Higher educational institutions have invested heavily to provide students, teachers and administrators with more bandwidth for Internet access. When Covid-19 forced most people from these facilities, however, the exodus also cut-off broadband connectivity for some, a seemingly unsurmountable hurdle when classes were online and public gathering places that dished up WiFi were closed.
While urbanites often have multiple high-speed broadband options, ranging from fiber-based gigabit speeds to phone-powered digital subscriber line (DSL), rural residents may only have satellite or cell phone service. As competition increases, prices drop. Providers often are allowed to over-build – install multiple lines of fiber or cables – in lucrative parts of a city, yet virtually ignore other areas.
In fact, up to 51% of students – K-12 and higher-ed – cannot log onto high-speed broadband, an August 2020 survey by Visual Objects found.
Furthermore, approximately 10% of students of color lacked Internet-enabled devices to participate in virtual classes, and 15% of Latinx students cited an inability to access reliable internet as a challenge to remote learning, according to a nationwide survey conducted by Global Strategy Group in partnership with The Education Trust-West.
To help students access the Internet so they can more easily stay in current in school, maintain their studies and build relationships with peers, faculty and advisors, higher-education administrators and professors have used some innovative approaches.
1. Lending Plus
The University of Michigan's Information and Technology Services division developed "Sites @ Home," to supplement its laptop-loaner program, an offering for those students who cannot afford their own devices. In addition to specialized software and Windows PCs, the solution lets students on and off campus connect to the university's applications and other resources.
“We are proud to support students who have remote learning needs (both distance and on-campus) to remove the technology barriers they may face by providing well-equipped laptops,” said Bob Jones, executive director, ITS Support Services, in a blog.
2. Tech for All
The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) teamed up with Microsoft; all students and staff receive Microsoft Surface Pro devices and access to Microsoft Teams. The historically Black land-grant university already had been piloting the hardware before the pandemic.
"This issue is about more than students’ academic success — it’s about their ability to be successful in the workforce,” said Dr. Carl Moore, UDC’s Assistant Chief Academic Officer. “We are thinking about the Black and Brown kids who are growing up across the US. We need to create parity [in digital literacy] for them."
3. Partnering for Parity
Several internet providers opened additional free hotspots and gave free services to students within their coverage areas. With more cable operators now offering mobile communications (frequently without data caps, albeit with data slowdowns after students reach a certain usage point), wireless access is increasingly available across most of the United States.
Charter and Spectrum recently officially launched their 60-day free broadband and WiFi offering (which first debuted in March) for households with K-12 and college students that don't already have Spectrum broadband. Other operators are working with their local schools and faculty to bridge the digital divide.
4. Taking the Pulse
Many universities are polling their own students to determine the specific needs they have, their individual challenges and how the facility can address these concerns. Rather than relying on nationwide or even regional trends, directly reaching out to students – preferably via multiple modes, such as app, email and online form – demonstrates consideration. Following up the poll with news about the results and an action plan further shows the educational institution's investment and involvement in student satisfaction and success.
5. Keep Communicating
Zoom and Webex garner attention for their roles in today's meetings, yet faculty-student one-on-ones are just as easily held via phone or Facetime, for students who have limited bandwidth. Knowing they can text or email their professor reassures students, especially those who are digitally isolated,
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have bills in play that would more directly address this concern by funding more high-speed broadband infrastructure in under- and unserved areas. However, these bills apparently aren't going anywhere – something higher education faculty are determined won't happen to their students.