tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/distance-learning-13418/articlesDistance learning – The Conversation2023-11-01T14:38:22Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2158352023-11-01T14:38:22Z2023-11-01T14:38:22ZMultimedia is key to distance education: I built a model South African universities can use<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555235/original/file-20231023-19-xen6rv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Open distance institutions need a comprehensive framework for multimedia teaching and learning.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Moyo Studio</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Distance education first appeared in the United States <a href="http://members.aect.org/edtech/ed1/13/13-02.html#:%7E:text=Distance%20education%20is%20not%20a,learner%20were%20at%20different%20locations">in the 1800s</a>. At the time, students received the relevant material through the post and then returned it to the institution.</p>
<p>Scholars in the field say that distance education is now in its “<a href="https://journals.co.za/doi/abs/10.10520/EJC88840">fifth generation</a>”. This means that, like so much else in the world, knowledge is delivered via the internet. Students want to be able to access learning materials at a time and place that’s convenient to them. Flexibility is key.</p>
<p>The increasingly important role of multimedia in higher education was <a href="http://www.internationalpolicybrief.org/images/2021/MAY/IJORMSSE/ARTICLE12.pdf">emphasised during the COVID pandemic</a>. Universities that previously held in-person classes switched to digital, remote learning. Even though open distance universities were hypothetically better equipped for the switch, since their model meant they already used technology and digital tools, many were more comfortable with a blended learning approach (some in-person teaching and some remote teaching). </p>
<p>It is now nearly four years since COVID was <a href="https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020">declared a global pandemic</a>. Much of society, and much of higher education, has returned to “normal”. </p>
<p>But it’s important that higher education institutions don’t waste the lessons learned during the height of the pandemic about the powerful role that multimedia can play in learning and teaching. This is especially the case for open distance education since it offers a way to improve access to higher education for people from diverse societies and backgrounds.</p>
<p>So, for <a href="https://uir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/30121">my PhD</a> in education, I set out to develop a post-pandemic multimedia framework for teaching and learning in open distance institutions in South Africa. </p>
<p>The study identified a number of challenges that might keep the country’s open distance institutions from adopting such a framework. One is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0736585311000888?casa_token=iXu3p79IS4YAAAAA:WrR1dNfFVwv6fsTxxZzKjDHUBfVjCEegoJUvCaiU3YVLvQrs6JNw_vJ2p2jIjCaBmMbAxDSHHg">insufficient</a> <a href="https://mg.co.za/thoughtleader/opinion/2022-11-10-south-africa-must-bridge-digital-divide-to-best-benefit-from-4ir/#:%7E:text=A%20survey%20by%20Statistics%20South,or%20radio%20and%20television%20broadcasts.">access</a> by both students and institutions, though mostly students, to information and communication technology infrastructure such as capable networks, cloud infrastructure, and the relevant hardware and software tools. </p>
<p>Institutions also need to regularly update their software and ensure that their staff are constantly learning new skills as technologies change. Crucially, institutional websites must be zero-rated – service providers should not charge for access and use of specific internet pages. It also emerged from my research that lecturers found WhatsApp to be a powerful tool for learning and teaching.</p>
<h2>The study</h2>
<p>The majority of students in the country’s higher education institutions are enrolled through the contact mode. But 370,891 (34.5% of all students) are <a href="https://www.dhet.gov.za/DHET%20Statistics%20Publication/Statistics%20on%20Post-School%20Education%20and%20Training%20in%20South%20Africa%202019.pdf#page=17">pursuing their education through distance learning</a>.</p>
<p>To conduct the study, I engaged with 15 participants from three selected support departments (four deans, eight lecturers from four selected colleges, and three support staff participants) at an open distance higher learning institution in South Africa.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/remote-teaching-in-nigeria-and-south-africa-got-a-covid-wake-up-call-how-to-capitalise-on-it-204044">Remote teaching in Nigeria and South Africa got a COVID wake-up call -- how to capitalise on it</a>
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<p>I handed out questionnaires and conducted interviews with these participants. I wanted to know what their skill levels were regarding multimedia technologies and how they used those technologies during the pandemic. I also analysed relevant institutional documents.</p>
<p>One participant emphasised that not only were multimedia solutions made available to staff, but academics were trained to use these. The institution’s multimedia centre, they said, also equipped some staff with “audiovisual tools of the trade such as podcast equipment”.</p>
<p>Several participants emphasised how valuable WhatsApp had been as a platform, particularly for “fast communication” with students. It was also, they said, a good way to build relationships with students. One told me that Facebook was their go-to platform for general communication but that “for module-related content, WhatsApp was the main platform we used”.</p>
