Can we stop talking about “learning loss” already?

Ever since brick-and-mortar schools abruptly closed during the initial surge of COVID-19, experts have been sounding the alarm about “learning loss.” Now that campuses are open, we continue to hear about how students have fallen behind in their educational progress.

Behind what?

Yes, COVID-19 created an enormous interruption in the expected learning journeys of millions of students, but that doesn’t mean students stopped learning just because school buildings closed. The standard pathway through arbitrary standards was derailed, but, as homeschoolers have always known, learning can take place anytime, anywhere.

When students were sent home to learn alongside family and neighbors, they had to learn new communication techniques and self-directed learning strategies. Sometimes the topics of study were traditional academic subjects. Sometimes lessons included cooking with parents, negotiating with siblings, computer skills while navigating online lessons, and critical thinking as new discoveries in COVID-19 research unfolded. TV documentaries, online encyclopedias, and library ebooks allowed students to pursue their own interests. Parents working from home gave their children a close-up view of career options and basic economics. In frightening times, students also learned to identify their emotions and find healthy ways to cope with stress. They developed empathy and resilience as they experienced challenges in their families and communities.

Of course, some students had more robust learning opportunities than others. COVID-19 shone a light on the inequality in our communities, schools, and workplaces. So when “learning loss” is highlighted, the negative repercussions appear even more pronounced for children in less-advantaged communities. If we continue to measure learning on the pre-pandemic scale and then use those assessments to determine which students are worthy of higher education, the students who suffered the greatest “learning loss” will indeed be the losers in this situation. (SAT, I'm looking at you.)

But it doesn’t have to be that way. There is another way forward.

If we acknowledge the profound changes brought about by the pandemic, we can see that our expectations of learning and educational standards must evolve. We can never return to the "normal" of pre-pandemic times. Instead, we must adapt and recognize that students can learn through a variety of methods. Learning is not restricted to a building and does not follow a predefined checklist. Learning opportunities are everywhere.

So, let’s flip the script. What if the pandemic has given us the opportunity to rebuild our education system from the ground up? What if we seize this moment to redefine learning and academic success in this new post-pandemic era? Let’s think about the skills our young people need to grow and thrive in the real world. When the accumulated knowledge of all humanity can be accessed via a smartphone in your pocket, what types of organized learning experiences are most critical for student growth and development? What skills will 21st-century adults need to thrive in the real world?

Here are just a few of the skills I’d like to see prioritized in American education 2.0:

• Critical thinking
• Clear communication
• Research and source analysis
• Work-life balance
• Physical and mental health
• Curiosity and creativity
• Technological competence
• Empathy and a sense of interconnectedness

What would you add?