Online learning: How do brick and mortar schools stack up to virtual schools?

Area of Science:

• Education
• Online Learning
• Educational Technology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid shift to online learning for many K-12 students.
• This transition impacted students in traditional brick-and-mortar schools and those already in virtual learning environments.
• Assessing the quality of online education is crucial for informing policy, especially with potential future school closures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the online learning experiences of students in newly transitioned brick-and-mortar schools versus established virtual schools.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of online education delivery in different school settings during the pandemic.
• To provide insights for improving the quality of online schooling and informing educational policy.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study design was employed, surveying parents of students in online and transitioned brick-and-mortar schools.
• Surveys focused on four key constructs: active learning, communication, pedagogical efficacy, and classroom management.
• Parental feedback was collected for students enrolled in online schools and, where applicable, for siblings in brick-and-mortar schools that transitioned online.

Main Results:

• Virtual schools received significantly higher ratings across all measured constructs compared to brick-and-mortar schools that transitioned online.
• Established virtual schools demonstrated superior performance in active learning, communication, pedagogical efficacy, and classroom management.
• The findings suggest a notable difference in the quality of online education delivery between experienced virtual providers and newly transitioned schools.

Conclusions:

• Virtual schools generally provided a higher quality online education experience than brick-and-mortar schools during the pandemic.
• The study highlights the importance of experience and established infrastructure in delivering effective online education.
• Results can inform policy decisions aimed at enhancing online learning quality and supporting educational continuity.