What Is Remote Education? A Guide for Teachers

Key Takeaways

• Remote education refers to any and all learning that takes place when teachers and learners are not together.

• It can be synchronous (live), asynchronous (independent or recorded) or a bit of both which is known as blended learning. 

• Hybrid learning involves people remotely joining in-person lessons. 

• Its inherent flexibility means remote learning can support learners whose attendance has been affected by inclusion issues or when school premises cannot be accessed for weather or health reasons.

• Successful remote learning depends on lesson design, learner engagement, learner accessibility and clear safeguarding protocols.

What Is Remote Education?

Remote education describes any teaching and learning that takes place when teachers and learners are physically separated. It enables learning to continue during times of school closure or extended pupil absence.

Remote education is an umbrella term that encompasses the following types of learning: 

• Online learning - teaching delivered through the internet.

• Distance learning - where students are given teaching materials to work through at their own pace. Commonly used in higher education, such as the Open University, and typically features minimal live interaction.

• Hybrid learning - where students can join in-person teaching through Zoom etc.

• Blended learning - a combination of face-to-face teaching with remote components that form part of a planned sequence.

Types of Remote Education

Synchronous Remote Education

Synchronous Remote Education requires both teachers and learners to be present online at the same time. This means that lessons are often conducted over Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams. 

Live sessions are extremely effective at helping maintain both social connections and routine. Seeing friends and familiar faces and having to be at a lesson at a certain time are often beneficial for well-being. They also provide excellent forums for class discussions or for giving group feedback.

Maintaining focus during extended synchronous sessions can be a challenge. Keeping live lessons concise and incorporating frequent interactive polls and chats can help to mitigate this.

Asynchronous Remote Education

Asynchronous learning enables learners to access their lessons as and when they want to and at their own pace. Pre-recorded videos typically form the basis of an asynchronous lesson. These are augmented and supported by digital worksheets that are often accessed and submitted once they have been completed through platforms such as Google Classroom.

Asynchronous lessons allow for a far greater degree of differentiation and are perfect for supporting students who are trying to ‘catch up’. 

Success of asynchronous lessons depends heavily on the clarity of instructions, as the teacher is not present to correct any misconceptions as they arise. Clear deadlines for the completion of tasks are also a must. 

Blended and Hybrid Approaches

• Blended learning combines in-person teaching with digital tasks that follow the lesson to consolidate learning. Alternatively, they can require students to access digital resources prior to the lesson taking place. This is sometimes known as flipped learning. 

• Hybrid learning occurs when students who are physically in a class are joined by other students who are accessing the lesson remotely. Ensuring that both physically present and remote students share an equal learning experience can take some careful preparation and planning. 

Key Benefits of Remote Education for Teachers and Students

Continuity and Flexibility

Prolonged absence or school closures are no longer a barrier to learning. Lessons can be delivered from any location, and students can access their learning at times and places that suit them. 

Increased Degrees of Differentiation

Content delivered over digital platforms can be tailored to suit the needs and abilities of individual pupils. Some tools, such as Sparx Maths, (opens in a new tab) enable teachers to adjust the level of challenge quickly and easily. 

Workload Efficiency 

Teachers can save time by building a bank of resources that can be shared across a department. Once created, recorded lessons, digital worksheets etc can be reused and adapted for future year groups.

Digital Literacy

The National Curriculum requires regular use of technology to help students develop digital skills. By navigating these online platforms, learners can gain confidence as well as skills.

Challenges of Remote Education in Schools

The benefits and advantages of remote education need to be balanced with the challenges that it can pose.

• Low motivation and engagement: The lack of in-person interaction can lead some learners to disengage from the lessons. They may also find it easier to ‘hide’ during lessons and adopt a more passive approach. Regular feedback and positive recognition for engagement can help to mitigate this.

• Safeguarding: School policies for online safety must be strictly adhered to and contact through non-school accounts avoided at all times.

