Unlocking equitable digital learning

As schools open up around the world, some to a lesser degree, it is an opportune moment to reflect on the effects of lockdowns and school closures on children and their educational journey.

Recent research conducted by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) in the UK, on the social and academic progress of children, has started to show the detrimental effect particularly on younger pupils who missed out on the socialization aspects of starting school, and for whom the return to classes has left them, in many cases, feeling overwhelmed. Teachers have played an ever more important role in accompanying these children in their transition and bridging the gap in terms of the disparities in academic, personal and physical development.

The pandemic brought unprecedented disruption around the world, felt to the core of every family and community. At Oxford University Press, we felt strongly that, throughout the pandemic and beyond, digital learning could play a key role in ensuring that children continued to have access to high quality, engaging content. We engaged extensively with teachers and other experts in education and wellbeing and one thing they all told us was how quickly the digitization of education had progressed during this time of almost universal school closures. What struck us was that whereas 43% of teachers said they were confident in delivering digital learning before the pandemic, 93% feel confident or very confident in doing so now.

We are so pleased that we met these new needs in a multitude of ways: making much of our digital learning resources free to access, and quickly developing new solutions to meet the pressing needs of teachers and learners, globally. Also, much of the thinking around well-being, and its link to positive education outcomes, has been woven into our Oxford International Curriculum.

However, at the end of 2021, in our Addressing the Deepening Digital Divide global report, we looked at the barriers to effective teaching and learning that has affected children because of this shift to digital learning. We captured the views of 1,557 school and English language teachers from 92 countries, who told us that, while poor digital access (i.e. physical access to the internet or a device) was the biggest barrier to digital learning, with 68 per cent of teachers citing it, a lack of digital competency among learners and teachers has compounded the issue; 56 per cent said skills gaps were a barrier to effective digital learning.

The research also revealed that 70% of teachers said that disadvantaged students had lost learning during the pandemic, due to limited access to devices, and 44% said that the wellbeing of disadvantaged students had been negatively affected – data that is supported by the recent findings of the EEF.

These are just some of the insights, which I encourage you to find here.

This week, we are attending the Education World Forum 2022, in London, where governments, policymakers, and those working in education from around the world come together to tackle some of the major challenges facing the sector. These are our thoughts on how we can address the deepening digital divide:

? A greater focus on skills and tools for independent learning, including study planning, well-being and self assessment: students who take an active role in their learning will be more engaged in their education, leading to better outcomes. Additionally, independent learning gives students valuable screen-free time and removes some of the pressures disadvantaged students feel to be online for a full day.

? Build and encourage digital competency skills among educators, students, and parents: a move from sporadic ‘upskilling’ to ‘always-skilling’, in which teachers have regular training touchpoints, will ensure that digital knowledge does not become outdated.

? Target resources to address both ends of the digital divide: prioritize development that supports affordable access to reliable internet connections and multiple devices, including offline as well as online access. Governments should also actively collaborate with teachers and students and use their recent experiences to inform future policy and curriculum development.

OUP is a mission-led organization, and while we continue to innovate and develop new and exciting possibilities in digital learning, this will never be our sole focus. Having equitable access to a reliable internet connection and devices is only part of the learning journey. Physical resources and teacher interaction play a vital role in improving learning outcomes. We work with teachers every day to support young people wherever and however they want to learn, so they may realize their potential and create new possibilities. Today, we reach more learners than ever, in more ways than ever and are working tirelessly to provide resources that support both their learning and their well-being.