8113 Wk 4 Revision Research

This phenomenon is widely attributed to the newness of the technology among early learners. Many schools in North America closed in-person learning following the outbreak of the pandemic. As a result, it has become increasingly clear that returning to physical learning models will need to be prolonged from 2021 school clear and possibly resumed in the future. In response to this crisis, many educational agencies have shifted teaching and learning from the physical to online platforms. While institutions of higher learning had already explored the academic feasibility of virtual learning on academic success, there is still a scarcity of knowledge on its impacts on early childhood education environments. Therefore, there is a need to conduct a research that directly responds to this concern by assessing the distinct challenges associated with remote teaching and learning and its impact on academic success in early childhood education contexts.

Problem Statement

Evidence from the Local Setting

Lack of interaction can hinder children’s development and cause social withdrawal (Keller, 2020). (Revise this.. Instructor stated this seems to be closer to the real problem I wish to study…) Teachers used communication tools such as email, zoom, Seesaw, phone or text to communicate with students and parents. However, students continued to struggle. Learning occurs through hands-on experiences guided by an intentional facilitator (Virtual learning for early childhood students, n.d). To increase scores due to virtual learning, the learning tool Seesaw was used to teach students online virtually (Seesaw, 2014). Virtual learning has this positive impact on learning because children develop better hand-eye coordination and motor skills. These skills help them to form clearer images and improve their capabilities to solve problems (Keller, 2020). The existing gaps in studies examining the effects of virtual learning technologies on educational success in early childhood educational settings is largely attributed to its newness in such contexts. While previous researchers have found a strong positive correlation between their use in higher learning and educational success, a wide gap still exists ion their impact in early childhood academic environments. In that connection, Donohue et al. (2021) attribute the absence of scholarly investigations on this important area of pedagogy on the newness of virtual learning to professional development in the field of early childhood education. According to them, such a gap has resulted in a few studies being generated to determine the efficacious practices for students or instructors who are still new to this learning approach. Similarly, Timmons et al. (2021) observes that the existence of a knowledge dearth on virtual learning programs is partly owed to the fact that learning in kindergarten and early primary school environments is often largely play- and inquiry- based. As a consequence, educational researchers have placed minimal attention on the need to explore the importance of virtual learning on academic success in early childhood environments.

While the efficacy of virtual learning in supporting knowledge acquisition is widely mentioned by many researchers, their studies only emphasize on higher educational settings. In their attempt to explore the opportunities and challenges associated with remote teaching following the outbreak of COVID 19, Ferri et al. (2020) find that pedagogical, technological, and social challenges deter optimal use of such tools. (Revise….Instructor stated this relates to 3 more problems) Using a qualitative research model, they observe that issues such as unreliability of internet connectivity and students’ lack of necessary electronic devices pose challenges to effective virtual learning. Similarly, Gillet-Swan (2017) states that virtual learning enables institutions to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach to education. However, he cautions against low engagement of learners who become physically isolated from their colleagues while using the technologies. Furthermore, he observes that such learners encounter many challenges to their full participation compared to their traditional counterparts. Such barriers may include lack of higher technical skills required to use the virtual learning tools and inability to learners to engage in effective group works. (Revise this ….. because he stated in this sentence I still do not know what the problem is….. )

During 2020-2021 school year School Readiness Goals of a Head Start Agency declined by25%. During the 2020-2021 school year, the communication education Tool “Seesaw “was used to Improve School Readiness Goals. Schools are increasingly becoming aware of the diversity of their existing and prospective learners. As a consequence, they are shifting from traditional models of learning to incorporate flexible strategies that accommodate remote learners. In the face of such shifts, however, schools are not yet fully ready to adopt hybrid learning techniques. According to Adedoyin and Soykan (2020), the process of digital transformation of schools against the backdrop of the pandemic is an uphill task that requires sufficient strategic preparation, trust establishment, and collaborative organizational knowledge and skills. Furthermore, Sarvestani et al. (2019) assert that while such technologies have radically transformed the learning process, students and teachers experience problems such as large number of modules, disregard of educational prerequisites, ethical problems such as negative perception towards e-learning and its technologies. (Revise this…Instructor stated this is good, but it is very, very general. What is the precise research problem I wish to study?- I wish to study the Impact of Virtual Learning on Academic Success in Early Childhood Education)

The Gap in Practice (or the gap in the literature about practice )

Virtual learning is an educational exercise that occurs over the internet as a form of distance knowledge acquisition. It is an educational exercise that occurs over the internet and with the support of other digital tools, which include computers, smartphones, and tablets. The practice is widely becoming ubiquitous in the face of the emergence and spread of the COVID 19 pandemic. According to Kim (2020), the existing gap in studies associated with virtual learning in early childhood education the slow pace of adoption in such contexts and teachers’ hesitance to gain the technical skills required to tailoring them towards optimizing children’s intellectual growth and development. To fill this knowledge gap, the researcher suggests the need to equip learners and educators with the technological competence required to use digital technologies for optimizing academic success. In the same vein, Timmons et al. (2021) urge modern researchers to turn their attention to investigating the use of virtual learning tools to optimize academic success since the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended temporary closure of schools as part of their efforts to promote children’s health and safety due to the pandemic. Some of the public health measures that WHO recommends include mask wearing and mandatory social distancing. According to the researchers, the latter recommendation directly affects early childhood educational practices since it paves the way for the introduction of alternative learning models, such as distance or virtual education. However, the researchers observe a major paucity of studies that have been previously conducted on the area within the context of early childhood education. Additionally, they call for he need to explore how such technological tools can be employed to optimize students’ knowledge acquisition and retention. To fill the aforementioned knowledge gap, there is a need to conduct a study, which is geared towards determining the impact of virtual learning tools in determining students’ academic success. Most specifically, such a study will go a long way in encouraging subsequent scholarly investigations into this problematic area of knowledge.

References

Adedoyin, O. B., & Soykan, E. (2020). Covid-19 pandemic and online learning: the challenges

and opportunities. Interactive Learning Environments, 1-13.

Donohue, C., Johnson, A., Lucas, P., Lynd, C., Mukerjee, J., & Thouvenelle, S. (2020). Distance

.Learning and Early Childhood Education.

Ferri, F., Grifoni, P., & Guzzo, T. (2020). Online learning and emergency remote teaching:

Opportunities and challenges in emergency situations. Societies, 10(4), 86.

Gillett-Swan, J. (2017). The challenges of online learning: Supporting and engaging the isolated

learner. Journal of Learning Design, 10(1), 20-30.

Keller, S. (2020, November 4). What effects are we seeing virtual learning has on kids, teachers,