Changing Digital Learning From the Inside Out - System-level considerations for shaping online experiences that engage learners and teachers

Oct 15, 2026

The document examines how the 2020 coronavirus pandemic forced schools and districts to rapidly transition from in-person to online learning, often through reactive decisions. It analyzes challenges such as technology access, platform selection, teacher workload, and the increased participation of parents and caregivers, while noting students frequently lacked a voice. It highlights research projections on learning loss and argues there is no single roadmap for ongoing adaptive challenges, urging leaders to act now to prepare for what comes next.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

The COVID-era shift to online schooling

Reactive implementation and stakeholder impact

Learning loss and engagement considerations

Research projections and remote learning factors

Avoiding top-down reversion

Adaptive challenge and future-oriented action

Changing Digital Learning From the Inside Out System-level considerations for shaping online experiences that engage learners and teachers By Kristin Rouleau About the Author Kristin Rouleau isthe executive director of learning services and innovation at McREL International. She partners with schools, districts, and state departments of education as they navigate change and implement practices and structures to reduce variability and increase student achievement. Through consulting, coaching, and facilitation of professional learning, she offers services, strategies, and technical assistance to support change efforts. Kristin earned administrative credentials atthe University of Washington, and she holds an Ed.D. in leadership for educational equity from University of Colorado Denver, an M.A. in curriculum and teaching from Michigan State University, and a B.A. in elementary education from Western Michigan University. About McREL McREL International is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to improving education outcomes for all students through applied research, product development, and professional services to teachers and education leaders. We collaborate with schools and school systems across the U. S. and worldwide, helping educators think differently about their challenges and providing research-based solutions and guidance that help students flourish. © 2020, McREL International. All rights reserved. To use a portion of this document for non-commercial purposes, please cite as follows: Rouleau, K. (2020) . Changing digital learning from the inside out: System-level considerations for shaping online experiences that engage learners and teachers. McREL International. 20201410 Changing Digital Learning From the Inside Out System-level considerations for shaping online experiences that engage learners and teachers By Kristin Rouleau The year 2020 has demanded change in education unlike anything most teachers and school leaders have experienced previously. When the coronavirus pandemic struck, schools and districts around the world made the sudden shift from business-as-usual schooling to online schooling—which was, for many, uncharted territory. The changes were significant, and often reactive, because the situation called for such swift action. Education agencies published guidance to support school systems with their new online schooling challenge. Districts scrambled to put technology in the hands of students, identify online learning platforms, and provide teachers with tools and guidance for teaching online. Teachers created new online routines, transitioned lesson plans from hands-on activities to digital experiences, and worked long days to better understand how to engage learners from a distance. Parents, family members, and caregivers suddenly became fully involved participants in at-home learning, a role many didn’t feel prepared to take on. Students were often left without a voice in shaping what their new school experience would be. The result? More than a few school and district leaders described the spring of 2020 as “crisis schooling,” focusing on efforts to connect with students and families, maintain some level of engagement and learning, and manage the changes that swept through schools globally. The results of these efforts weren’t what many hoped for: Researchers projected in the spring of 2020 that students would return to school in the fall with “approximately 63–68% of the learning gains in reading relative to a typical school year and with 37–50% of the learning gains in math”(Kuhfeld, Soland, Tarawasa, Johnson, Ruzek, & Liu, 2020, p. 2). AMcKinsey report projected how much learning students would lose based on various return-to-school scenarios during the 2020–21 school year, recognizing that student access to and quality of remote learning, the amount and quality of support available at home, and overall engagement all factor into the amount of learning loss.

FAQs

What caused the rapid transition to online learning in 2020?

The coronavirus pandemic struck, forcing schools and districts to shift quickly from business-as-usual schooling to online schooling.

What challenges did educators and families face during at-home learning?

Districts needed to provide technology and platforms, teachers had to redesign lessons for digital routines, and parents and caregivers became major participants without always having preparation or support.

Why does the document argue there is no road map for the fall of 2020 and beyond?

It states educators and leaders face an unprecedented adaptive challenge, with temptation to revert to familiar top-down technical fixes, even though “normal” may not return.

Oct 15, 2026

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