Best evidence on supporting students to learn remotely with Simon Cox

Simon Cox is the Director of Blackpool Research School and in this episode will be discussing the best evidence on supporting students to learn remotely

Blackpool Research School at St Mary’s Catholic Academy is an exciting development and part of the evidence-based journey that St Mary’s Catholic Academy has been on. We have supported schools at the forefront of making evidence-based practice the norm and Research School status is the natural next step for us.

As the Research School for the Blackpool Opportunity Area, our aim is to develop an evidence-based profession, empowering teachers to use accessible tools based on research evidence to improve outcomes for all pupils.

Our core purpose is to:

• Share and disseminate the very best of evidence-based practice to schools and teachers across Blackpool.
• Provide evidence-based training.
• Host conferences and events
• Support schools and work with Teaching Schools in the region
• Develop interventions and practices that help improve the life chances of pupils.

The EEF's rapid evidence assessment examines the existing research (from 60 systematic reviews and meta-analyses) for approaches that schools could use, or are already using, to support the learning of pupils while schools are closed due to Covid-19.

When implementing strategies to support pupils’ remote learning, or supporting parents to do this, key things to consider include:

• Teaching quality is more important than how lessons are delivered
• Ensuring access to technology is key, especially for disadvantaged pupils
• Peer interactions can provide motivation and improve learning outcomes
• Supporting pupils to work independently can improve learning outcomes
• Different approaches to remote learning suit different types of content and pupils

This research was funded by The EdTech Hub – as part of the partnership between the EdTech Hub and the Education Endowment Foundation. It has been published as a global public good – to support the global response to the education impacts of COVID-19. The EdTech Hub is a Global Initiative led by the Department for International Development (DFID), The World Bank and The Gates Foundation.