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Using a Combination of Learning Techniques to Benefit Teachers and Students in a Post-

COVID Era

The field of academia has always been lauded for producing upstanding citizens of

society with shiny diplomas and intelligent-sounding degrees. The very existence of education

seems to appear as a well-worn, tried-and-true institution that can churn out standard, reliable

products. But when COVID-19 struck in March 2020 and the world descended into chaos, the

education system came to a screeching halt as schools and universities shut down. At first, it

seemed like it would only be temporary. Many universities simply extended spring break for

another week or two. Elementary, middle, and high school students regarded it as a vacation.

Meanwhile, educators scrambled for a solution. The fastest fix was moving in-person learning to

online learning. However, online and distance learning came with flaws. Now, as schools have

mostly transitioned back to face-to-face classes, are there deciding factors that state which type

of instruction is better? What did the onslaught of COVID-19 teach educators and students about

online learning versus in-person learning? Some argue that learning should take place solely in a

classroom while others advocate that it can be done from home with the same results. During the

pandemic, teachers and students learned a lot about their likes and dislikes in education. In a

post-COVID era, a mix of online and in-person learning should be considered to accommodate

the needs of both teachers and students.

Many problems arose from the pandemic in the field of education. No one expected the

outbreak of COVID-19 to last long, but when it continued to get worse and showed no signs of

stopping, educators had to act quickly. Because the shutdown of schools across the world

happened without much warning, the only option was to learn from home. This meant that

schools needed to move their content online. Technology became an issue. Some schools were
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already equipped for an easy transition; others were not as prepared. Some schools already had

most of their curriculum on an online learning management system, which made the transition a

lot easier for them than for others. On the other hand, other schools weren’t as prepared. Anna

Molison, an elementary learning support teacher at West Manheim Elementary School in

Pennsylvania, recalls that she and her fellow teachers felt a lot of frustration because they simply

weren’t prepared to move online. The biggest struggle was trying to help her special needs

students with the change. “Our students weren't actually taught how to use technology, so we

were basically just overwhelmed with how we were going to transfer everything over to online

and teach the kids how to do it, especially since we were stuck at home so we couldn't be with

the kids face to face to actually teach them how to use the technology,” Molison says. While this

difference in preparedness may come from one school being a high school and the other an

elementary school, the pandemic created many problems in the field of education for teachers.

Also affected by the pandemic were new teachers and student-teachers. Under normal

circumstances, beginning teaching is stressful. In his article “Beginning Teaching During

COVID-19: Advice from Newly Qualified Teachers,” Benjamin Moorhouse acknowledges that

being overwhelmed, feeling like they have insufficient skills, and feeling like they don’t have

enough knowledge to teach students are common sentiments for new teachers entering their

profession for the first time (749). However, Moorhouse presents tips to help new teachers and

student-teachers. They are encouraged to come as mentally prepared as possible, with the

recommendation that new teachers “remember why they chose to become a teacher” to help

them keep their goals in mind and to overcome the challenges before them (Moorhouse 750).

Because COVID-19 spurred the growth of online learning, Moorhouse suggests that before

beginning teaching, graduates should familiarize themselves with technology and online learning
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tools. They should be comfortable with remote instruction. Finally, even as obvious as it sounds,

new teachers and graduates should strive to be as flexible and adaptable as possible (Moorhouse

751). The need to be able to go with the flow and not take anything for granted is perhaps the

biggest lesson that COVID-19 taught the world, especially the education system.

Perhaps one of the biggest repercussions of COVID-19 was the effect it had on mental

health. Teachers and students experienced an increase in depression, stress, and anxiety. In the

context of education, there were several different causes. In “Prevalence of Anxiety, Depression,

and Stress Among Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Rapid Systematic Review with

Meta-Analysis,” an article published in the journal Brain Sciences, one such cause is stated to be

the rapid change from in-person learning to online learning. The online content taught during the

pandemic was not the same caliber as online content taught during programs specifically

designed for that purpose (Ozamiz-Etxebarria et al. 1172). Furthermore, the rapid change was

unplanned and not chosen by students or teachers. Another cause for the increase in depression,

anxiety, and stress is the fact that teachers’ workload changed dramatically. The ways in which

they had to prioritize their workload, which included “task identity, task significance, skill

variety, feedback, autonomy, and social dimensions of the work,” have “impacted teachers’

motivation towards their own work” (Ozamiz-Etxebarria et al. 1172). In elementary schools,

