Five years on – how the pandemic changed our classrooms

Five years ago, the abrupt arrival of COVID-19 changed lives. How people worked, connected, did business and carried out their daily routines were transformed in ways that were previously unimaginable.

How young people were educated was also disrupted as schools closed their classrooms and doors. Students and teachers had to familiarise themselves with online learning, and technologies and educational platforms were swiftly introduced that took this evolving educational world to new levels.

Learning could now take place wherever a student’s home, laptop and internet connection happened to be…

From disruption to opportunity

While the wholescale, enforced shift to online learning initially caused some disruption and angst, it also illuminated the potential and opportunities of learning being taken out of the traditional classroom environment.

Perhaps one unexpected positive arising from the pandemic was the revelation that well-designed and thoughtfully-planned online learning can be a valuable support to students whose life situation, interests and learning preferences may simply not suit the traditional classroom.

As teachers and parents observed, some students thrived in a learning environment where they had more control over the pace of their learning, and the shape of their day. The pandemic demonstrated that online learning can be a much-needed option for those young people, no matter where they live, ensuring they gain the knowledge and skills needed to succeed post-school.

The evolution continues

So, five years after online learning was foisted upon schools, how has it continued to evolve and why are some young people still choosing to learn in this way, long after traditional classrooms have resumed business as usual?

Online schools are seeing steep growth in enrolments, with some schools reporting up to a 63% increase in enrolments since 2019 and the emergence of the pandemic.

A few years before the pandemic’s arrival in Australia, Haileybury, one of Australia’s leading private schools, was already developing a fully online campus, Haileybury Pangea. It was launched in Victoria in 2023 and in the Northern Territory in 2024. Since launching, Haileybury Pangea’s enrolments have more than doubled.

Joanna Baker, Head of Campus at Haileybury Pangea, says the pandemic underscored the effectiveness of online learning – when it is done well. The school has continued to expand its curriculum, the technologies available to teachers and students, and its geographical reach. Enrolment numbers have grown, with students now spread across metropolitan, suburban and rural Victoria and the Northern Territory.

“The pandemic brought some important and valuable shifts in the way schools think about education and the different forms of learning available to students. New technological tools have opened up opportunities for students, their families and teachers,” says Joanna.

Changing pedagogies and practices

“During the past five years, the quality of online instruction has accelerated. Every educator in most countries had to do some form of online teaching during the pandemic, and that brought advancements in pedagogy and practice to this mode of learning. There has been a huge uplift among educators as they have learned to leverage many new technological developments and tools to differentiate and personalise instruction. That has brought lasting benefits to students and schools.”

Prior to and during the pandemic, Haileybury Pangea’s teachers and technology experts designed more than 90 subject courses, and teachers undertook professional development to master the skills required to teach online.

Today, the online school continues to evolve a technology stack that includes a custom-built platform for staff, students and parents to support learning, planning, revision, student time management, student wellbeing, teacher feedback and communication between students, staff and parents. Haileybury Pangea also prioritises the professional development of teachers to ensure that everyone continues to learn and grow.

Breaking new ground

“Innovation and harnessing technology to break new ground in the delivery of quality education online is essential for schools. Students and their families want bespoke programs that deliver a full curriculum and these need to be regularly reviewed and enhanced based on the experiences of students, and the expertise of teachers,” says Joanna.

Online schools are also meeting the needs of a diverse cohort of students including young people who live in remote and regional areas who previously may have had limited schooling options in their local area.

High-achieving and emerging athletes or artistic performers for whom a 9-to-4 school day clashes with rigorous training and travel schedules are also switching to an online education.

Online learning can also provide a more flexible and inclusive environment for young people with a range of health issues who find it challenging to attend a traditional school.

Online schools are also attracting students who, during the pandemic, simply discovered they were more suited to attending online classrooms and study sessions.

Writing in The Conversation in March 2022, some of Australia’s leading educators pointed out that the pandemic ‘changed some parents’ and children’s expectations and experiences of schooling, with many parents recognising that online schooling allowed children to work at their own pace’. They called for more flexibility in Australia’s education system.

Anna agrees that a degree of flexibility within the education system is important for students, while still ensuring work expectations and deadlines are met.

“We set clear expectations around what needs to be done and by when, but students can choose when they complete work within a given timeframe,” says Anna.

Tackling the drift away from teaching

The shift to online learning during the pandemic also brought benefits to teachers seeking more autonomy and flexibility in how and when they work. At a time of teacher shortages and when the profession is less attractive to many young people choosing a career path, increasing flexibility for teachers and allowing them to carve out a greater work-life balance are critical.

The flexibility of teaching in the online classroom also supports teachers who are also parents of young children to return to work sooner if they choose to. It also helps retain the talents and expertise of educators who are seeking a sea or tree change as exactly where the teacher is teaching from no longer becomes a limiting factor.

“There has been a drift away from teaching and attracting and retaining teachers has been, and continues to be, a challenge for schools,” says Joanna.

“Teachers are looking for more flexibility in their schedule and that’s not always possible in an on-campus setting. I think schools have to look at how they can provide teachers with greater flexibility and autonomy – and perhaps that is through using the kind of technologies used in online schools that mean teachers can reach students beyond their brick-and-mortar classroom.”

Learnings for the future

The Review of remote and online learning experience during COVID-19, prepared by the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO), took stock of lessons learned through the pandemic period. It particularly focused on approaches to remote and online learning that are most beneficial to students, and the effect of delivering schooling via remote and online learning on a range of outcomes, including wellbeing and achievement.

The Review highlighted a number of potential outcomes and opportunities for the future.

In terms of supporting the current and future teacher workforce, the Review highlighted that ‘digital ready’ teachers who understand best practice in online and remote classrooms are more likely to deliver quality teaching and learning and improve student achievement and engagement. So ongoing professional learning opportunities for teachers and school staff are key.

The Review also underscored the importance of ‘high-quality and robust online and remote learning resources and infrastructure’ to support and connect students, teachers and families and recommended schools conducting critical assessments of technology tools to evaluate their accessibility and impact on student outcomes.

A lightbulb moment

The popularity of online schooling sparked by the pandemic continues to rise and technological innovations continue to be onboarded to engage students and to help teachers deliver learning in ways that are creative, effective and impactful.

“I think the kinds of technologies being leveraged in online classrooms will gradually find their way into more traditional ways of schooling to make learning more personalised generally,” says Joanna.

“Online learning is challenging dogmas around how schools should be, and it is forcing schools to rethink structures that have been in place for so long. Our aim is to deliver an educational experience that meets every student where they are and helps them progress every day – it’s very personalised and it supports young people to become independent, self-regulated learners.

“Since COVID-19, the shift in the educational landscape has been huge. Before the pandemic, online learning would not have been on the radar of many families but a significant group of those families saw their child thrive in online learning. It was a lightbulb moment.”