Considerations for Equity and Access
As we make alternative teaching plans, we want to keep in mind that not all students have the same level of access and resources. Below there are six areas of consideration to help you think further about technology equity and access for your remote teaching. The related resources are articles that go into more detail about the six areas of consideration. We conclude this page with links and information on access to internet connectivity.
Although much could be said, here are six areas of consideration about technology equity and access that have been cited as recommendations lately:
- Keep your materials mobile-friendly by using PDF formatting. PDFs can allow students to read course materials on phones/tablets, and file sizes are typically smaller. Many students will have (and may only have) access to mobile devices.
- Videos take up quite a bit of bandwidth. Will your students have computer resources to access quality videos? Are there ways to limit the amount of video and live videos utilized in your course.
- Be aware that students who are not on campus will not have physical access to the library and may lack access to their course textbooks. Consider checking into no-cost, peer-reviewed textbooks created by faculty under Creative Commons Copyright and available through the TTU University Library website or perhaps contact your personal librarian for assistance locating open textbooks or other course resources.
- If your student is unable to complete the course materials or exams, instructors should consider what options are in place or if an alternative assignment is appropriate. Consulting with a course supervisor, colleague, or your department chair may be important to best understand the different options available in your department
- Students may be using an internet connection with multiple people, so it is important to consider the limitations of internet connectivity for people in homes with numerous simultaneous internet use. Aspects of technology equity and technology privilege could affect how engaged or disconnected a student appears in the online learning environment.
- Consider Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as you think about what students may be experiencing at this time. Students may be having difficulty meeting their basic needs (needs indicated lower on the pyramid), making it challenging to take on cognitive processes that are required for learning.
Related resources:
- COVID-19 and Videoclassism: Implicit Bias, Videojudgment, and Why I'm Terrified to Have You Look Over My Shoulder by Taharee Jackson at Linkedin on March 27, 2020.
- Colleges Reacting to The Coronavirus Should Consider the Needs of Students by Wesley Whistle at Forbs on March 9, 2020.
- Planning for Coronavirus with Fewer Resources by Madeline St. Amour at Inside Higher Ed March 11, 2020.
- Inclusion, Equity, and Access While Teaching Remotely by Amanda Jungels, at Rice University's Center for Teaching Excellence on March 11, 2020.
- International Students & COVID-19 Needs by Bridget Banaszak from Franklin University April 2, 2020.
- Corona Viewed From Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs by Glenn Geher at Psychology Today, March 19, 2020.
Links to Information on Internet Connectivity
- Federal Communication Commission (FCC) agreement stating that providers will waive late fees, not cutoff service for lack of payment, and open hotspots.
- Xfinity Comcast COVID-19 response: offers free WiFi for two months to low-income families, plus all Xfinity hotspots are free to the public during this time.
- Charter Free Internet offer for two months
- AT&T COVID-19 response: offers open hotspots, unlimited data to existing customers, and $10/month plans to low-income families.
- Verizon COVID-19 response: no special offers but following the FCC agreement.
- Sprint COVID-19 response: follows FCC agreement, provides unlimited data to existing customers, and, starting Tuesday, 3/17/2020, will allow all handsets to enable hotspots for 60 days at no extra charge.
- T-Mobile COVID-19 response: follows FCC agreement, plus unlimited data to existing customers, and, coming soon, will allow all handsets to enable hotspots for 60 days at no extra charge.
- Suddenlink/Altice/Optimum response: we are offering our Altice Advantage 30 Mbps broadband solution for free for 60 days to any new customer household within our footprint.
- CenturyLink response: no special offers but following the FCC agreement.
References:
- "Connectivity for students who don't have it." posted by Jane Murphy from Colorado College https://www.coloradocollege.edu/other/coronavirus/faq.html
- TTU IT TechAnnounce posted on March 19, 2020 https://techannounce.ttu.edu/Client/ViewMessage.aspx
Teaching, Learning, & Professional Development Center
-
Address
University Library Building, Room 136, Mail Stop 2044, Lubbock, TX 79409-2004 -
Phone
806.742.0133 -
Email
tlpdc@ttu.edu