What's holding remote learning back?

The pandemic triggered a shift to remote work that has been relatively smooth due to most modern offices already using an array of communication and collaboration tools. However, the case is not so similar for remote learning.

Right now, the best technology at our disposal can’t solve some of the inherent problems of remote learning and virtual schools. We examine some of the hurdles in remote learning.

The digital divide is ever-present 

An early concern since the start of the pandemic is that low-income students have less access to the internet and to devices, which all directly impact the remote learning strategy. And unfortunately, there has been little evidence to indicate improvement. 

A recent survey found that 75% of Black and Latino families that have children in under-resourced schools in Los Angeles do not use computers regularly. It also indicated that 47% of the total parents surveyed had never even visited the Edtech platforms used as part of the remote learning experience.

So, in many cases, even if the technology needed for remote learning is available, children from low-income families have difficulties logging in and utilizing the platform consistently. 

The needs of an IT department and students vary

Some of the primary concerns of a university’s CIO or a school’s IT administrator are, how secure is the software, administrator authorization, ease of integration with existing software, and privacy concerns. While students are simply looking for a smooth interface equipped with features that ultimately facilitate the learning experience and make it easier.

As such, several schools or universities simply stick with the software they are currently using. This has created a major issue in remote learning for startups and capital investments, and the pandemic has only made them even more risk-aversive.

Existing tech can’t be just slipped into education  

Eric Reicin, President and CEO of BBB National Programs highlights that, “The variety of the tools we use in business… were designed for business and not students”.

With that in mind, it’s important to distinguish that products like Slack, Microsoft Teams or Zoom that have been critical for keeping businesses afloat during the pandemic might be ill-suited for younger students who struggle with usability and have limited attention spans. 

This also means that these tools may not necessarily comply with the existing requirements and guidelines that schools have for the education platforms they are currently using.