Abstract:
Schools and educators continue to be faced with unprecedented challenges as remote learning, in varying degrees and for different students, becomes more prevalent practice due to COVID-19. The AISNSW Evidence Institute (AISNSW) continues to explore strategies addressing these challenges and the future needs of educators through a series of research initiatives. This presentation presents insights from a recently completed research project that examined the experiences of a diverse range of independent schools in NSW.The Digital Learning Practices Case Studies project was conducted by the University of Technology Sydney in partnership with The Evidence Institute. It aimed to explore strategies and approaches used to support learning during and beyond the 2020 remote teaching period in ways that were flexible, accessible and promoted student agency and wellbeing. The importance of understanding how schools use their experiences to inform their approach to student learning and wellbeing underpins this research. Focusing on five schools from a wide range of contexts, the multi-site case study approach gathered data through interview, focus group and survey methods to capture school leader, teacher and student views of exemplary practices and associated enablers and constraints.Insights and lessons learned will be shared, including considerations of how these informed understanding of ongoing best practices with digital technologies to support student learning and wellbeing. Drawing on student and educator voices, findings describe key factors affecting remote teaching practices, effective digital practices, strategies to support wellbeing, practices to support student inclusion, and approaches continuing beyond school lockdown periods.