Sharply rising economic inequality during the past four decades has had significant effects on educational opportunity. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought these disparities into even sharper relief and has focused attention on whether and how migration to online instruction has worsened the situation. Early reports suggest that school systems have shown significant resilience, coping with the health crisis by rapidly making learning resources accessible online. But evidence also suggests wide variation in the quality and modes of digital instruction, with some children benefiting from advanced virtual pedagogy and others suffering considerable setbacks in both the pace and content of instruction.
As school systems across the country grapple with uncertainties and the challenges of possible reopening in the Fall, the issues they face are daunting: How they will manage risk and ensure a safe learning environment? How will they cope with losses in learning experienced by children during the closure and migration to online options? Will they find ways to balance short term recovery with potentially long term structural and substantive changes to teaching and learning?
This invitation only seminar aimed to bring together researchers with expertise in educational inequality and digital learning, with policy makers and educators in charge of schools and school systems. What are the most critical questions faced by practitioners that should be priorities for the research community? What guidance does extant research offer on mitigation of learning loss and the role of technology in schooling? After brief presentations, the seminar will be open for discussion to registered guests.
Featured Discussants:
Carl Cohn, Claremont Graduate University
Michael Feuer, George Washington University
Rebecca Maynard, University of Pennsylvania
Natalie Milman, George Washington University
Hirokazu Yoshikawa, New York University
