COVID-19 has had an impact on many things, and student learning is one of the big focuses. It has changed many aspects of life, like everyday jobs, school, family life, and more. The fast changes in learning since 2020 have created concern for student learning, and schools have had a hard time deciding whether or not they should be teaching in person or not. “Without data on how the virus impacts student learning, making informed decisions about whether and when to return to in-person instruction remains difficult.” (Meghan Kuhfeld, a writer for Brown Center Chalkboard). When it comes to the pandemic, every decision is important and plays a part in the spread of COVID-19. It is crucial to pay attention to the spread of the virus while making education a number one priority at the same time.

Some studies have shown mixed results, where some students perform better with virtual learning, and some do better with in-person learning. When researching these studies, the information is still new and limited, “…we are only scratching the surface in quantifying the short-term and long-term academic and non-academic impacts of COVID-19” (Kuhfeld). During the beginning of the pandemic, there was data that showed that the shutdown of spring 2020 had a negative impact on student learning, which makes sense to many. 

Now, with everyone experiencing the pandemic for over a year, schools and universities are doing the best they can to improve the circumstances of student learning, “…there is work to be done to help many students get back on track…” (Kuhfeld). The long-term effects are still unknown, but there is more information on the short-term effects every day. Researchers are still learning about the effects of the pandemic, and are working to help all students perform as well as they did before the pandemic.

After being challenged with isolation, struggles, and responsibilities throughout the pandemic, we are all learning to adapt to the new circumstances. No matter what happens, the main focus is to ensure that students are not experiencing any loss of knowledge. We are all hoping for an end to this pandemic, but it will not happen overnight.