“there is a high number of female teachers who, during the lockdown period, had to take on the

burden of caring responsibilities (children, elder people, etc.) at home and combine these with

their profession,” which may have caused a higher rate of mental health problems (Ozamiz-

Etxebarria et al. 1172). But the stress levels didn’t drop even when teachers and students

returned to the classroom. Schools operated under different rules in different countries, but

precautions were taken to keep COVID-19 from spreading. Teachers had to make sure their
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students were socially distant from each other. Additionally, many options for teaching were in

place should there be a selective lockdown due to an outbreak. Classes took on a “bimodal or

hybrid format (half of the students at home and half in class)” and “mirror classrooms, small

bubble groups, or even going online” again were other possibilities (Ozamiz-Etxebarria 1172).

Because of these taxing conditions, it’s no wonder teachers struggled with stress, anxiety, and

depression.

Now that the initial outbreak of COVID-19 is over, changes should be made, and

education should be addressed in an open-minded way. Barnett Berry, a research professor at the

University of South Carolina, suggests in his article “Teaching, Learning, and Caring the Post-

COVID Era” that educators and policy makers should focus on the social aspect of educational

reformation rather than the expected standardized curriculum and test-based teaching. Berry

points out that, if nothing else, the pandemic “has required educators to look to partners who can

help them address their students’ many needs” (16). This is evident in the way that teachers

made it a priority to reach out to struggling students as best as they could. Their goal was to help

their students and support them as children rather than test-takers (Berry 16). Additionally, Berry

touches on the fact that during the pandemic’s “emergency instruction,” students and teachers

didn’t have to worry as much about high-stakes tests, which allowed teachers to see

“opportunities for creativity and leadership” and to choose to “focus on parent and family

engagement, student-centered learning, and improvements to the curriculum” (17). Another

option for education now that schools have gotten their feet back under them is considering the

advantages and disadvantages of online instruction and in-person instruction without the sense of

urgency and unpreparedness that COVID-19 put on it.

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In their article “Exploring the Students’ Perceived Academic Value in an Exclusive

Online Learning Environment,” researchers Vincentas Lamanauskas and others describe online

learning as “the learning experiences based on the Internet, as the main means to deliver

communication and presentation…in synchronous or asynchronous environments, using

different devices” (3). Teachers and students found advantages and disadvantages to online

learning. Teachers strove to provide the same level of education online as they did in face-to-face

classes, but that proved difficult due to several factors. Teachers spent more time preparing

lessons for their online classroom in order to be better equipped and to keep students’ attention,

but many were met with a lack of student engagement. The article “Education in Online

Environment from Students’ and Teachers’ Perspective” by researchers Miriama Blahusiakova

and others found in a study that teachers “considered the anonymity of students as the most

frequent problem of online education, as it is very difficult to find out…who joined the lecture

[and] are really participating in the lecture and perceiv[ing] explained issues” (221). Dr. Kim

McCollum-Clark, professor of English and department chair at Millersville University in

Pennsylvania, recalls that it was “demoralizing to sit there and see the black screens” that

showed during an online lecture.

Without having a way to personally interact with and see students, teaching became

impersonal and frustrating. From the students’ perspective, the main disadvantage of online

education was missing personal interactions with peers and teachers. For some, a decrease in

motivation and self-discipline made online learning harder. Both teachers and students

experienced problems with “access to the digital world, the missing quiet place to study in

students’ homes, shortage of suitable information technologies for learning or teaching, Internet

access issues, including affordability, the lack of time for teachers’ preparation on this new form
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of teaching, staff preparation and training, the problems with availability of literature for

students, etc.” (Blahusiakova et. al 217).

However, online education is not all bad; there are some factors that educators should

take note of. Teachers found that online teaching saved them time since they didn’t have to

commute to work. They could provide education from the comfort of their own homes.

