2.2.1 Equity issues: student access to computers,
Internet, and software programs
One concern for inclusive remote teaching is student access to computers
and software tools. Many low-income students may not have a personal
computer or may be sharing a personal computer with others trying to
work from home. Many universities provide site licenses for common
software tools for enrolled students. However, these may be limited to
computers that have accessed the campus wireless network - i.e., a
desktop computer in the student’s home or place of business may not be
covered. In this case, the instructor may consider use of cloud-based
tools or platforms. Cloud-based platforms refers to a situation
in which software is hosted on a server and not the student’s computer.
Google Sheets is an example of a cloud-based equivalent to Microsoft
Excel or Apple Pages. If the student has access to their Google account,
they can access the software to do their activities no matter what
computer they are using. Similar services exist for other data
analytical applications, such as RStudio Server for courses using R or
JupyterHubs for courses using R or Python for data analyses. If the
university has a Microsoft 365 affiliation, this is another option for
cloud-based programs.
Instructors must also consider that, while open-source or cloud-based
tools are free, access to a stable internet connection is necessary to
use these tools (Sarvary and Gifford, 2016). If the only way a student
can access the internet is through a mobile device, are the tools
mobile-compatible? Internet availability can be a challenge to some
students who reside in rural areas or in large communal living
situations with limited bandwidth. Additionally, from a socioeconomic
standpoint, students may not have access to reliable internet due to the
inability of their families to afford it. The COVID-19 pandemic is
likely to amplify this disparity due to the economic downturn. Some
students may have the ability to make a phone a “hot spot” for
internet. Others may need to use public spaces (e.g., coffee shops,
public library) which may prove difficult if pandemic-related social
distancing protocol are still in place. Some internet providers gave
COVID-19 breaks to students and families during spring, 2020, but it is
unclear if those affordances will carry into fall. At the institutional
level, there needs to be a concerted effort to assess the needs of
students and make sure every student has computer and internet access.
At the course level, clear and explicit technology expectations of the
course should be shared with the students prior to enrollment, and
should be included in the syllabus and in the course description, if
possible. Lastly, it will likely be advantageous for instructors to poll
students prior to the start of the course to assess individual
technology access and limitations, this information can be used to make
adjustments or find alternatives.