<h2>What comes next</h2>
<p>Based on the results of my study, I propose that collaborative leadership is needed to ensure there are proper frameworks for multimedia as teaching and learning tools at open distance institutions. This can serve as a guide to institutions for incorporating multimedia; it helps to organise the structuring of video content, audio, graphics and text in a manner that enhances teaching. </p>
<p>The South African government (particularly the department of higher education and training), individual researchers, educational institutions and the private sector all have a role to play.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/online-teaching-and-learning-is-not-just-for-pandemics-and-it-can-help-solve-old-problems-169650">Online teaching and learning is not just for pandemics and it can help solve old problems</a>
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<p>The government, for instance, should recruit and engage mobile network service providers to install fibre and internet connectivity, even in the country’s rural areas. This will broaden access. Integrating solar systems into electricity supply, especially but not limited to these areas, is also important.</p>
<p>Watching and downloading videos requires a great deal of data. So, zero-rating all websites related to education is another way to create access. In this way students can access all the resources they need, not just static, text-based modules.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215835/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Khanyisile Yanela Twabu does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Institutions mustn’t waste the lessons learned during the height of the pandemic about the powerful role that multimedia can play in learning and teaching.Khanyisile Yanela Twabu, Acting Deputy Director in the Directorate: Academy Applied Technology and Innovation (AATI) under Information Communications Technology Department, University of South AfricaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2040442023-05-08T14:18:16Z2023-05-08T14:18:16ZRemote teaching in Nigeria and South Africa got a COVID wake-up call – how to capitalise on it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522958/original/file-20230426-18-wt22aw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Lecturers felt unprepared for the shift to remote teaching, saying they had neither received nor sought relevant training.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Vadym Pastukh/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Universities had to deal with many <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102211">anxieties and uncertainties</a> during the early days of the COVID pandemic. One of these was how to move all of their teaching online. For some, the process was fairly simple as they had already been offering blended online and in-person lessons.</p>
<p>But many were <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2347631120983481">caught on the wrong foot</a>. We wanted to know how the pandemic had affected training and technology adoption by lecturers at open distance learning institutions in Africa. To find out, we <a href="https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.25159/UnisaRxiv/000016.v1">conducted research</a> at two of the continent’s biggest open distance universities – one in Nigeria and one in South Africa.</p>
<p>We found that, as was the case for <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/234763112098348">many higher education institutions</a>, neither institution was ready at the start of the pandemic for the move to entirely online teaching. This is even though both universities in our study were already using some online learning management systems and digital media to facilitate learning and support students. </p>
<p>Most lecturers we spoke to said they were unprepared for the shift to remote teaching. They had not received or sought relevant training and, so, they were also not able to give their students the necessary support. Training units at the institutions were inundated with requests and couldn’t handle the number of requests from lecturers who wanted to get to grips with their institution’s learning management systems.</p>
<p>The findings confirmed that training for academics needs to be timely, specific, relevant and appropriate for the technology being implemented. If not, it leaves lecturers confused and unable to use relevant teaching and student support technologies. We suggest that all university staff – especially those responsible for the professional development of others – receive regular and continued training to keep themselves relevant and effective.</p>
<h2>Unprepared and unsure</h2>
<p>The two universities collectively serve more than half a million active learners. We interviewed 20 participants from the institutions, most of them academics and many in senior management positions.</p>
<p>The pandemic marked the first time that most lecturers were forced to interact with their institutions’ online teaching tools. Previously, most of the participants said, they’d avoid these tools and systems, finding them too time-consuming. They were not mandated to use these tools, neither institution had comprehensive e-learning policies to effectively regulate and enforce the transition to online teaching.</p>
<p>This meant that, when the pandemic started, many had no idea how to use online learning tools.</p>
<p>One interviewee, who works in the South African institution’s Centre of Professional Development and is responsible for training, told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>During the lockdown in March 2020, we got many training requests for Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams was introduced in 2018; we used to train two, three, less than ten people, but came March 2020 … we were overwhelmed with training requests, especially from academics.</p>
