What Students Can Teach Us About Online Learning

By Michelle Montgomery and Ashley Lake

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many students and educators made the switch from in-person to online learning. Though in-person learning has now returned to numerous institutions in some form, recent studies imply that remote education is far from over.

Successful virtual learning requires a different set of variables and may be better suited for certain types of learners than others. One important factor is reliable access to the internet and appropriate devices. According to a study by the World Economic Forum, such availability can increase students’ retention of information in an online format and save time for both educators and students. Furthermore, online collaboration tools like chat groups, live video meetings, and document sharing has in some ways made classroom communications easier and more efficient.

SIAM has witnessed firsthand the benefits of remote student collaboration through the popular MathWorks Math Modeling (M3) Challenge. For the last 16 years, M3 participants have thrived with the help of innovative online resources and collaboration tools that reveal new educational opportunities, regardless of geography. This success was even more evident in 2021  — the first year in which “Challenge weekend” took place within pandemic restrictions.

Immediately after Challenge weekend in late February, SIAM surveyed 1,060 M3 Challenge participants who range from 16 to 18 years of age about in person versus remote education. Students acknowledged some positives of virtual learning but suggested that there is room for improvement. Survey results revealed that math and science are the most challenging subjects to learn remotely.

When asked what teachers can do to make virtual mathematics courses more effective, surveyed students—the vast majority of whom experienced some degree of online learning amid the pandemic—identified the following strategies, listed here in order of importance:

1. Utilize visual tools and videos to explain math concepts (55 percent)
2. Record classes for students to review later (53 percent)
3. Better use technology and digital programs to explain math concepts (52 percent)
4. Provide one-on-one online sessions with students to answer questions (37 percent)
5. Explain concepts with real-world examples (31 percent).

Their advice for other students who are experiencing online learning included these recommendations, again listed in order of importance:

1. Establish a daily schedule and stick to it (70 percent)
2. Attend all virtual classes and keep up with schoolwork (63 percent)
3. Connect socially with friends, even if virtually (46 percent)
4. Exercise frequently and eat well (45 percent)
5. Have a designated place to “attend” virtual classes (39 percent)
6. Take frequent breaks (36 percent).

Interestingly—and in keeping with some of the aforementioned World Economic Forum findings—one in three surveyed M3 Challenge students said that they would like to see an online component (either full-time or part-time) to their education after the pandemic. While 73 percent of students indicated that they do not learn as well virtually, nine percent think they learn better online and 19 percent find no difference in their ability to learn either way. These findings would boost arguments to embrace some of the online collaborative teaching strategies that were most successful during COVID-19 and continue them beyond the return to in-person classrooms.

Of course, even those who favor online learning recognize its drawbacks. 76 percent of surveyed students admitted that it is hard to stay focused online, while 66 percent said that the lack of in-person social interaction and connection to other students can feel lonely or isolating. Some students dislike the lack of face-to-face interaction with teachers, and others noted that educators assign more project-type work, which makes the overall workload feel heavier. Getting motivated, focusing, and connecting with teachers and other students are all critical for academic success, and those things are more difficult online.

On the positive side, most of the students appreciate the time savings (no travel or classroom transition time) that accompanies virtual classes. They also like getting more sleep and having a more flexible schedule. In fact, the majority of students who said that they perform better virtually generally feel more rested and credit the ability to get more sleep at night. The phenomena of sleep deprivation among teens was in full effect prior to COVID-19, and the debate for later school start times will likely continue. Other students feel better prepared for class and more responsible for their education due to the independent nature of online learning.

Educators have felt the impact of virtual instruction as well. Horace Mann Educators Corporation surveyed 941 U.S. educators on this topic, and the majority of respondents (53 percent) felt that there has been a significant loss of learning with virtual classes. 30 percent of educators believe that students are behind by at least one to three months, while 27 percent think that students are more like three to six months behind. Horace Mann attributes this perceived lag to the fact that students received significantly less direct teacher instructional time in 2020 when compared to a typical school year, and did not make up for the loss with independent educational activities.

According to a survey from the RAND American Educator Panels (AEP), a majority of teachers said that they had covered only half—or less than half—of the curriculum content that they would have taught by this time last year. They ascribed this delay to having spent a good part of the year reviewing content from previous semesters. Only one in five teachers said they were on the same schedule as past years.

A second survey by the RAND AEP revealed that only 10 percent of principals indicated that their school was providing students with tutoring or supplemental courses. The study found that teachers were only able to connect with 80 percent of students on average due to lack of communication; nearly 20 percent of students in question did not have adequate access to internet for instruction.

“As we get past the pandemic and the world returns to a ‘new normal,’ we must be cognizant that adequate access to the internet and computer devices for students is not currently a reality across the board,” Katie Kavanagh, SIAM’s Vice President for Education and an M3 Challenge judge, said. “On the upside, there does seem to be a growing awareness of the need for resources to be directed toward internet infrastructure and universal access to information and connectivity worldwide.”

Another study by Horace Mann shows that the impacts of virtual learning go beyond student progress. Two thirds of educators are currently less satisfied with their jobs when compared to pre-pandemic times due to the new and heavy workload that stems from impromptu online and hybrid learning environments. 27 percent of respondents indicated that they are even considering leaving the profession. 

In contrast, 41 percent of surveyed educators are teaching in person and are concerned about the possibility of health risks from face-to-face learning during a pandemic. Nearly a third of participants are not confident that their employee benefits will cover unplanned time off that arises from a health-related issue, and 44 percent are not confident that their health insurance will adequately cover illnesses and health issues. 

Yet despite the many challenges of virtual learning, there are some long-term positive effects for students. Online collaboration might prepare students with the skills they need for modern careers, especially since a growing number of jobs will require employees to work in virtual, geographically dispersed teams. According to a study by the IBM Institute for Business Value, nearly a third of employees prefer to continue working exclusively from home after the pandemic.

Over the last year, students have also finessed many of the skills and discipline that are necessary for an online undergraduate program. Multiple online programs have more affordable tuition, meaning that more students could afford a college degree — especially if one considers the monetary savings from the lack of housing or commuting expenses. In a USA Today Twitter poll of 41,025 students, nearly 50 percent of respondents noted that the most important factor when choosing a secondary degree is tuition and fees.

Kavanagh agrees with some of the various survey findings. “The abrupt change to virtual instruction was very challenging for students and educators in early 2020,” she said. “Both parties generally agree that students learn better in person learning, but virtual learning opens many doors for students. This is especially true in secondary education, where they can build class schedules around an internship, work schedule, or their own internal clocks. By working independently in a sometimes-distracting environment, collaborating with a team remotely, and managing time effectively, students now have skills that will help them in any learning situation and even once they enter the workforce. It will be interesting to see the future of schooling and working in a post-COVID-19 world.”

	Michelle Montgomery is the project director of the MathWorks Math Modeling (M3) Challenge, a contest for high school juniors and seniors in the U.S. and sixth form students in England and Wales.
	Ashley Lake is the digital communications coordinator at SIAM.