Effective approaches to distance learning report published by Chartered College of Teaching

The report ‘Education in times of crisis: Effective approaches to distance learning’ has been published after assembling the latest pedagogical research and analyses from the current pandemic from around the world. This report has a particular focus on the students for whom the distance learning has been most challenging, students with SEND and those in Early Years. This is the third report commissioned by the Chartered College of Teaching around the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on education. 
Key findings for effective strategies when working with students with SEND during distance learning include:

• Pedagogical strategies that have been found to be effective with all students during distance learning are also likely to benefit students with SEND. These include effective feedback, metacognitive (‘thinking about thinking’) strategies and collaborative learning
• Likewise, strategies that support students with SEND during distance learning and that make content and pedagogical approaches more accessible are likely to support all students
• The importance of considering students’ needs first, their diagnoses second. While students may have the same diagnoses, their individual needs may differ and need to be considered when planning distance learning
• Focusing on making learning and pedagogy, not just a particular resource or digital platform, accessible – although this is crucial too
• Creating a supportive learning environment with familiar teachers and spending time on re-establishing routines for those students who have been particularly negatively affected by a disruption to their routines

To further support teachers it outlines key recommendations teachers can implement as they look to the future to support all students, including:

• Making use of technology to provide a combination of automated, peer and teacher feedback to support student learning
• Providing opportunities for collaborative learning online that take students’ strengths, need and current performance into account
• Teaching students metacognitive strategies to support independent learning online
• Considering the level of parental involvement that is needed for different distance learning activities
• Planning time away from screens into the distance learning school day