Keep Me Connected: No Cost Solutions for Access to Remote Instruction

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting closures of in-person interactions required schools and universities on a worldwide scale to rapidly establish alternative modalities of instructional delivery to ensure continued learning for students ranging from engagement at the elementary school level to the university. The experiences of students at the university level highlighted a number of intersecting issues related to learning in a virtual modality. Several vulnerable populations were disproportionately affected by this sudden switch to a virtual learning environment. The outcome of this decision had several impacts as not every student had homes equipped with immediate access to electronic devices (e.g., computers, iPads, Chromebooks), broadband connectivity (i.e., strong remote connection and speed), and the technical skills needed to successfully navigate online learning. The successful transition from face-to-face to distance learning is highly contingent upon students’ living situations. Students living in low-income households, many of whom are first-generation college students, were disconnected from their campuses that provided quiet and accessible places to study and complete required course assignments and weekly assigned homework with ease of access to technology (e.g., dorm rooms, on-campus library; McCarthy, 2020). The ensuing closures of the COVID-19 pandemic have confined students, and their family members’ daily activities and routines to their homes, potentially resulting in additional distractions. College students raising school-aged children must further balance their own classes while helping their children navigate their own distance learning platforms. Not only are these college students sharing a physical space with family members who are remotely working or distance learning, but they are also sharing a network connection. As the frequency of network users increases, the network speed may become significantly slower, thus hindering stable connectivity. One study found that students with higher Internet speeds were more likely to email teachers, peers, and participate in online activities compared to students with slower Internet speeds (Hampton et al., 2020). The delays with access and continued connectivity may negatively contribute to student productivity and ultimately impact their academic progress. The COVID-19 crisis, has further accentuated and exacerbated students’ lack of access to devices, connectivity, and IT support. The goals of the current chapter are to:

• 1.

  Highlight social inequities surfaced by the resulting closures of the COVID-19 pandemic

• 2.

  Address college students’ concerns regarding the distance learning platforms, technology, and connectivity

• 3.

  Propose no-cost alternative solutions to institutions of higher education to help alleviate the digital and financial obstacles of distance learning