Additionally, online teaching made it easier for them to record their lectures and give them to

students so that the students could go back and rewatch or listen to them whenever they needed

to. Students also found advantages to online learning. They saved time because they did not have

to commute to school and could instead watch the lectures from home. Having everything online

gave them the opportunity to attend class even when sick. Furthermore, online learning provided

easy access to learning material and technology helped those materials to be easily shared with

others. Students had autonomy over their education, and researchers Elena Kotrikadze and

Ludmila Zharkova report in their article “Advantages and Disadvantages of Distance Learning in

Universities” that “distance learning is very suitable for introverts, people with limited mobility,

women on maternity leave and people with disabilities” (2). Online learning offers levels of

flexibility and independence that in-person learning usually does not.

However, face-to-face instruction also offers many advantages. In-person learning is a

traditional method of education that requires students to be in the classroom. Being in a

classroom allows human connection and interaction with fellow students and the teacher. In their

article “IT Blueprint for an Effective Online Learning System,” researchers Arief Ramadhan and

others state that in-person learning also encourages “spontaneity,” providing opportunities “to

have spontaneous ideas and accidental findings” (450). In a classroom, it is easier to bounce off

of each other’s ideas and have a more open, unstructured discussion. The biggest advantage to
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in-person learning is the face-to-face interactions that students and teachers have with each other.

As human beings, it is an innate desire and need to communicate with and see each other in

person. Attending school in person rather than online allows “direct personal contact with

teachers; better and fast communication with teachers; active class discussion; a more personal

approach; [and] better interaction between teacher and students” (Blahusiakova et al. 217).

Additionally, face-to-face instruction eliminates many of the technological issues that

online learning can encounter. It enables students to have better concentration when in a school

building rather than at home, where they could be distracted by outside circumstances. In the

context of the pandemic, in-person learning offered a higher level of education, since many

students and teachers did not want or choose to move online and it was a rushed process. In-

person learning also offers students who may not have access to the Internet all the time at their

homes unlimited access to literature and other materials they may need for projects or studying.

Another important facet of in-person learning is the “student life” activities that take place

outside of learning in school (Blahusiakova et al. 217). This includes school sports and clubs in

which students can interact and hang out with one another outside of the school setting. Sports

and clubs give students a sense of belonging and can help increase mental health. In-person

learning is a way to let students and teachers interact with one another while keeping the focus

on providing a good education.

Online learning versus in-person learning: Is one better than the other? The pandemic

taught both teachers and students that one can’t simply replace the other entirely. Online learning

requires “a high level of self-discipline, great motivation to learn, and a responsible approach to

learning” (Kotrikadze and Zharkova 5). If a student struggles with these things, online learning

may not be the best option for them. Also, some students prefer in-person learning because they
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learn better in face-to-face situations where they can see the teacher and interact directly with

them and with their fellow students. In-person learning helps facilitate the “development of

communication skills” whereas the online learning process is “carried out with minimal contact

with other people, and sometimes its complete absence” (Kotrikadze and Zharkova 6). On the

other hand, online learning allows students to choose the time and place they conduct their

learning and homework and is easily accessible for people who cannot make it to a physical

school building for some reason. Just like some students may prefer in-person learning, others

may prefer online learning. However, perhaps a solution for education post-COVID-19 is the use

of blended learning.

Blended learning combines face-to-face instruction with online instruction. In his article

“The Importance of Blended Learning Approach during Covid-19 Pandemic all over the World,”

Fethi Kayalar describes blended learning as a situation in which “students have the opportunity

to choose where (at school, at home or between the two) and when (during class hours, nights or

weekends)” they complete their work and a situation in which teachers decide “on the degree of

this choice and which of the elements that make up the student’s education online and which one

will be completed in the classroom” (25). Blended learning enriches education by using different

resources (printed and online materials rather than just one or the other) and helps learning

become less teacher-centered and more student-centered (Kayalar 26). During classroom

sessions, the teacher is there to guide students and answer questions they may have. During

online sessions, the students have the freedom to learn independently and are encouraged to be

inquisitive about the materials they have access to. Researchers Arief Ramadhan and others

mention several factors that should be taken into consideration when thinking about

implementing blended learning into the education system. In order to make blended learning a
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successful educational option, student maturity needs to be at satisfactory levels. Students need

to use the free time they are given during online sessions to complete work. Students must also

adjust to the idea that they must learn independently; rather than being spoon-fed information in

a classroom, students now have to take the initiative to learn by themselves. Schools must also

have courses and curriculums designed specifically for blended learning. This goes hand in hand

with the fact that educators must be prepared to teach in a blended learning environment. Finally,

not every school has the ability to access the technology needed for blended learning (Ramadhan

et al. 448).

