Lockdown Learning: Changes in Online Foreign-Language Study Activity and Performance of Dutch Secondary School Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic caused lockdowns and sudden school closures around the world in spring 2020, significantly impacting education of students. Here, we investigate how switch to distance learning affected study activity performance an online retrieval practice tool used for language Dutch secondary education. We report insights from a rich data set consisting over 115 million trials completed by more than 133 thousand students course two consecutive years. Our findings show that usage increased substantially at start lockdown, with bulk occurring on weekday mornings. In general, students’ progress through material was largely unaffected although highest educational track were somewhat likely be or ahead schedule lower tracks, compared previous year. Performance individual generally stable, but accuracy response time open answer questions went up, perhaps as result being focused home. These encouraging contribute growing literature ramifications during lockdown.