Introduction
As a seventh-grade math teacher who is interested in finding the latest and greatest available classroom technology, I decided to research effective digital learning tools and practices to use in a blended learning classroom. Through my past experiences, I recognized that some digital learning resources were much better for students than others. In a traditional classroom model, middle school students struggle with motivation to engage in learning activities. Even in a blended learning classroom, many students still may not actively participate in their learning as we would hope. After already being faced with these challenges, students were suddenly expected to engage in remote learning with little to no preparation due to school closures in response to COVID-19.
The students on my team are very diverse learners with a variety of learning needs. Many of my students have IEPs, 504 plans, or receive ESL services. More than half of my students are economically disadvantaged. While planning for remote learning, these were some of the most important factors I had to consider.
The initial intention for my research project was to focus on blended learning, so I planned on collecting student data within my regular classroom. However, with the sudden shutdown of schools and the shift to remote learning, my plans had to change slightly. With these changes, I decided that I could still focus my work to analyze different digital tools and delivery methods that could be utilized for both blended and remote learning. Based on these needs, the goal of my research was to identify effective digital tools and learning practices that promote student learning and increase motivation.
Research Method
After considering the needs of students and reflecting on the current challenges in my classroom, I decided on an action-based research plan. Because time was limited due to research deadlines and school closures, I decided to collect data for the first three weeks of remote learning. A mixed methods approach was used to collect data in order to gain a wholistic perspective on the effectiveness of various tools and methods that I implemented for remote learning. For my math instruction, I gave students a digital self-paced learning grid each week. Within this grid, they were instructed to complete one task before “leveling up” to the next. Many of these tasks (similar to online learning modules) asked students to choose from a number of learning tools. Data was collected from survey responses, observations, assignment choices, and formative assessment scores.
Two optional surveys were given to students: one at the start of remote learning and the other after three weeks. The goals of these surveys were to gain insight on students’ perspectives regarding remote learning, and to analyze any differences in their opinions after three weeks. Some questions were created to determine the most effective strategies for remote learning in students’ opinions.
Other questions were focused on gaining student feedback for specific learning resources such as G Suite Education Tools, Schoology, Edpuzzle, FlipGrid, and Desmos. Additionally, the final survey gave students the opportunity to leave open-ended feedback regarding what they liked about remote learning and what some challenges were.