However, for schools that can and do choose to implement a blended learning system into

their institute, Ramadhan and others note that the administration should be prepared for the

changes and to train people who need to be trained in how to best teach or use the system (450).

Teachers must make sure that students have a way to contact them or tutors whenever they have

questions and provide additional materials online. This extra material should also be interesting

and relevant in order to keep the students engaged and active. Since blended learning comes with

many benefits but also its challenges, Ramadhan and others suggest that each school should

“apply the blended learning systems and styles that best suit their institution” (452). If performed

properly, blended learning could serve as an excellent educational opportunity.

Another possible solution for teachers in a post-COVID-19 era is interteaching.

According to Christopher Krebs and others in their article “Using Interteaching to Promote

Online Learning Outcomes,” interteaching is an “empirically supported behavioral teaching

technique that can be used to improve course content quality and also garner quality interaction

between students and faculty” (2). Students should come prepared to assess each other’s
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knowledge and to “teach” each other if necessary (they should be able help each other with the

content).

There are five main components to interteaching. The first is using a preparation guide.

These guides consist of questions that relate to the reading material due for the next meeting. The

second component is having a small-group discussion. Students should “review and discuss their

answers to the preparation guide as well as the readings” while the teacher should help “facilitate

discussion, clarify questions, and ensure students remain on topic” (Krebs et al. 3). The third

component is a record form. These are forms completed by the students after their small-group

discussions to allow them to “report the quality of the discussion with their peers and also a

chance to indicate which, if any, material they found difficult or confusing to understand” (Krebs

et al. 3). The teacher should review the record forms before the next lesson and then give a

clarifying lesson, the fourth component of interteaching. The clarifying lesson should be based

off of whatever topics the students noted as difficult or confusing on their record forms. The final

component of interteaching is assessment. Teachers should have numerous assessments planned

to give students multiple opportunities to “demonstrate what they have learned, identity and

correct any learning deficits, and minimize the impact that poor performance during any one

specific assessment has on the final course grade” (Krebs et al. 3). Interteaching can be used in-

person or online, as this method requires students to actively engage in their own learning and to

complete a lot of the work on their own, while still having the teacher there to help guide and

facilitate discussions and answer questions.

In the wake of COVID-19, the education system has had to adapt and adjust in different

ways. These changes resulted in many opinions about online learning versus in-person learning.

Some students and teachers loved it while others hated it. While it’s easy to say that those who
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want to be in a face-to-face environment should go to a school or university and those who want

to be online should simply take online classes, there are middle-ground alternatives. Blended

learning and interteaching provide opportunities for face-to-face meetings while also allowing

the option of teaching and learning from home. In the end, each individual should do what best

suits their learning or teaching preference, but education methods that involve both online

learning and in-person learning should be taken into consideration.

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Works Cited

Berry, Barnett. “Teaching, Learning, and Caring in the Post-COVID Era.” Phi Delta Kappan,

vol. 102, no. 1, Sept. 2020, pp. 14–17. EBSCOhost,

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Blahušiaková, Miriama, et al. “Education in Online Environment from Students’ and Teachers’

Perspective.” International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering &

Education (IJCRSEE), vol. 9, no. 2, May 2021, pp. 203–26. EBSCOhost,

https://doi.org/10.23947/2334-8496-2021-9-2-203-226.

Kayalar, Fethi. “The Importance of Blended Learning Approach during Covid-19 Pandemic All

over the World.” Proceedings of the Multidisciplinary Academic Conference, July 2020,

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https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-021-09434-5.

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McCollum-Clark, Dr. Kim. Personal interview. 22 Mar. 2022.

Molison, Anna. Personal interview. 27 Mar. 2022.

Moorhouse, Benjamin Luke. “Beginning Teaching during COVID -19: Advice from Newly

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