As we know, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted most aspects of our lives from home, to work, to school. Graduate literacy programs are no different. While remote learning has presented challenges in all subjects, many educators feel that early reading instruction and the lack of that instruction due to the pandemic is problematic.
Teaching young children how to read and write is historically a hands-on practice and involves the manipulation of letter tiles, forming shapes and letters, and face-to-face remediation. Vocabulary instruction and comprehension also traditionally take place in person.
As the pandemic has changed traditional practices, colleges are changing what they offer within their literacy education degrees. Many graduate programs, including those related to literacy, such as a master’s degree in reading and literacy or doctorate in reading and literacy, have changed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some programs, for example, have expanded their course offerings, tweaked their course content, and moved more toward an online approach.
Expansion of Course Offerings
One of the most notable changes in graduate literacy programs due to the pandemic is the expansion of course offerings. According to McKinsey and Company, data shows that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students in grades K-12 on student learning left students behind by an average of five months.
The pandemic widened achievement gaps all over the country, creating a need for change in college courses that prepare educators to help bridge the gap. Furthermore, federal funds are available to help fund response to intervention in schools. Some colleges may use these funds to expand their course offerings.
Such courses might include:
- Learning Loss
- Remote Transition
- Best Practices in Online Instruction
Instructions in higher education are planning for continued uncertainty due to the pandemic. They are also concerned about any future natural disasters or crises that might arise. Several faculty have expressed a need to supplement online learning strategies for online learning and help educators be both effective and engaging during online learning. Courses regarding online learning are designed to help students transition in and out of the classroom, analyze student perceptions and online learning, evaluate the usefulness of online instruction, and plan quality lessons that can be taught in-person and online.
Change in Course Content
Many online graduate literacy programs have specifically changed content due to the pandemic. For example, some course content reflects the literacy need for students due to the pandemic and how teachers can adapt instruction to meet the needs of students. Many students in public schools are far behind grade-level expectations because they have missed a year or more of in-person learning. This means that teachers need tools to help students grow exponentially in reading and get back on track.
Many graduate literacy programs incorporate some form of response to intervention. Additionally, many graduate literacy courses teach their adult students how to best provide students with a hybrid of online and in person learning, should the need arise due to the recent pandemic and future occurrences of online instructional needs.
Themes that are often present in the expansion of course content include:
- Knowing the students you teach
- Having a variety of resources available to teach online/hybrid reading instruction
- Selecting appropriate tools for online and in-person learning
- Organizing and communicating expectations
- Providing literacy intervention
- Analyzing student needs and differentiating appropriately
- Providing quality feedback
Online/Hybrid Courses
According to an article published by Harvard Business Review, the move toward online graduate courses is long overdue. The article reports that even pre-pandemic, students wished for higher education to provide students with a more online and hybrid college experience. This is especially true for students who are already participating in the workforce. The option of having online courses available is undoubtedly more appealing to those already working because it allows for students to participate and work simultaneously.
Considering the changes that the pandemic has brought, potential graduate students need to understand what programs are available so that they can select the right graduate program. As educators continue to navigate the ever-changing needs of students, they need to have access to tools that will help students grow through the pandemic.
Ready to impact students through reading? Explore our available reading and literacy programs and start your next journey today!
