Abstract
AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has presented a formidable challenge to the Russian school system. Such global challenges and crises highlight the significance of the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE)’s third mission: responsibility for the well-being of the community.As one of the first universities to offer support to elementary and secondary education systems in Russia during the pandemic, the HSE relied on its ability to create new scientific knowledge and make it useful in practice to provide versatile and targeted aid for students, teachers, regional administrators, and parents across the country. There were two main vectors of HSE activity at the time of the pandemic: (1) promoting the development of the Russian education system through research, monitoring, and coordination of scholars and analysts and (2) direct work with secondary and high school stakeholders using contemporary approaches for talent development and digital tools.The pandemic revealed the importance of developing new areas of research and analysis. In line with the first vector, the HSE focused on: Monitoring and studying the situation and collecting and promoting university and school case studies on organizing work during a pandemic Leading and participating in professional reflections and discussions regarding experiences and training practices in the context of a lockdown The institution organized an array of surveys with students, teachers, parents, and representatives from regional and municipal education organizations and analyzed the results as quickly as possible. The main areas of research were problems of educational inequality and digital transformation. Based on the collected data, the Institute of Education managed to publish more than 30 analytical works between April and June of 2020.For the second vector, the HSE developed programs that seek to expand its geographic reach, implement flexible recruitment, and digitize communication with school students. Such programs aimed at: Training personnel while consulting with administrators and educators on the technological and legal aspects of the work of schools. Providing online instruction and assistance for students learning software tools and preparing for exams. Helping parents arrange support for children in the transition to distance learning. For this period, the HSE quickly and effectively expanded cooperation with schools in Moscow and regions around Russia that the institution developed over the last 15 years. Key current projects working in this direction are: The HSE School District The Lyceum Distributed Schools The Higher Students Academy The Higher School for Parents
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic presented a formidable challenge to the Russian school system
There is every reason to believe that the challenges created by the pandemic will have an impact on the research agenda of the Institute of Education, bringing attention to research on the digital divide, psychological well-being, learning autonomy, and agency
In addition to lessons learned in specific areas of research, the experience of supporting schools during this period stimulated the consideration of creating a set of primary research vectors at the Institute of Education; primary research vectors bring a concentration of research efforts to solve major challenges and gaps in the institution’s understanding of these issues
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic presented a formidable challenge to the Russian school system. Most schools have shifted to remote learning. The HSE did not focus solely on its own challenges but actively participated in supporting the Russian school system. This support involved direct aid to schools, 16 Supporting Elementary and Secondary Education During the Pandemic: A Case... 245 teachers, students, and their families through various training and methodological support programs, studies, and consulting projects as well as hosting discussion forums Both faculty and students, including volunteers and alumni, contributed to these projects. This case study demonstrates the role that a major national university plays in supporting elementary and secondary education in Russia during a pandemic. We seek to answer the question of how the university acted to fulfill its “third mission” during the pandemic
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