57% of Students Want More Online Tools When In Person Classes Resume

Daniel Tu-Hoa, SVP of Mathspace North America, has a good point. While everyone keeps talking about students in their worry about COVID slide and remote learning, no one is talking to them about it. In this episode, Daniel walks through the data his company gathered from their customers and how it may help propel some solutions.

New research released last week by Mathspace indicates three in four students are concerned about contracting COVID-19 this fall. The report also covers students’ sentiment towards remote learning and online tools.

Key findings include:

• Students are concerned about contracting COVID-19 at school: 76% of students are concerned about contracting COVID-19 when school resumes in the fall. Students in states with a higher incidence of COVID-19 had greater concerns about returning to school.
• Students and teachers share concerns about academic preparedness: 77% of students are concerned that they will not be academically prepared for this school year, and 89% of teachers shared similar concerns regarding students’ academic readiness for the fall.
• Digital tools that provide scaffolded support are important for the modern math classroom: 47% of students feel that math is harder to learn remotely compared to other subjects. 50% of students feel they aren’t getting the same level of feedback and support on math questions while learning at home versus learning at school.
• Students support the usage of online tools: 57% of students want to use more online tools when they go back to school.
• Educator support is crucial: 74% of students believe online learning can’t replace their teachers.

In the two surveys conducted by Mathspace, over 5,000 students and over 200 teachers from across the United States were asked about their experiences with online learning and their feelings about returning to the traditional education system. The report was created based on survey data collected between May and July 2020.

“An important aspect of digital learning is the real-time support and teacher visibility that online programs offer; technology plays an important role in offering additional support to students when teachers may not be there,” Daniel said. “We built Mathspace to closely mirror the one-to-one learning experience, with teachers being able to monitor students’ progress and address challenges as needed.”

For the full survey report, please click here.

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