Mahliat Tamrat ‘23
EA’s administration faced a daunting decision regarding EA’s opening policies for the 2020-2021 school year that left the student body wondering whether they would be hybrid, virtual, or in-person. Gaeli Keffer-Scharpf ’23 recalls, “I remember it was really nerve-wracking because a lot of us had been cooped up in our houses all summer and wondered whether or not we were going to see our friends again.” Episcopal announced the virtual start on August 17, 2020, and shifted to an on-campus plan paired with the virtual opt-out option on September 14, 2020. A large portion of the student body decided to attend school on-campus, creating a small minority of virtual students who had opted out of real-life school. Mike Letts, Head of Upper School, says that there were around 30-40 students who opted to be virtual in the first semester. In the second semester, there are around 10-15 virtual students, five of whom plan to be back after spring break.
In comparison to their in-person experience, virtual students feel that they have missed out on crucial aspects of learning. Lily Zhao ’22, who went online for the first semester, reflects on her online learning experience, saying that “virtual learning makes it harder to concentrate in classes and there’s less motivation to be productive and engage.” Ezana Tedla ’22, who also went virtual for the first semester, agrees, saying, “At times, I had less motivation to complete assignments and it was more difficult to participate virtually.” Zhao also mentions how virtual learning does not offer other key aspects of schooling such as socialization, remarking that “online learning also gets rid of the normal social interactions that naturally come with being in real life, which is a huge disadvantage.”
Along with the social aspect, some students feel that they have missed out on learning opportunities. When posed with the question of how accommodating the Episcopal faculty has been towards the small minority of virtual students, Sarah Kotapka ’23 explains how she personally appreciates her teachers’ attempts at inclusion, stating, “I think that a lot of my teachers do a great job to try to help virtual students as much as they can. In some classes, like science with labs or english with group discussions, it gets a bit harder to engage, but I think that that is just one of the inevitable disadvantages of being online [while other students are in person].” Meanwhile, Tedla believes that “Episcopal could make more of an effort to change the interaction between online and in-person students by bridging a gap between the two.”
Faculty are doing their best to bridge this gap, but it seems as if they are also having a difficult time with the unprecedented teaching circumstances. Shannon Crowley, computer science teacher, explains that “for the end of last year, it was not too bad to adapt to virtual learning because I already had a rapport with my students, but on the other hand, starting off the year virtual without meeting my students this year first was really tough.” Crowley continues, saying that “it seems students are very fearful of asking questions when they do not understand, because it is like they are on a stage when they talk on Zoom, so I try to make my lessons as simplified as possible.” Generally, Crowley’s final assessment is that “students are significantly more engaged in person” because there are less distractions, but she, along with the Episcopal faculty, are trying to be as inclusive as possible.
This new form of learning has created a rise in concerns as to how effective virtual education is, especially as the general consensus of the virtual students agreed that they prefer on-campus schooling. However, many virtual students claimed that online learning has not been as difficult as perceived. The door that has been opened to online learning will forever leave a mark on Episcopal’s future education, especially with the constant option of virtual school.