The Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) surveyed Grade 7-12 students to get feedback on their experiences with distance learning and how the current model could be improved in the future.

Results showed that students appreciate the flexibility of distance learning, allowing them to work at their own pace (72%), with the majority of students indicating that the workload is appropriate (59%). Students also indicated that they would like bi-weekly assignments, rather than weekly, and more consistency in platforms used for distance learning. Much of these findings echo what we heard from parents and guardians in the survey conducted with that group in mid-May.

Grade 7-12 students were surveyed from June 1 – June 8 and garnered more than 3,100 responses from across our district. “Student voice is valued within the UCDSB and understanding what is working well with distance learning from the student perspective, and how we can help transition students back to class, is essential as we prepare for the fall,” says Director of Education Stephen Sliwa.

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Some other notable findings include the following:

• 47% of students rated distance learning as “okay”, “pretty good” or “love it”;
• 34% of students said they disliked distance learning;
• 19% of students said they struggled with distance learning;
• The biggest challenge reported by students (50.9%) was the ability to stay engaged while working at home;
• 36% said a review of spring 2020 lessons would help them transition back to school in the fall, as would a gradual increase in workload (22%); and
• 36% would like classes to be focused more on the lesson and less on the homework.

The number of respondents were spread almost equally across all grades surveyed. Attitudinal data among all grades were also similar.

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