Continuity of Instruction: Planning Beyond the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional education in unprecedented ways, forcing schools to shift rapidly to remote instruction. In the years since, one lesson remains clear: preparing for continuity of instruction must be a permanent priority, not just a temporary crisis response. As Simonson and Zvacek (2024) emphasize in Chapters 10–12 of Teaching and Learning at a Distance, successful distance education depends on more than just tools and technology; it requires thoughtful planning around infrastructure, instructional design, and ongoing professional development.
Drawing from these chapters, the CoSN Rethinking Education rubric, and national resources from SETDA and ClassLink, this post reflects on how schools can build sustainable systems that ensure learning never stops, whether facing a pandemic, natural disaster, or day-to-day disruptions.
1. Infrastructure Must Be More Than Devices
When schools talk about being "1:1," many assume that means they’re ready for digital learning. But Simonson and Zvacek (2024) caution that devices alone don’t ensure access. True readiness includes bandwidth, tech support, secure platforms, and student-friendly tools (p. 281). The CoSN Continuity of Learning Rubric echoes this by ranking digital equity and infrastructure as foundational to any plan. According to the rubric, high-performing districts not only provide devices and hotspots but also ensure consistent access to cloud-based tools and offline learning backups.
For example, Alabama’s Education Continuity Plan includes funding for Wi-Fi buses and broadband access, a strong step toward equitable remote learning. However, as the SETDA eLearning Coalition points out, rural and high-poverty districts still face barriers like inconsistent connectivity and device repair delays.
Actionable Takeaway: Schools should regularly audit tech access (home bandwidth, device condition, LMS usability) and prepare a flexible toolkit of both digital and offline resources for instructional continuity.
Check out the video below to see CoSN's Community Leadership Award for Digital Equity:
2. Instructional Design Needs to Be Student-Centered
In a well-planned virtual environment, instruction isn’t just uploaded, it’s designed. Simonson and Zvacek (2024) highlight the importance of learner interaction, feedback, and multimedia use in Chapters 10 and 11. Crisis schooling often failed here, relying on static worksheets or long Zoom lectures. As the ClassLink Continuity Guidebook notes, strong instructional design includes chunked lessons, interactive tools, formative assessments, and multiple modes of engagement.
The CoSN rubric rates instructional design highly when courses are aligned to standards, provide ongoing feedback, and allow for both synchronous and asynchronous learning. Alabama ACCESS courses, for example, use a modular approach that integrates pre-recorded instruction, online labs, and peer interaction.
Actionable Takeaway: Teachers and instructional leaders should use a consistent course design model (e.g., ADDIE or UDL) and embed both formative and summative assessment opportunities into their digital lessons.
The ADDIE Instructional Design Model:
3. Professional Development Can't Be an Afterthought
One of the clearest lessons from the pandemic is that teachers need ongoing, job-embedded support to deliver effective remote instruction. Simonson and Zvacek (2024) note in Chapter 12 that professional development (PD) must address both pedagogy and technology integration, and that it should be iterative and needs-based (p. 315). According to SETDA’s eLearning resources, high-performing districts offer personalized PD on digital tools, instructional design, and data-driven decision-making.
The CoSN rubric further supports this, scoring districts highest when they provide tiered professional learning, just-in-time tech help, and PLC opportunities. For example, some districts implemented “digital learning coaches” during the pandemic to assist teachers in real time. This model aligns with Simonson and Zvacek’s emphasis on collaborative planning and mentoring structures.
Actionable Takeaway: Schools should treat professional learning as continuous, offering hybrid PD sessions, on-demand video libraries, and tech-integration coaching.
Conclusion: Planning for More Than Just the Next Crisis
The emergency phase of remote learning may be behind us, but the urgency to plan for instructional continuity is not. Whether navigating a pandemic, weather-related school closure, or student absences, schools must be equipped to deliver meaningful learning anytime, anywhere. The work begins with solid infrastructure, deepens through student-centered design, and is sustained by empowered educators.
By leveraging the guidance of experts like Simonson and Zvacek (2024) and organizations like CoSN, SETDA, and ClassLink, school leaders can build a future-ready system, not just to survive disruptions but to thrive through them.
References
ClassLink. (2020). Learning continuity guidebook. https://www.classlink.com/blog/continuity-guidebook
Consortium for School Networking (CoSN). (2023). Rethinking education: Continuity of learning rubric. https://www.cosn.org/rethinking-education/continuity-of-learning
Simonson, M., & Zvacek, S. (2024). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (8th ed.). Information Age Publishing.
State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA). (2021). eLearning coalition resources. https://www.setda.org/priorities/digital-learning/elearning-coalition/
I agree that planning for instructional continuity must be an ongoing priority, not just a response to emergencies. As you noted, being 1:1 doesn’t guarantee readiness. True infrastructure includes bandwidth, tech support, and accessible tools. Despite efforts like Alabama's Wi-Fi buses, equity gaps still exist, especially in rural and underserved areas.
ReplyDeleteYour emphasis on student-centered instructional design is also critical. Simply uploading materials isn’t enough models like ADDIE and UDL help create engaging, accessible learning for all students.
Finally, professional development must be continuous and focused on both pedagogy and technology. Simonson and Zvacek (2024) and Trust and Whalen (2020) both stress that flexible, job-embedded PD greatly improves instructional effectiveness.
Your post highlights that the goal isn’t just to survive disruption, but to build systems that help schools thrive through it.
References
Simonson, M., & Zvacek, S. (2024). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (8th ed.). IAP.
Trust, T., & Whalen, J. (2020). K–12 teachers’ experiences and challenges with using technology for emergency remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. TechTrends, 64(5), 703–711. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-020-00555-7
Hi Zach,
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great post! Your emphasis on strategic planning for continuity of instruction echoes Simonson and Zvacek’s (2024) point that strong distance education requires aligned leadership, infrastructure, and instructional strategy, not just crisis reaction.
I also appreciated your mention of teacher networks and support systems. Sato et al. (2024) found that flexible models and sustained faculty development are essential for effective online learning beyond emergency settings.
Additionally, your discussion of lesson design made me think of Branch (2009), who emphasized that models like ADDIE help create learner-centered, performance-based instruction that adapts well to remote settings.
You’ve clearly connected policy and practice in meaningful ways, this was very well done!
References
Branch, R. M. (2009). Instructional design: The ADDIE approach. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09506-6
Sato, S. N., et al. (2024). Navigating the new normal: Adapting online and distance learning in the post-pandemic era. Education Sciences, 14(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14010019
Simonson, M., & Zvacek, S. (2024). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (8th ed.). Information Age Publishing.