Resources

When educators had to pivot to delivering virtual instruction during the pandemic, it provided an opportunity to identify effective strategies for teaching and learning science content in new, often challenging contexts.

This article, co-authored by WestEd and Twin Cities PBS and published by Children, Youth and Environments, discusses two evaluation studies of Hero Elementary, a multiplatform science learning program. Originally developed for an in-person, formal learning environment, the program was modified for distance learning and for use in both formal and informal learning environments. The first study examined the variations in how Hero Elementary was implemented virtually. The second identified which components of virtual implementation were the most successful or challenging.

Highlights:

• The studies shed light on successes, challenges, adaptations, and modifications that educators experienced as they pivoted to a virtual learning environment from an in-person environment.
• Findings stress the importance of using learning platforms that are flexible.
• Though all sites struggled with technology issues, educators in both formal and informal settings were able to adapt the program to fit the needs of their students and the varied new learning environments.

Li, L., Weiser, G., Luttgen, K., Schneider, M. Huang, C-W., Hayakawa, M., Freese, J., Daniels, B., Lor, M. C., & Jensen, E. (2022). Pivoting an in-person multiplatform science program to a virtual program during a pandemic: Lessons learned. Children, Youth and Environments, 32(3), 53–81. doi:10.1353/cye.2022.0023