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<p>The universities’ Information and Communication Technology departments were also inundated with requests for basic training like changing the computer password, backing up files and using programs like Microsoft Teams. These skills should, ideally, have been mastered way before the pandemic.</p>
<h2>Some green shoots</h2>
<p>Some positive trends emerged from our research, too. Lecturers had no choice but to “adapt or die” – they had to learn about the technology needed for teaching online. Not only did formal requests for training rise, but many academics also turned to more digitally savvy colleagues for training and advice. Participants at both universities told us their institutions’ general level of computer and digital skills had improved significantly since the onset of the pandemic.</p>
<p>Those lecturers who already regularly used the universities’ learning management systems and other available digital tools effectively before the pandemic became champions of digital innovation. One interviewee said:</p>
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<p>We had champions and ‘flowers’ that were flourishing that suddenly came out and helped through training, mentoring and helping other colleagues how to do certain things. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/online-learning-platforms-arent-enough-lecturers-need-the-right-technical-skills-199310">Online learning platforms aren't enough -- lecturers need the right technical skills</a>
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<p>We also found that all the research participants from both universities were enthusiastic about the opportunities, benefits and future of e-learning in Africa. They realised how technology could help to increase access to higher education by reaching learners even in remote areas.</p>
<h2>The way forward</h2>
<p>Based on our findings we recommend that education institutions design evaluation and monitoring strategies to continuously audit and assess their teaching staffs’ digital skills. Training and development must be relevant to teaching and learning through technologies for lecturers and students. </p>
<p>Higher education institutions also need comprehensive e-learning policies to regulate and enforce the transition and proper implementation of online teaching and learning.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204044/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mpho-Entle Puleng Modise works for the University of South Africa. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geesje van den Berg works at the University of South Africa </span></em></p>Training for academics needs to be timely, specific, relevant and appropriate for the technology being implemented.Mpho-Entle Puleng Modise, Lecturer, University of South AfricaGeesje van den Berg, Commonwealth of Learning Chair in ODL for Teacher Education and Full Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies, University of South AfricaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1993102023-02-27T12:09:15Z2023-02-27T12:09:15ZOnline learning platforms aren’t enough – lecturers need the right technical skills<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509706/original/file-20230213-22-6iyda6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Universities must do more than just offer online learning: they must make sure lecturers know how to adapt to the technology.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ground Picture/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Technology has become the centre of our lives. It has also changed how university students learn and how lecturers teach. Some institutions had <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/1089107.1089139">already shifted</a> to some form of online teaching and learning before 2020. Then the onset of the COVID pandemic made digitised education <a href="https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.25159/UnisaRxiv/000016.v1">commonplace in many parts of the world</a>.</p>
<p>But it’s not enough for universities to offer technological platforms. Those who transfer knowledge – lecturers – must do so skilfully. They must also be able to appropriately support their students through any challenges related to online teaching platforms. </p>
<p>In South Africa, as in many developing countries, most of those entering higher education are <a href="https://www.africanminds.co.za/going-to-university-the-influence-of-higher-education-on-the-lives-of-young-south-africans/">not familiar</a> with online learning. They are not adept at finding their way around the internet. They struggle to navigate university learning management systems. The situation is made worse when lecturers don’t have the skills needed to facilitate classes and tutorials online. This <a href="https://www.vodafone.com/news/public-policy/technology-and-digital-skills-are-key-building-education-system-future">dearth of skills</a> on their lecturers’ part can <a href="https://oup.foleon.com/report/digital-divide/understanding-the-scale-of-the-problem/">negatively affect students’ performance and achievement</a>. </p>
<p>I conducted <a href="https://ejournals.bc.edu/index.php/ijahe/article/view/10902">a study</a> to explore how lecturers’ skills, knowledge and experience in e-learning affect student support. The research focused on an open distance e-learning institution – the <a href="https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/About/The-leading-ODL-university">largest on the African continent</a>. It does not offer any face-to-face learning. Before the pandemic, teaching was based on a blended learning approach: written materials were delivered to students by post; others accessed it online from the university’s learning management system.</p>
