Challenges with Remote Teaching During the Pandemic

The COVID-19 crisis changed the destination and direction of teaching and learning across the world. In March 2020, education as we knew it changed as teachers, instructors, and faculty members learned how to teach online in a hurry. There was a pedagogical shift from face-to-face instruction to remote learning. Whether educators wanted to or not, they embraced the digital academic experience.  This blog article discusses challenges with remote teaching during the pandemic.

Trust and Whalen (2020) explored educators’ experiences during the COVID-19 outbreak. The authors surveyed K-12 educators between April 4 and May 10, 2020. A total of 325 K-12 educators completed the survey and 260 reported teaching in public schools, 46 teaching in independent/private schools, and 19 teaching in charter schools. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics for the quantitative survey items and a thematic analysis of one open-ended question. Participants expressed facing different challenges during the shift to emergency remote teaching.

According to the survey results, 61% (n=198) of the participants reported feeling overwhelmed with all the online learning resources and tools available. Participants also reported the following challenges: Lack of quality Internet access for students (n=173, 53%); Lack of knowledge about online/remote teaching strategies (n=168, 52%); and Prioritization of personal needs such as elder care, parents, and homeschooling (n=162, 50%). Given these challenges, participants reported engaging in different learning experiences to prepare for remote teaching.

When asked about preparation for teaching in a remote environment, participants shared how they were unprepared to use online technology or remote teaching strategies.  To prepare for the shift, participants reported that they asked colleagues for help, ideas, and resources (n=222, 68%); conducted internet searches (n=206, 68%); read comments by other educators on social media posts (n=177, 54%); reviewed resources provided by their district (n=167, 51%); reviewed resources provided by outside organizations, such as PBS, ISTE, KQED, and Common Sense Media (n=146, 45%), and attended virtual webinars (n=127, 39%). Challenges led to new experiences for most participants.

Camacho (2020) reflected on challenges with remote teaching as possibilities for new experiences. Remote teaching provided an opportunity for synchronous learning and asynchronous activities. Meaningful active learning happened through preparation and planning as the normal face-to-face environment transformed into teaching with digital resources. In the case of Camacho’s university, educators used the Google G Suite for Education.

In summary, the COVID-19 pandemic changed teaching and learning at many educational institutions. Although the shift from face-to-face (in-person) instruction to remote teaching presented a multitude of challenges, educators engaged in different learning experiences to support their move to remote teaching.  In the next few articles, you will hear first-person stories from educators on teaching during the coronavirus pandemic. If you would like to share your story, please provide your contact information using the COVID-19 Stories Interest Form.

References

Camacho, A. C. (2020). Remote teaching in times of the COVID-19 pandemic: new experiences and challenges. Online Brazilian Journal of Nursing, 19(4), 1–4. doi:10.17665/1676-4285.2020xxxx

Trust, T., & Whalen, J. (2020). Should Teachers be Trained in Emergency Remote Teaching? Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Technology & Teacher Education, 28(2), 189–199.

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Cite this blog: Washington, G. (2021, January 31). Challenges with remote teaching during the pandemic [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pedagogybeforetechnology.blogspot.com/

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