ZOOMING PAST THE PANDEMIC: NEW PERSPECTIVES AND POSITIVE OUTCOMES IN REMOTE LEARNING.

Many institutions have treated remote learning as a temporary measure to handle challenges of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Adult Basic Education/Adult Secondary Education (ABE/ASE) program at Southeast Community College (SCC) in Lincoln, Nebraska, found that remote learning provided enhanced learning opportunities to both instructors and students. In addition to enhanced digital literacy and convenience, data showed that remote classes, which included Zoom classes and distance learning, continued to be in demand even after classes returned in person. Data showed that remote classes outperformed in-person classes in terms of students' gains in reading, math, and high school equivalency. Based on the learning opportunities, demand, and student performance, remote learning has been embraced and is now an intentional, effective, and popular option for SCC's ABE/ASE students. The commitment to and acceptance of remote learning as an additional location has allowed challenges to be recognized and addressed to create a successful program addition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]