Distance learning, asynchronous classes, and hybrid education have all flourished since the beginning of the global pandemic. Students and teachers have access to unprecedented amounts of knowledge and countless technologies, and these technologies change the way we interact and learn.
During the 2020-2021 school year, I was assigned 6 hybrid classes. In my junior high school, hybrid classes consisted of 15-25 students physically in the classroom with me and another 15-25 students online watching me and my screen through a Google Meet. That year was exhausting physically, mentally, and emotionally; however, I was able to discover and use many new technologies. I was on a constant search for software, programs, and strategies that would help me teach my students and connect with them online and in person.
I ended up using interactive technology tools like Pear Deck, Nearpod, and Padlet on a daily basis. These technologies helped me communicate with my online students and helped all of my students communicate with each other (whether they were in my classroom or at their homes). They shared their screens regularly with the class, and we constantly did mental well checks.
It was an emotional time, and socioemotional wellness was at the top of our list of priorities. Small things like the Pear Deck Check-Ins helped me monitor the wellbeing of my students and watch for any warning signs of depression.
We were also able to use more classic forms of technology like Powerpoint and Google Slides. Students made presentations to demonstrate their learning, and they shared those presentations with the class. Dr. Mila Zhu stresses the importance of public presentations in our global society, and she declares that “ICT equips students with the tools to craft compelling multimedia presentations, making their findings accessible to broader audiences” (Zhu, 2025). By the end of that school year, my students were excelling at their multimedia presentations.
During this current school year, my class has started using Canva in order to create multimedia presentations that show off what they have learned. They are learning both the technology skills and the subject matter content they need in order to be successful in our modern digital world.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Distance Learning
However, there are some disadvantages to distance learning. As an English teacher, the first disadvantage that I have to combat is the lack of physical writing that can accompany distance learning. Students do not want to write rough drafts and planning pages for essays. They just want to type the paper and be done with it. However, there is an abundance of research that supports the claim that handwriting activates the brain and improves recall. It’s the “phenomenon of boosting memory by producing something tangible” (Hu, 2024). Physically taking notes regarding what they are reading actually helps students focus on what they are reading, and there is “widespread connectivity across many brain regions” when students write (Hu, 2024).
Another disadvantage is a sense of learned helplessness. If a program doesn’t work or a computer shuts down unexpectedly, my students have a difficult time figuring out what to do. They have to be prompted to problem solve, and they argue that there is really nothing they can do if the technology isn’t working. I adamantly and actively work against this mindset, and I believe that students were more independent before technology was ubiquitous in our schools. They use our campus technology assistant as a crutch, and they lack the confidence to try and fix things themselves. Sadly, it seems as if students are growing in their abilities to use technology, but they are digressing in their independent learning abilities and their ability to take initiative.
Conversely, there are quite a few advantages to distance learning and the informational communication technologies that came along as a result. In my classroom, it is easier for students to collaborate when they use technologies like shared Google Docs and shared Canva presentations. In addition, jigsaw learning is simple and straightforward. Absent students can make up work more easily, and they do not have to wait until their return to school before starting their make-up work. Technology also increases communication between students and teachers. I can email my students links, detention reminders, homework help, and anything else that will help promote a productive learning environment. Parent communication is simplified as well, and I often copy parents and students on the same email messages.
Overall Impression
Distance learning is here to stay, and as much as I would love to go back in time to the pre-pandemic years in education, I cannot deny the advantages that do exist as a result of distance learning and ICT. Many of these tools existed before, but their acceptance and widespread use may be attributed to the pandemic and the need for distance education.
In my opinion, distance learning and educational technologies must be integrated with traditional methods of education like writing essays by hand and direct face-to-face communication. When I combine the old and new ways in my classroom, I am contributing to the future success of my students in an ever-changing world.
References
Hu, Charlotte. “Why Writing by Hand Is Better for Memory and Learning.” Scientific American, 21 Feb. 2024, www.scientificamerican.com /article/why-writing-by-hand-is-better-for-memory-and-learning/.
Zhu, Mila. Multimodal Instructional Strategies: Dances with Shackles in Learning Communities. Dubuque, IA, Kendall Hunt, 2025.
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