“20 Years from Idea to Impact” by The Teachers’ College at Western Governors U:

At this year’s online South By Southwest, the presentation “20 Years from Idea to Impact” by  the Teachers’ College at Western Governors University (WGU) discussed the history and benefits of its program, which allows people to obtain a teaching degree. One of the many industries that has had to accommodate major changes due to COVID-19 is the education industry. Educators and district administrators have been trying to find the best ways for students to learn virtually, and today’s teachers are the pioneers of the new landscape of online learning. Some of the factors in the success of WGU’s program are how they help students engage and provide them with a sense of community. The presentation highlighted how students can benefit more from the greater flexibility and affordability of online learning. 

Making sense and addressing covid learning loss

Whizz Education works with governments and schools to understand and address the current issues facing the education industry. Dr. Junaid Mubeen stated that over the summer, students often forget parts of the knowledge learned in the previous school year, deeming the phenomenon the “summer slide.” Due to COVID-19, this effect has been amplified. U.S. country manager Paul Miller said that the effect is so bad, 13 U.S. states have seen indicators of reduced learning levels at state and national levels. Miller discussed the various methods currently being used to measure learning loss across the nation and commented that teaching methods and differences in testing must be taken into consideration as a part of the conversation. According to his presentation, recovery from this loss will not happen if there is no catch-up intervention.