• Assessment integrity: Assessments under ‘exam conditions’ are all but impossible with remote learning. The growth in the use of AI amongst students also poses problems for assessment integrity. Frequent low-stakes tasks can help inform teachers of students’ knowledge and understanding and therefore what to expect in terms of the standard of more formal, summative assessments. 

• Digital Access: Not all pupils have access to the devices required. Even when the devices are present in households, the requirements of siblings means they may not be able to access them at the times required for synchronous remote learning. Schools should loan equipment or tailor the type of remote learning given wherever possible. 

Tools and Platforms for Remote Teaching

Microsoft Teams For Education: This can be used to deliver live lessons as well as to set assignments and give feedback. The fact that it integrates seamlessly with Office 365 can help with staff collaboration and enable the use of existing resources such as PowerPoints and Word Documents. 

Oak National Academy: Provides a bank of pre-recorded lessons that are aligned to the National Curriculum. They are ready-made and require very little input from classroom teachers but this does mean they are less customisable and can impact the teacher’s ability to give differentiated resources. 

Google Classroom: Enables teachers to set work, share resources and give feedback. It became the go-to option for many schools during the pandemic, possibly due to its simple interface and the fact that it works across all devices. 

Loom: Another tool that grew in popularity during the pandemic, Loom became a preferred method for recording videos for asynchronous lessons. It does carry a cost to access the premium features though.

Save My Exams: SME has a range of features to enable teachers to assign tasks remotely, including a test builder, and has exam-board specific resources, not just subject specific resources. 

How to Plan and Deliver Effective Remote Lessons

Just as with in-person teaching, a solid structure, engaging activities and clear evidence of progression are all essential for a remote lesson to be successful.

Structuring Your Remote Lesson

1. Introduction to learning objectives

2. A hook or starter activity that engages the students’ interest and attention

3. An explanation or instruction which could be live or recorded

4. Guided practice where examples are modelled and scaffolded

5. Independent tasks where students apply what they have just learnt

6. Review or plenary which revisits learning objectives and checks progress

Engaging Students Online

• Encourage participation through polls, discussions or quizzes whenever possible

• Make sure that lessons are focused and short in duration, with planned breaks built in

• As with in-person teaching, include a variety of approaches to convey information

• Celebrate progress, achievements and engagement whenever they occur, just as you would in a physical classroom

Assessing Learning Remotely

• Digital quizzes make great formative assessments

• Extended, summative assessments can be submitted via Teams or Google Classroom and feedback can be given through teacher voice notes

Safeguarding and Accessibility in Remote Education

The same professional standards must be maintained online as they are in person.

• Lessons and online interaction with students should only ever take place through school-approved platforms and accounts

• If possible, live lessons should be recorded or a second adult be present

To ensure your lessons are as accessible as possible, ensure you provide captions, transcripts and downloadable versions of your resources that meet WCAG 2.1 standards (opens in a new tab) for visual clarity and readability.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is remote education the same as online learning?

It can be, but it can also include learning through printed materials and offline tasks too.

How can I keep students engaged during remote lessons?

This can be challenging, but effective strategies are the same as the ones that work for in-person teaching. Use short tasks, maintain a brisk pace, prioritise interaction and provide regular feedback and recognition for those who engage and achieve.

What are my safeguarding responsibilities when teaching online?

Follow your school’s safeguarding policy, use approved channels, and avoid one-to-one private communication.

Can remote learning be as effective as in-person teaching?

If it mirrors good classroom practice as closely as possible, it can be!

Final Thoughts

Remote education was once an emergency provision but has emerged from the pandemic to become an integral element of modern schooling. 

If remote lessons are thoughtfully designed and carefully executed, they can provide flexible and inclusive learning experiences that aid digital fluency as well as teaching the core curriculum aims. With the right tools, planning, and safeguarding in place, teachers can deliver high-quality learning experiences that reach every pupil, wherever they are.

 References

WCAG 2.1 standards (opens in a new tab)

Sparx Maths, (opens in a new tab)