<p>So, its teaching staff ought to be extra competent at using online technologies to teach and support students. My participants were academic staff members who had successfully completed a training programme designed to boost their digital skills. I also solicited feedback from students’ discussion forums to see how their learning experiences differed when their lecturers were technologically adept versus when they were not.</p>
<p>I found that most lecturers lacked the knowledge and digital skills necessary for open distance e-learning before the training. This had a significant negative impact on their attitudes to using technology in their teaching. It also hindered their ability to successfully support students. However, the capacity-building programme they completed greatly improved their digital literacy. It also positively shifted their perspectives.</p>
<p>My findings suggest that universities should offer their staff continuous professional development in distance education and e-learning. This will help lecturers to better support and improve the quality of students’ learning experiences.</p>
<h2>What I found</h2>
<p>The study focused on digital skills developed through an international partnership that aimed to develop academics’ capacity for e-learning. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2016.1184399">Existing research</a> had already established that these sorts of partnerships were a good way to equip academics with expertise in information communication technology. This is because facilitators from developed countries, with comparatively long experience, access and knowledge regarding online learning technologies and techniques, are well placed to support those in developing nations like South Africa.</p>
<p>I collected data from participants in several ways, including interviews and online questionnaires. The academic staff I worked with had all participated in a capacity building programme offered as part of a partnership between the <a href="https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default">University of South Africa</a> and the <a href="https://www.umgc.edu/">University of Maryland Global Campus</a> between 2013 and 2015.</p>
<p>I also studied more than 1,000 students’ posts on online discussion forums related to two modules hosted on the university’s <a href="https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/myunisa/default">learning management system</a>.</p>
<p>Most of my participants said the training helped them to better comprehend theories of distance education. It also enabled them to apply those theories when creating learning materials and facilitating learning online. They also felt empowered to increase student engagement, such as by creating online student communities. </p>
<p>The study confirmed that a lecturer’s lack of online facilitation skills can have a negative impact on learner outcomes. Lecturers cannot impart skills they themselves lack or facts they do not know to students: you can’t teach it if you don’t know it. </p>
<h2>Steps to take</h2>
<p>Based on my findings, I suggest that universities, whether they are partially or fully online, should:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>conduct institution-wide surveys to assess the readiness of academic staff for online teaching. The feedback can inform skills development plans and support systems both for academic and support staff.</p></li>
<li><p>create a platform for staff members who complete online teaching training programmes to share information and their experiences. This will contribute to the wider implementation of e-learning. Staff members who complete formal e-learning training programmes also need to be strategically co-opted in research, discussions, and projects within the university to share their knowledge more widely. </p></li>
<li><p>ensure that staff are properly trained and prepared to adapt and to adopt new technologies</p></li>
<li><p>ensure that students are creatively and actively engaged using the digital platforms developed as part of e-learning programmes. This includes being visible on digital platforms such as discussion forums and actively interacting with the students.</p></li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199310/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mpho-Entle Puleng Modise does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Lecturers need to be adept at both the theories of online learning and the technology used to do it.Mpho-Entle Puleng Modise, Lecturer, University of South AfricaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1990222023-02-21T13:13:17Z2023-02-21T13:13:17ZPsychological grit is over-rated as the key to retention in distance education: a South African study debunks the myth<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/508297/original/file-20230206-19-e1my6b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">PeopleImages / Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Psychological grit has garnered a lot of interest in the last decade, particularly in the higher education arena. It’s typically defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals. A great deal has been <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27845531/">written</a> about it and the role it plays in the retention and success of tertiary students. Kelly Anne Young <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02680513.2022.2134003">explored</a> the role grit played in determining postgraduate retention among historically disadvantaged students enrolled at the University of South Africa (Unisa) – the <a href="https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/About/The-leading-ODL-university">largest</a> provider of open, distance e-learning in Africa.</em></p>
