As we continue to face, process, and work through unexpected events and challenges, such as climate events, student support becomes even more critical. Quickly shifting from in-person teaching to remote learning in response to these events creates its own set of unique challenges, but the core pedagogical guidance remains the same: provide students the support, guidance, and care they need to succeed, no matter the location.
The context of this blog post was originally written in 2020, at the onset of the COVID pandemic when my team of former teachers united to provide a host of valuable tips on how to manage the sudden shift to remote learning. Today, that advice is still just as relevant, as education communities continue to confront crises that demand a swift pivot to teaching and learning from home or other remote environments.
In this post, I will share practical tips from my own experience, along with insights from my talented team of diverse veteran educators at Turnitin, to help navigate unexpected challenges educators and institutions may face when shifting to remote learning.
What is distance learning and how does it affect student support?
Distance learning, more commonly referred to as remote learning in the modern era, presents new opportunities and challenges for both students and educators. The sudden shift to this model, due to natural disasters or global challenges, such as a pandemic, can create abrupt changes to education delivery.
While remote learning allows education to continue uninterrupted, there are very legitimate concerns about not meeting the needs of every student in remote learning; equitable access, and the ‘slide’ that we all fear. We can’t pretend those are not genuine obstacles that educators will all have to figure out moving forward.
Despite the challenges, many educators have risen to the occasion, adapting their methods and finding innovative ways to connect with their students, let them know they care, and get them to use their minds. At the end of the day, there is much of which to be proud.
How can educators maintain a positive outlook during remote learning?
The following guidance is from former teacher and Turnitin Senior Customer Solutions Manager, Katie Wike, who emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive outlook during times of uncertainty:
In this time when it feels like every part of your life—both personal and professional—is in flux, choose to focus on the positive. Amid the challenges that you face each day adapting to your new methods of teaching, there will be successes.
Those successes will likely look incredibly different than the ones you experienced while teaching in a physical classroom with your students physically present, but success is a success no matter its form. Take a few minutes each day to reflect on how things are going, and find a way to highlight the positive things that are happening.
Consider the following questions:
- Were you able to check in with each of your students this week?
- Did all of your students sign into a synchronous class session?
- Did everyone submit an assignment on time?
- Were you able to make one of your favorite classroom lessons translate meaningfully over a video call?
- Did you survive a week of your students trying to film a group TikTok during your video meetings?
You moved your entire teaching practice from the classroom to the internet in a matter of days, and while it might not be exactly how you planned the end of the school year, you’re making it work for you and your students. Even small victories—like students attending synchronous sessions or submitting assignments on time—deserve recognition.
How can educators stay focused to ensure effective student support during remote learning?
A remote teaching environment has brought with it a host of challenges, from technical difficulties to balancing personal and professional life. Staying organized and focused is key to managing the workload.
In the midst of overwhelming tasks, former teacher, Erin Reddy, offers a valuable piece of advice: “Make the time to make your list.” Acknowledging the myriad challenges educators face, Reddy encourages taking mental self-care moments to organize tasks. She says, “Even when you’re overloaded, grant yourself some mental self-care minutes to write down all the tasks swirling around you”.
Keeping track of tasks, whether using handwritten lists or digital tools, can help reduce overwhelm and keep things manageable. “I like to handwrite my lists and I’ve found that it’s helpful for me to have a rainbow of colored pens and a notebook that’s on the small side,” Reddy notes.
Regardless of the method, grouping related tasks together and tackling them systematically can make a significant difference. There are numerous apps and resources available to help teachers stay organized. Reddy goes on to suggest, “You could always use a spreadsheet to gather your work or check out some free list-making apps and websites. Some may even connect to your existing online classroom.”
What role does community play in supporting educators?
The value of community and collaboration in the world of remote teaching cannot be understated. In an education climate whereby remote learning is not being conducted, staying connected with fellow educators has never been more critical.
Former teacher, Dr. Kristin Van Gompel, says, “You most likely don’t have the luxury of collaborating with fellow educators in person. However, now more than ever, staying connected with other educators is important for your sanity (and survival).”
