Virtual instruction is the future of modern teaching: How schools and educators can prepare

Virtual instruction in the post-pandemic era requires clear-headed attention to the value it brings to students, educators and school districts alike. However, as we’ve seen, many have struggled throughout the pandemic, adapting to a virtual model, leaving some lingering questions about the viability of this instructional model.

School districts seeking funds allocated for student learning through initiatives like the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) will discover that the intellectual and business solution of adding a robust virtual element to their institutional construct is a critically essential component of student instruction. However, simply moving traditional curriculums onto a Zoom call isn’t an effective approach. From my perspective as a digital education entrepreneur, this is where many school districts struggled most throughout the pandemic, by attempting to take a curriculum developed for asynchronous learnings (i.e., the click, click, next solution) and trying to repurpose it for true virtual instruction rather than investing in a dynamic online curriculum.

Local educational authorities must consider some essential questions: What will education look like in the next five, 10, 20 years? And how do we develop a strategic plan that best complements instructional practices and district long-term goals? While each school district will approach the answers to these questions a little differently, I believe there are three steps all educational institutions can take to prepare for the future and offer the highest quality virtual education for their students.

1. Accept that virtual education is here to stay

Today’s students require a persistently committed teaching and learning model in order to be prepared for the future workforce. One could make the argument that with the decrease in teachers across the nation, and limited financial resources, school districts will be compelled to utilize the virtual component as the prevailing means of teaching in the future. While adopting a virtual instructional model is cost-effective in the long-term, it does require some initial investment, long-term strategy and buy-in from all stakeholders — from teachers to principals to administrators to parents and students — to ensure a successful program. If all stakeholders believe it is temporary, they will treat it as such. Laying the groundwork to build a successful virtual program has to start with acceptance.

2. Invest in specialized training

Focusing on arcane instructional methods such as textbooks and asynchronous virtual classes can no longer be accepted as par for the course. Going forward, teachers will require increasingly specialized skills. As the blending of online resources with direct instruction becomes central to student success, the highly-trained teacher, who fully understands this notion, will spiral up the education system as demand for them increases. School districts would benefit from creating technologically based professional learning communities to bring these educators together and prepare for the future of online instruction.

The accelerating nature of technology and shifting generational attitudes toward the use of the virtual domain are predictive of massive shifts in the instructional format. In the next 20 years, the large-scale shifting of academic and financial resources for instructional application is practically inevitable. Teachers and their access to students are no longer restricted to geographic boundaries or the local proximity of students and teachers. Distance is no longer a practical impediment and educators must turn their gaze to the existential challenge of virtual academic best practices. Digital training and the enhancement of those practices should be a core investment in the professional development of teachers.

One great resource for this is the National Virtual Teacher Association (NVTA). They have developed free and paid training all teachers can enroll in to become fluent in virtual teaching. In addition, they provide a free observation rubric that schools can download and use to lay the foundation for what great virtual teaching looks like by providing examples, setting expectations and giving everyone a set of indicators for a principal to use to observe and mentor teachers.

3. Develop a digital-first curriculum

Meeting the critical thinking needs of students requires a thoughtful investment of time and the application of standards. This requires a colossal amount of institutional work. Physical textbooks and virtual textbooks do not mean you have a dynamic online curriculum, a Google classroom everyone can log into with uploaded PDFs does not mean you have a dynamic online curriculum. If you are going to adopt virtual teaching as part of your long-term strategy, the development of a dynamic and engaging curriculum needs to be the top priority. This is not a one-year strategy but more like a five-year goal.

In the virtual classroom, there are so many ways to create an engaging experience. Some of these tools include gamification through applications like Quizlet, interactive content that changes to your learning level like Nearpod, the use of small pre- and post-tests to judge acquisition of the content through Linkit or iLearn or the ability to have virtual reality labs that allow students to dissect worms and frogs as if it were real.

All these tools complement the content you build online and create a world-class learning experience. When developing a curriculum online, there needs to be a long-term plan put in place with a dedicated team. If this is not possible, then consider outsourcing to a third-party company.

Looking ahead

To borrow from science fiction, it is not difficult to envision teachers who will meet with students utilizing holographic technology. In acknowledging this path, and forging forward, educational leaders must firmly grasp the mantle of our collective instructional future and take the necessary steps to ensure all are prepared to meet it. We must be willing to recognize our structural deficits and institutional vulnerabilities to ensure the future for students in the expanding global economy.

Evan Erdberg is President & Founder, Proximity Learning. Evan has 15+ years of experience putting students first as a digital education entrepreneur