Back in 2021, The New York Times did a story on what school students felt about the state of education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of those kids were not that optimistic about the situation as a whole. The learning loss from the pandemic has unimaginably impacted them. However, with efforts from both teachers and students, they can recover from this loss.
So how do they go about with these efforts? Let us find out.
Encouraging Critical Thinking
One complaint that many students have regarding learning during the pandemic is the lack of analytical or problem-solving assignments and homework. So after attending classes for hours, students are stuck at home with homework and assignments that take up more time.
However, having to do homework is not the issue here. Students do not feel that the assignments are challenging their intellect. In such cases, they think they are regurgitating information in their heads and not utilizing it effectively.
Teachers should push for more analytical problems or questions in their assignments and homework. That will not only enhance the problem-solving skills of their students but will also make them more enthusiastic when it comes to doing homework and assignments.
Such analytical assignments will also help them think outside the box while making sure they know what is going on in their textbooks and the respective topics.
Completing Homework On Time
After the teachers have done their part with setting homework and assignments, it is up to the students to follow through. And for that, they need to be regular with their homework.
Maintaining a proper routine to finish homework and assignments is a good way to start. Given the time it takes to do their research or prepare solutions to the questions, students should know how long they have to spend behind each assignment.
Due to the pandemic, many students have learned the art of seeking help with their homework online. Various websites offer help in different homework categories. Students should make full use of these online platforms if they need help with their homework. Expert tutors will guide them through whatever problem they might be facing. Besides, students can discover new methods to solve a single problem.
Going Outside the Textbook
Teachers need to ensure that their students are not just learning for the sake of it. Students should learn to know things and develop their technical and life skills. And to ensure these things, teachers should not confine their students within textbooks only. Thus comes the need to learn outside textbooks.
Experiential learning can be a way to start accommodating students to newer learning methods. Through this form of learning, students will learn to be more creative, better grasp theoretical concepts, and can develop improved attitudes towards learning.
Giving Constructive Feedback for Assignments, Homework, and Exams
Students will make mistakes. That is a given. It is also true that they can learn from those mistakes. However, their teachers need to put in most of the effort for that.
The best way to do so is by providing students with constructive feedback. Teachers can give such feedback for homework, assignments, and exams. They need to be very clear with where their students went wrong with the answers.
Pointing out the mistakes and suggesting the correct approach is a good way to provide such insights. Teachers also need to encourage students to utilize the feedback in later assignments or tests. Only by doing so can students reap the full benefits of the feedback.
Practicing More On Their Own
Lastly, students need more practice to develop their skills. They need to solve additional problems and questions, and even go through the textbook examples. Keeping themselves limited to only what is taught in class or given as homework is never a good idea. It will only limit their learning scope.
The American Psychological Association (APA) explains how deliberate practice is needed for the development of more complex knowledge and skills. Such practice requires students to pay their hundred percent attention while they repeat a lesson or practice something they already know. According to the APA, practicing the same thing over and over again is necessary to achieve expertise in that particular topic or field.
The road to recovery from learning loss is not an easy one. However, following the aforementioned steps will allow students to cross the road with a bit of ease.