“Choose a colleague (or a small group) and set the intention to stay connected over summer and throughout the school year. You could also consider sharing interesting education articles with each other, hosting video chats to discuss what’s working or what’s not working (professionally, or maybe even personally), or sharing helpful resources.”
Christine Lee, Adjunct Senior Fellow highlights the significance of building a digital network of resources and friends. She notes, “Sometimes, the cohorts at our own campus aren’t the ones we can lean on. And widening our network helps us to see what’s happening beyond our own institutions and absorb the broader picture.” Engaging with teaching communities online can offer valuable insights and support during this transition.
Christine goes on to suggest: “Check out Facebook–there are teaching groups there, in which teachers share lesson plans and collaborate on solutions to ongoing challenges. Twitter also has a number of good teachers there—doing research and offering up resources … It makes me feel a whole lot less alone to see others going through the same thing and then share the ways in which we’re all trying to address remote learning and assessment and feedback and lesson plans.”
How can teachers foster a safe and positive learning environment that fosters students support?
A shift to remote learning can cause many educators to worry about their students’ well-being.
The following advice is from Jill Crivelli, former curriculum leader and Turnitin Senior Customer Programs Manager, on fostering a safe and positive learning environment that supports students:
While migrating all of your content to a digital format requires ample time and effort, it’s just as important to thoughtfully cultivate an online environment where your students feel safe, welcome, and a part of the community. To that end, leverage your school’s communication platforms to promote inclusivity and sustain the relationships you’ve built with your students throughout the year. Renew a sense of normalcy by providing predictable routines for asynchronous work; consider grouping related tasks into modules or weekly assignments, and state clear expectations for any student collaboration. Establish reliable avenues for students to reach you when they need support (subject-related or otherwise), but be sure to set reasonable boundaries so they’re not expecting you to answer homework questions at midnight!
Whether in-person or online, providing a warm and supportive environment for all students will nurture a sense of connection to their classroom family, which is likely needed now more than ever.
What role do school leaders play in providing student support during the shift to remote learning?
During the transition to remote learning, many educators may feel hesitant to reach out for help, fearing that their school leaders are too busy to assist. However, it’s crucial to recognize that support from administrators is essential during this period of adjustment. School leaders not only set the tone for a collaborative and supportive environment but also play a vital role in addressing the unique challenges that educators face.
As a former coach, principal, and district leader, please take it from me: WE WANT TO HELP!
While we are working on budgets and putting out fires and presenting to the board and trying to predict what summer school and the fall will look like, but the task we most WANT to focus on is supporting teachers and students.
Right now, when everything is difficult, reach out to your leaders. Ask for their assurances, their guidance, and their support. At the end of the day, teachers are not alone in navigating the shift to remote learning. School leaders are also adapting and want to make the process easier for educators. We’re worried and learning right now too, and being able to DO something tangible to help the situation will feel good.
How can assessments be adapted for remote learning environments?
As we consider how assessments can be adapted for remote learning, it’s essential to recognize the need for flexibility. Remote learning is a broad term encompassing many different approaches. Often, these approaches fall into two brackets - synchronous or asynchronous. Adapting assessments to fit these modalities means creating options that can be delivered effectively whether students are learning in real-time or accessing materials on their own schedules. This flexibility allows educators to tailor assessments that fit the needs of their students and the unique challenges posed by remote learning.
One significant change is the shift from timed, high-stakes exams to more flexible assessments that can accommodate different learning paces. For example, educators can implement project-based assessments that allow students to demonstrate their understanding over time rather than in a single sitting. This method not only reduces anxiety but also fosters deeper learning. By focusing on varied assessment types, instructors can better gauge student comprehension and promote a more holistic view of student progress.
In addition to flexible timing, utilizing various formats for assessments—such as quizzes, presentations, and portfolios—can cater to different learning styles and provide a more comprehensive evaluation of student performance. Incorporating peer reviews can also enhance learning, as students engage critically with each other’s work, fostering a collaborative learning environment.
By diversifying assessment formats, educators can engage students more meaningfully and create opportunities for all learners to shine. Incorporating peer reviews can also enhance learning, as students engage critically with each other’s work, fostering a collaborative environment that enriches the learning experience.
