In this edition of "Equity Dispatch," we discuss equity implications around disciplinary policies in virtual learning contexts. We offer practical applications of principles of Universal Design for Learning & Culturally Responsive Pedagogy as proactive strategies for engaging students in virtual learning activities.

The COVID-19 Education Continuation Plan presented in this report is designed to maximize instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic while using non-traditional instruction (NTI) to reach 1,062 hours of instruction in all Kentucky school districts prior to May 29, 2020. This plan assumes school closure for in-person classes for the remainder of the…

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic upended the US K-12 education system, exacerbated pre-existing challenges around student achievement, and created new obstacles to delivering high-quality learning for all students. Concerns for the US education system were increasing prior to the pandemic as academic achievement and school reforms struggled…

"Proceedings of International Conference on Social and Education Sciences" includes full papers presented at the International Conference on Social and Education Sciences (IConSES), which took place on October 19-22, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The aim of the conference is to offer opportunities to share ideas, discuss theoretical and…

This paper provides mentor teacher experiences involved with the planning, preparation, implementation, and reflection of a virtual mathematics and science summer camp in the summer of 2020. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual the summer camp was forced to pivot to a completely online format. Primary concerns discussed by mentor…

In Spring 2020, schools in many countries had to close in response to the COVID-19 virus pandemic and move to remote teaching. This paper explores the views of pupils, parents/carers and teachers of 'home-school' in one Norwegian municipality, gathered through parallel online surveys in April 2020 during the peak of the COVID-19 lockdown period.…

Online teaching results in knowledge-building. Knowledge-building is the teaching and learning process that helps academics and students to generate specific personal values used to understand their personal identities. Academics have been forced by COVID-19 lockdowns to go online in teaching their students. The purpose of this study is to explore…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, an at-home laboratory program was created and implemented for a section of the general chemistry course at the University of Southern California. The experiments were designed to only utilize safe household items and no special equipment. These laboratory activities, spanning over 4 weeks, focused on concepts usually…

In the wake of the effort to control the rapid spread of COVID-19, social distancing measures took hold at Wheaton College. Students and faculty described new contexts in which they would be learning: now sharing confined spaces at home with others, unable to have all the answers they needed to understand the future of their work, working through…

At the height of nationwide lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, up to 1.6 billion children were affected by school closures, causing the largest mass disruption of education in modern history. This joint report by UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) presents new insights into children and young people's access to digital…

Around the world, young people face considerable challenges. Even before the disruption of the Covid-19 crisis, policymakers were seeking to respond to rapid technological advances, climate change and -- in some countries -- an ageing population and workforce. While children and young people worldwide generally have high aspirations and ambitions…

Considering how COVID-19 may impact the upcoming school year, members of the Region 7 Comprehensive Center (R7CC) Advisory Board requested information about best practices on distance and blended learning. To help slow the spread of the disease, social distancing strategies may include limited to zero access to school buildings, allowing for…

In this study, the authors examined middle school mathematics teachers' perceptions of their instructional practices with students with disabilities (SWDs) during face-to-face instruction before the COVID-19 pandemic and eLearning during the pandemic. A survey explored teachers' use of research-supported practices and the challenges and supports…

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic swept the nation by surprise, leaving a deep-seated impact on individuals' social, mental, and physical health. Despite there being disparities between Black and White/non-Hispanic individuals, minimal research has been conducted to explore the effects of the virus on marginalized groups. This study…

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused an urgent necessity for higher education institutions and their teaching staff to move the educational process online in the shortest possible time. It should be admitted that higher education worldwide is changing, and institutions face challenges when adapting to the new COVID-19 reality -- blended digital…