Remote Education - 

Remote learning is where the student and the educator, or information source, are not physically present in a traditional classroom environment. Information is relayed through technology, such as discussion boards, video conferencing, and online assessments. Remote Learning can occur synchronously with real-time peer-to-peer interaction and collaboration, or asynchronously, with self-paced learning activities that take place independently of the instructor.

Remote learning refers to educational activities that have a variety of formats and methods, most of which take place online. There are a number of online options available for communicating with students, collecting assignments, and distributing education material.

Remote learning is, simply put, where the student and the educator are not physically present in a traditional classroom environment. Rather, instruction is disseminated through technology tools such as discussion boards, video conferencing, and virtual assessments. It is an attempt to recreate the in-person, face-to-face classroom over the internet. 

Unlike its close relative, virtual learning, which is a more official, established mode of online learning, remote education involves teachers and students who are not accustomed to education that takes place online. It is typically used during scheduling conflicts, illnesses, or, like today, disasters. This particular newness of remote learning, then, is what can make it tricky for both educators and students.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted education in over 150 countries and affected 1.6 billion students. In response, many countries implemented some form of remote learning. The education response during the early phase of COVID-19 focused on implementing remote learning modalities as an emergency response. These were intended to reach all students but were not always successful. As the pandemic has evolved, so too have education responses. Schools are now partially or fully open in many jurisdictions.

A complete understanding of the short-, medium- and long-term implications of this crisis is still forming. The twin reports analyze how this crisis has amplified inequalities and also document a unique opportunity to reimagine the traditional model of school-based learning.

Governments deployed remote learning in a variety of ways. Some governments provided multiple options for students to access remote learning, others offered a single option. Often, countries took advantage of preexisting education technology infrastructure to deploy remote learning strategies ranging from paper-based take-home packages to radio and internet-based solutions. Regardless of which approach countries have taken, remote learning strategies have varied in terms of design, usage, and contextual features.

- By Aanchal Gupta