Over the past six months, The Webby Awards has researched how the pandemic is transforming our world. The education field is shifting, with many students now completely dependent on online platforms, like Zoom and Google.

In partnership with YouGov we conducted a consumer survey of over 3,000 households to identify how the internet is transforming education.

AMONG THE KEY FINDINGS:

• 62% of Americans that have participated in schooling/education online since the start of the pandemic think online Education is better or about the same than in person
• 32% of parents admitted to having struggled with online schooling
• Nearly 50% are ready for the education system to permanently change in some way with new options for virtual education

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR RESEARCH:

• More accessible yet more exclusive: Education became simultaneously more accessible via free online classes and to those who work better without the stress of social engagement and also more exclusive given the large amount of people without Internet access.

• Some thrive in virtual settings: With some students thriving in a virtual setting, remote learning must remain an option regardless of public health or other environmental factors so that all students can learn best suited to their needs.

• Virtual education comes with more hurdles than most predicted: As we consider the development of new platforms and curriculum these issues of inequality and accessibility need to be addressed.

Hopefully, we won’t suffer through another global pandemic. But as always, education remains our hope and future.

Learn more by reading the 2020 Webby Awards Trend Report now