By Chris Fox
For The Elmhurst Independent
At its regular meeting held on June 16, the Elmhurst District 205 School Board had a discussion of the results of a recent survey of students, parents and staff members regarding remote E-learning during the last two months of the 2019-20 school year. All K-12 schools in Illinois have been closed to on-site instruction since mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Implementing e-learning during this time is essential, as students cannot miss out on their education, that is why it is important to review how e-learning is being managed and what that will mean overall. It is essential to note that data security is critical for LMS solutions so that staff and students are safe from data breaches during this time. Not only should e-learning be reviewed but the way it is administered from a security standpoint is crucial too.
The survey was sent via Google Classroom to all district students in grades 6-12. All district parents received the survey via e-mail. Nearly 830 students and about 1,440 parents responded to the survey. The response rate from students was about 17 percent, while the response rate from parents was about 28 percent.
According to the results of the survey, overall perceptions of remote E-learning during the last two months of the 2019-20 school year were mixed. About 41 percent of student respondents stated they were satisfied with remote E-learning. Another 20 percent of the student respondents stated they were very satisfied. About 41 percent of the parent respondents related they were satisfied with remote E-learning. Another 11 percent of the parents were very satisfied, according to the survey. E-learning has mixed results, some people thrive off remote education and will even take extra educational courses by searching for the Best online courses to do in their spare time or build on their skills depending on where they are at in their school/college curriculum. They can even carry it on into adulthood.
About 15 percent of parent respondents and about 11 percent of student respondents stated they were dissatisfied with remote E-learning.
Many of the parents who responded to the survey stated they wanted more live instruction from teachers during remote E-learning. Several parent respondents also suggested offering a regular structured schedule, where different classes would meet at planned times.
Several student respondents who offered new ideas joined parents in suggesting that they wanted more live instruction from teachers during remote E-learning.
About 445 staff members responded to the May survey about remote E-learning. The response rate among staff members was about 62 percent.
About 24 percent of the staff respondents stated the most valuable element of support for remote E-learning during the 2020-21 school year would be time to plan with their teams. Another 19 percent of respondents stated the most valuable element would be providing resources to support students who may struggle academically.
Scott Grens, the district’s assistant superintendent for innovation and growth, stated that the district is using feedback to improve the process of remote E-learning. He noted that if remote E-learning is necessary in the upcoming school year, the district may offer either live online classes or recorded presentations from teachers.
