Two weeks ago my biggest worries were my statistics midterm and helping the other editors on my student newspaper staff deliver papers across campus. One week ago, I fought off a distant feeling of agita and slept in; classes for the week had been cancelled, resulting in a welcome addition to spring break. Today I write from an indefinite at-home self-quarantine. Like many students around the world, my school moved to distance education, and I had to move out of my dorm two months early due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This turn of events is unprecedented. Grades are the last thing on my mind at a time when I’m worried for the safety of my loved ones and my community. But once my spring break ends, my university and other schools around the country will resume in a rather different format: online. For those of us accustomed to a typical classroom setting, this sudden change may be jarring and confusing, so Teen Vogue is taking a look at what constitutes distance learning, why we’re doing it, and some of its expected obstacles.
What is distance learning?
Distance education, which may also be called “remote learning,” is not new. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than one third of American students at postsecondary institutions take at least one course via distance education. Many kids at all grade levels already engage in some form of online learning — this is just a version of that. There are many tools out there to facilitate the process.
Distance learning will likely look different depending on your school, age, and teacher. One of the most popular tools being discussed for these purposes is Zoom, an online video conference software which offers most basic functions for free. For that kind of distance learning, students can tune in live to teachers’ lessons and share screens to view lecture slides. Other schools may simply provide out-of-class assignments due at set intervals, especially districts unable to ensure students have access to the technology they need. You may also be familiar with online learning tools such as kahoot!, Quizlet, and Khan Academy, which can be harnessed for distance learning. Distance education is often a mixture of tools and tactics to maximize circumstances like this.
Why are schools around the world moving to distance learning in response to the coronavirus outbreak?
In short: Because public health officials say so.
Not all schools will necessarily make the switch, but circumstances appear increasingly likely. On Monday, the White House announced updated federal guidelines which discouraged but did not technically outlaw any gathering exceeding 10 people. State governments have also implemented local policies, such as curfews, a shutdown of certain non-essential businesses, or more legally enforceable moratoriums of large social gatherings.
These decisions are largely based on direction from two major public health and protection organizations: the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which guides federal health policy, and the World Health Organization (WHO), which does so worldwide. Schools are also encouraged to facilitate sanitary procedures by providing hand sanitizer and to take into account students’ mental and psychological health during the coronavirus crisis. These precautions allow infected communities to prevent contagion by social spread.
The mortality rate of coronavirus can be hard to calculate because infection rates are hard to track, but current trends suggest about 3.4% of cases are fatal. Social distancing provisions — such as distance education — have the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives, according to NPR. Those who are elderly, immunocompromised, or have pre-existing respiratory conditions (such as asthma) are especially at risk. These decisions are made not only to prevent students from getting sick, but also teachers and the community at-large.
What challenges does the shift to distance learning present?
Even when we’re not faced with global pandemic, some people thrive in an online learning environment and may opt for distance education anyway. Other populations, who policymakers are scrambling to accommodate, may face unique struggles in trying to adapt.