<h2>How did you define grit?</h2>
<p>I followed the widely accepted definition of grit coined by <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2007-07951-009">Duckworth and colleagues (2007)</a>. Grit is passion and perseverance for long-term goals, despite setbacks, adversity or plateaus in progress.</p>
<p>My study included 594 Unisa students who enrolled for an honours degree in 2017. Essentially, I wanted to know whether grittier students were more likely than less gritty students to enrol for their second year of studies. </p>
<p>So, I asked them to complete the <a href="https://sjdm.org/dmidi/files/Grit-8-item.pdf">Grit-S scale</a>. This scale includes items relating to your passion and perseverance towards long-term goals – for example, “I finish whatever I begin” and “Setbacks don’t discourage me”. Responses on these items range from “not at all like me” to “very much like me”. The scores are combined to determine an overall level of grit, ranging from 1 (not at all gritty) to 5 (extremely gritty). </p>
<p>My sample scored towards the higher end of the grit spectrum (3.85). </p>
<p>The next year, I checked the proportion of my sample who returned, and paired this retention data with the grit scores. Although a relatively large portion of my sample returned for their second year of studies (62.3%), results revealed that a higher grit score did not mean the student was more likely to continue with their degree.</p>
<p>My study also looked at whether gender, age, ethnicity and home language were significant predictors of retention among the participants. They were not.</p>
<h2>Why did you think it was important to look at the role of grit?</h2>
<p>Retaining historically disadvantaged students in distance education programmes is often cited as a major challenge facing South African higher education institutions. Nowhere is this issue more topical than at Unisa, which has over <a href="https://www.dhet.gov.za/Information%20Systems%20Coordination/Statistics%20on%20Post-School%20Education%20and%20Training%20in%20South%20Africa%202020.pdf">95% of all enrolled distance education students</a> in South Africa. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.dhet.gov.za/HEMIS/2000%20TO%202017%20FIRST%20TIME%20ENTERING%20UNDERGRADUATE%20COHORT%20STUDIES%20FOR%20PUBLIC%20HEIs.pdf">recent cohort analysis</a> by the country’s Department of Higher Education and Training showed that 56.8% of the 2000 cohort of distance education students had dropped out after their first year of studying. That’s double the attrition rate reported among students in the contact cohort (23.6%). Although subsequent distance education cohorts had lower rates of dropout from first to second year (for example 29.6% among the 2017 cohort), these figures are still concerning and require further exploration.</p>
<p>In an attempt to mitigate this dropout and enhance student success at the institution, a number of studies have been conducted. Some have explored cognitive attributes, such as <a href="https://www.journals.ac.za/index.php/sajhe/article/view/249">school leaving exam results</a>, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/18146620902857574">assignment grades</a> and past course performance. Others have looked at non-cognitive attributes, such as <a href="https://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/4325">motivation</a>, <a href="https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/EJC153518">locus of control</a>, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09639280802618130">attribute style</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2017.1356711">self-efficacy</a>, as predictors of success and retention among Unisa students.</p>
<p>This research has resulted in a better understanding of what shapes student retention at Unisa. One review has found, though, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.2190/4YNU-4TMB-22DJ-AN4W">that</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>most institutions have not yet been able to translate what we know about student retention into forms of action that have led to substantial gains in student persistence and graduation. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>The question of grit then arose.</p>
<p>Psychological grit is often positioned as a panacea in higher education. This is because grit has shown enormous potential in predicting student success and retention in elite or historically advantaged traditional tertiary settings, both <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2017.1409478">in South Africa</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087">abroad</a>. What’s more, grit has shown to predict success among tertiary students pursuing their <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0033294117734834">studies online</a> and among <a href="https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v19i3.3393">those completing massive open online courses</a>.</p>
<p>Very little research on grit has been conducted among South African distance education students, though. My <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02680513.2022.2134003">study</a> produced the first published findings on grit’s predictive role in determining retention among historically disadvantaged distance education students in South Africa.</p>
<h2>Why did you choose this particular cohort of students?</h2>
<p>I included certain ethnic groups in the study as a proxy for historical disadvantage, because of the way apartheid policies identified these groups. The 594 Unisa students in my sample were black African (83% of the sample), Indian, Chinese and mixed-race South Africans who enrolled for an honours degree for the first time in 2017.</p>
