pandemic habits.”

Teachers Trend to Remote Instruction

The survey found that most teachers had no prior experience with remote instruction. It also found that most schools shifted to full- or part-time online instruction during the pandemic. Nearly 75 percent of teachers reported participating in some form of remote instruction. Only 11 percent were completely remote. Hybrid was the most common form of remote instruction, with 75 percent reporting simultaneously teaching students in class and others at home. About 24 percent said they alternated days with in-person and remote instruction.

Video Played a Prominent Role

Some 93 percent of survey respondents said, whether they were fully or partially remote, video played a huge role in their pandemic instruction. They used it for full-class, small-group and one-on-one instruction. However, going forward, while 55 percent plan to retain video in some form, only 18 percent plan to use it for full-class instruction.

Post-Pandemic Tools Will Remain in Education

Survey respondents also said they will continue to incorporate a variety of digital tools, including online polling or quizzes (41 percent), on-demand instructional videos (32 percent), one-on-one video meetings (25 percent), online tools to ensure academic integrity (24 percent) and project-based learning (23 percent).

Among the top 200 school districts across the country, 128 (64 percent) are offering stand-alone, virtual academies for the 2021-2022 school year, according to Burbio, a website that tracks school calendars and reopenings. As of July, 60 districts had no plans to offer virtual academies, and the rest hadn’t yet decided.

LEARN MORE: Discover how to intentionally select educational technology for your district.

Joey Guidone /Theispot