An unprecedented time in education

In March, students were faced with a striking turn of events in their education. Students around the world have never been faced with the learning conditions they have in the past nine months. After everything across the globe shut down in March, schools had to rush to pull together a plan for students to learn for the rest of the year. Students were forced to learn through new online methods. Two main methods have been experimented with in Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS): Schoology and Edmentum. 

LCPS students have been learning through two main online platforms since March. The original program that was used from March until June was Edmentum, and after feedback from LCPS families, a new program was introduced in the fall. The new program is known as Schoology, and every student seems to have their own opinion on which they prefer.

When 211 students were asked in a survey about which platform was most successful, 11% said Edmentum and 89% said they preferred Schoology. The programs are separate and contain various tools to help students learn. Edmentum contained previously planned lessons, whereas Schoology allows for assignments to be adjusted based on the teacher. In addition to Schoology, students also meet with their class and teacher through Google Meets at a specific time, just like they would as if they were in school. 

According to sophomore Anthony Paganin, Edmentum was “easier to complete and was more organized.” Paganin was among the minority who preferred Edmentum. 

Out of the 89% who preferred Schoology, sophomore Maheen Ali, claimed that “Schoology is so much more organized, less confusing and has less errors.” An advantage to Schoology is that teachers can interact with students, adjusting their plans based on the students’ needs. Communication between teachers and students has been key for some kids while learning virtually. 

Sophomore Alden Zerkle said, “I don’t like Schoology or Edmentum. If I had to choose, I would choose Schoology because I can talk and ask questions while my teachers are there. It has just been a better form of learning and communication overall.”

Some students have admitted they prefer Schoology because it is similar to a program they are familiar with, Google Classroom. Senior Izzy Mcilvenna said, “Schoology is an easy way to check your assignments, which is similar to Google Classroom.” Many others have expressed their comfort with familiarity. It is clear that most students who prefer Schoology like the program because of its organization, familiarity and the teacher interaction component.  

Some outliers preferred neither Schoology nor Edmentum. Sophomore Raahil Chini said “Neither… programs…[are] ideal.” 

School administrators are still searching for the best possible way for their students to learn virtually. COVID-19 came as a surprise to everyone, putting stress on both teachers and students to adapt to online learning. As America’s conditions change with COVID-19 and schools everywhere continue to modify their learning programs, students and teachers will have to be very flexible and adaptive as conditions continue to evolve.