<p>As an ongoing consequence of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/apartheid">apartheid</a> policies, South African university students are often first-generation students and academically <a href="https://doi.org/10.25159/0256-8853/1938">under-prepared</a>. They often lack what’s called <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01074084">epistemological access</a>, which means access to
the knowledge that the university distributes.</p>
<h2>Why do your findings matter?</h2>
<p>Contrary to popular findings, my results revealed that historically disadvantaged students with higher levels of psychological grit were not more likely to enrol for their second year (when compared to their less gritty peers). </p>
<p>I think it’s important to remember that the seminal literature on grit has (predominantly) emanated from largely privileged student populations, to the point that the only thing possibly missing in those students’ lives is grit. And so it makes sense that the presence of grit would produce significant results (thus alluding to it’s importance).</p>
<p>But positioning grit as a panacea among historically disadvantaged students can be a dangerous distraction from the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883035522000465">real barriers to student retention</a>. Moreover, the legacy of disadvantage remains, despite legislative and policy changes that were intended to transform the <a href="https://www.che.ac.za/sites/default/files/inline-files/BS23%20Final_A%20Reflection%20on%20Two%20Decades%20of%20Programme%20Differentiation%20in%20Higher%20Education%20in%20South%20Africa%5B74%5D.pdf">higher education sector in South Africa</a>. And because of this, we must remember that higher education institutions do not survive in “<a href="https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.82.2.v1jx34n441532242">hermetically sealed spheres</a>” in which past (and present) inequality gaps have no effect on student success and retention.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199022/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kelly Anne Young does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Seeing grit as a panacea among historically disadvantaged students can be a dangerous distraction from other barriers to student retention.Kelly Anne Young, Senior Researcher, University of South AfricaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1958262023-01-25T14:42:32Z2023-01-25T14:42:32ZFree online courses could be a path to higher education in African countries but awareness is low<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505071/original/file-20230118-12-mtwnjq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Open and distance learning were specifically designed to allow anyone, anywhere to access higher education.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Alistair Berg/Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the largest regions in the world and has the lowest rates of participation in higher education anywhere in the world. The World Bank <a href="https://www.wathi.org/sub-saharan-africa-tertiary-education-the-docs-world-bank-december-2020/">reported</a> in 2020 that only 9.4% of the region’s tertiary education age group is enrolled. The global average ratio is 38%.</p>
<p>Education is a key <a href="https://www.dbsa.org/article/role-education-economic-development">catalyst of economic emancipation</a>. Open and distance education was specifically designed for this purpose: to make higher education accessible to everyone, everywhere. Since it’s not limited to one campus or physical space, this approach empowers students to take full responsibility for their studies, to learn anywhere and at any time. Importantly, this happens with a higher education institution’s support and guidance.</p>
<p>One of the programmes commonly offered by such universities in other parts of the world is the <a href="https://www.mooc.org/">Massive Open Online Course</a> (MOOC). These are free, easily accessible and completely online courses with no entry requirements. In some developing countries outside Africa, such as the Philippines, Thailand and India, MOOCs are already being credited at the national level for entry into formal university education. This increases access to higher education. </p>
<p>MOOCs are relatively new in Africa; they have become more common in the past five or ten years. On paper they are ideal for many African contexts. Egyptian education researcher Ghada Refaat El Said <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0735633116681302">writes</a> that MOOCs can effectively alleviate </p>
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<p>overcrowded classrooms, high costs of materials and books, commuting difficulty due to high traffic, and a need for continued education and specialised training for the workforce.</p>
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<p>But how exactly are MOOCs being used by African universities? Are any countries’ education systems effectively using MOOCs to widen higher education access? To find out, we <a href="https://uir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/29231">analysed</a> existing peer-reviewed research published between 2013 and 2020.</p>
<p>We found that not many African countries perceive MOOCs as tools for boosting higher education access. Where these courses are offered, they are usually supplementary or designed merely to give students extra tuition support. And there’s not much awareness of MOOCs among school teachers and learners, who then miss out on this potential alternative path into higher education.</p>
