Exploring Virtual and in-Person Learning: Considering the Benefits and Issues of Both

For two years, COVID-19 changed the way teaching was implemented across schools (K-12) and university campuses around the world. Schools shut down and teaching and learning took place virtually. As a result, much was learned about online instruction and the positive impact it can have on learning as our knowledge and use of technology continually grows. However, in many situations, students struggled to focus on content that was presented virtually. Thus, K-12 students’ grades suffered as was revealed by mandated tests. Further, teacher candidates from the university setting have also struggled. They were more apt to be absent from virtual sessions, often lacked the ability to focus on course content, and some came to sessions unprepared. This led to an increase in incompletes and failures among teacher candidates. Consequently, students were brought back to the university to attend their programs on campus in physical classrooms. This led to a variety of discussions about the place of online instruction and whether it can replace or supplement in-person instruction for teacher candidates.