Education was hit particularly hard during the Covid-19 pandemic with students worldwide having to switch from formal face-to-face classes to a range of remote learning alternatives.
Leading global software provider Citrix, which specializes in providing secure online workspaces, wanted to understand more about parents’ and university students’ experience with the remote learning support and tools put in place by educational institutions.
Working with OnePoll, Citrix commissioned two arms of research, the first focusing on students currently undertaking undergraduate or postgraduate programmes of study at universities and the second, focusing on parents of children aged between 6 and 18 years of age.
7,000 surveys were completed by respondents spanning seven countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Singapore and the UK.
The results were thought-provoking with around 25% of parents having to purchase additional equipment in order to facilitate remote learning and over 47% facing real challenges accessing the applications at the start of lockdown.
Students were affected too with over 30% only partly able to continue their studies and nearly 70% having concerns that remote learning would negatively affect their studies.
Despite this, both groups felt that remote learning could be effective if done correctly, noting that while software tools were crucial, of equal importance was the communication between education institute and parent or student, and the ability of both the teacher and the student to effectively use the tools.
OnePoll compiled topline summaries for Citrix covering each of the seven markets along with a merged executive summary. Individual and merged data tables were also delivered.