A recent survey of Canadian parents has brought up concerns that some schools were not ready for the move to online learning, when the pandemic hit.

Citrix Canada surveyed 500 Canadian parents and 43% believed that schools were not prepared with only 15% responding that their children’s schools were ready and already made using remote teaching tools and systems. 14% reported students struggling with persistent technical problems in online classes, while 22% had to acquire additional devices to participate in online classes.

Despite the complications the survey shows 83% of parents believe technology contributes to a good learning experience, while 48% are convinced that remote learning can be successful with the right tools and good instructions.

The top things parents would like to see moving forward include more direct interaction with teachers through video (58%), better organization of remote learning (55%), and improving teacher’s remote teaching skills (48%).

Meanwhile, university students were also surveyed by Citrix Canada and are responding well to online classes, but express concerns studies could be negatively impacted.

500 students across the country were surveyed with 40% saying they prefer a hybrid model of learning with on-site and online lectures, while 20% report they would even continue their entire studies online. When the pandemic began, the survey says 29% of students did need to reconfigure because they had no access to online lectures before the crisis.

Meanwhile 75% of students are concerned that remote classes will have negative impacts on the quality of studies, and getting the right mix will be critical.

Vice President and General Manager of Citrix Canada says with the right tools and technology, online and remote learning can complement schooling and academic education, as we work together during the current crisis and better prepare ourselves to quickly overcome future disruptions.