What remote communication strategies enhance student support?
The challenges of communication will impact nearly every aspect of asynchronous instruction, so let’s begin there. Clear communication becomes even more crucial in remote settings, as the absence of face-to-face interaction can lead to misunderstandings.
To address this challenge, it’s vital to set up a centralized communication hub with ALL relevant information. Students can link out to the various tools and materials you’ll use, but they will have this as a home base of sorts. This approach ensures a sense of student support, where they have a reliable source of information that helps them navigate their coursework with greater ease.
Establish a calendar! Set up a shared calendar where you list all relevant dates and can allow students to use it to schedule their own learning activities and time with you. This not only aids in time management but also empowers students to take ownership of their learning and stay organized amidst the demands of remote education.
Maintaining consistency in communication is equally important. Once you select a tool, use it consistently! For example, try to avoid announcing some assignments through email and then some on a discussion board and still others on Twitter. Using other communication methods as backups is fine, but always utilize the one established upfront so there isn’t any confusion about where to access information.
Over-communicate - If you think your students already know your expectations, spell them out anyway. Sometimes, we make assumptions about how students think, but students surprise us. Losing physical proximity can complicate this even more.
Document - To the greatest extent possible, write down and/or record–audio or video, and with captions, if available–all information so that students can access it repeatedly. This might seem incredibly time-consuming, but the upfront investment will save time later as you’ll be able to refer students back to it anytime you need to, and you’ll find that you are able to re-use it.
Finally, providing feedback about expectations and processes, not only products, will be crucial. Students will make mistakes. In many cases, asynchronous learning is new to them too. Include opportunities to practice new skills within the tools they use and the processes involved, and make sure you give them feedback. Doing so has the added bonus of building their sense of agency and taking ownership of their own learning.
How can instructors create engaging and interactive online lessons?
After an abrupt shift to online learning, educators may find themselves overwhelmed at the thought of beginning to plan and conduct actual instruction, and the realities of remote learning bring new challenges. However, it may also bring opportunities to innovate. One of the key areas for innovation lies in the delivery of lessons that capture students’ attention and facilitate deeper engagement.
Many instructors might question: “How will I know whether students have prerequisite skills and knowledge needed to move into new learning?” Understanding where students stand in their knowledge and skills is vital for effective instruction. To address this challenge, instructors can use a digital pre-assessment to identify gaps in prerequisite knowledge or skills, which allows them to gauge the needs of the whole class, as well as individual students. Having this insight upfront enables instructors to differentiate and not lose time to misunderstandings. While this may require additional planning in the short term, it ultimately saves time by avoiding full-scale re-teachings or corrections later.
In addition, creating banks of ‘self-service’ resources for review empowers students to take charge of their learning. By adopting a ‘just-in-time’ approach, students can access tutorials and activities as needed, promoting agency in their education. For instance, outlining connections between pre-assessments and specific resources can guide students in addressing their individual needs.
However, assessing students’ ongoing progress presents another challenge: “How will I know which students need help or know when to intervene when students go off track?” One effective strategy is to chunk assignments so that students aren’t progressing all the way through a series of activities without the opportunity to assess their mastery of new content or skills.
By building in checkpoints with a quick turnaround time, instructors can monitor ongoing progress and return timely, relevant feedback. Creating this formative loop with ongoing feedback is critical. This method allows for not only monitoring by the instructor but also empowers students to monitor their own progress.
As educators seek to offer effective student support, it is essential to attach all related resources, including the original assignment, scoring tools, and rubrics, supplemental readings, notes, or slide decks to all communications. This creates a clear pathway for students to access necessary materials and fosters an environment conducive to learning.
Ultimately, these challenges stem from a deep desire to provide the best possible education for your students, and the strategies discussed are ways to anticipate and understand student needs.
Overview: Student support in response to sudden remote learning transitions
Although we may not be able to control the reasons why an institution transitions to remote learning, I hope that this provides you with the guidance educators need to continue to support their students in unexpected times. As the Turnitin team emphasizes, be kind to yourself and remember that it is okay not to have all the answers, acknowledging that even experienced educators will encounter obstacles along the way.