<h2>What we found</h2>
<p>We searched the <a href="https://sabinet.co.za/">Sabinet</a>, <a href="https://www.scopus.com/home.uri">Scopus</a> and <a href="https://clarivate.com/webofsciencegroup/solutions/web-of-science/">Web of Science</a> databases for papers by African authors about MOOCs. This produced 99 papers. Our study was based on the 15 that were most relevant to our inclusion and exclusion criteria and that specifically addressed African issues around MOOCs.</p>
<p>A key finding was that MOOCs are mostly used as a self-learning element to support formal qualifications within African universities. In some cases, MOOCs involve face-to-face tuition and support for university students. However, this practice allows only a limited number of learners to access higher education. For the most part, it caters only to those who are already in the system.</p>
<p>The literature review also shows that most people from African countries taking these courses already possess some level of higher education. So, again, the existing education access divide is not addressed.</p>
<p>Some of the studies we reviewed found that many learners and teachers at high school level didn’t even know what MOOCs were because they had no access to digital spaces.</p>
<p>The literature suggests that a few countries in Africa – among them Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa – seem to have at least acknowledged the role that MOOCs might play in broadening higher education access. But this has not yet been translated into national policy.</p>
<h2>Examples from elsewhere</h2>
<p>We found that MOOCs are already being used as part of mainstream credit-bearing courses in some institutions in the Philippines, Thailand and India. That means completing a MOOC can count towards access to a university degree. It helps make the degree more affordable.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-online-courses-can-bring-the-world-into-africas-classrooms-63773">How online courses can bring the world into Africa's classrooms</a>
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<p>Another finding related to how MOOCs in some developing countries are being successfully packaged with recognition of prior learning programmes. This is a process through which informal learning can, with strict measurements and mediation, be certified – as the South African Qualifications Authority <a href="https://www.saqa.org.za/faq/what-recognition-prior-learning?language_content_entity=en">describes it</a> – “against the requirements for credit, access, inclusion or advancement in the formal education and training system, or workplace”.</p>
<p>It is clear from these and other findings in our study that African governments, policy makers and education sectors could learn a great deal from other developing countries. </p>
<h2>Going forward</h2>
<p>Higher education institutions in African countries must initiate dialogue with governments and accreditation bodies on how MOOCs can be used innovatively to widen access to higher education.</p>
<p>Governments that aspire to widen access to higher education through MOOCs need to raise the awareness of every stakeholder, including school communities, educationists in higher education, policy makers and government stakeholders. It’s another way to provide African students with quality and relevant education.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195826/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mpho-Entle Puleng Modise does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>African governments, policy makers and education sectors could learn a great deal from other developing countries.Mpho-Entle Puleng Modise, Lecturer, University of South AfricaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1949242022-11-21T13:10:17Z2022-11-21T13:10:17ZEbola: Uganda’s schools were closed for two years during COVID, now they face more closures – something must change<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496121/original/file-20221118-24-tji913.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Extended school closures during the pandemic set Ugandan children far behind their peers.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">BADRU KATUMBA/AFP via Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Children in Uganda missed out on more school because of the COVID pandemic than their peers anywhere else in the world. An estimated <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/10/ugandan-children-back-to-school-after-nearly-2-year-covid-closure">15 million pupils</a> in the East African nation did not attend school for 83 weeks – that’s almost two years. Statistical models predict a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S073805932100050X?via%3Dihub">learning deficit of 2.8 years</a> in Uganda because of the time lost through COVID-related closures.</p>
<p>Now the education system has been hit by another public health emergency. In early November the government <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/11/10/1135619132/uganda-ends-school-year-early-as-it-tries-to-contain-growing-ebola-outbreak">announced</a> that preschools, primary and secondary schools must close their doors for the year ten days earlier than planned. This is part of its attempt to contain an <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON421">Ebola outbreak</a> which had, by 16 November, <a href="https://africacdc.org/disease-outbreak/outbreak-brief-8-sudan-ebola-virus-disease-evd-in-uganda/">killed 55 people</a>; <a href="https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/ebola-kills-8-children-as-infections-rise-in-schools-4013716">eight were children</a>.</p>
<p>Of course, it’s crucial for Uganda to try and stop Ebola from spreading. The disease has a far higher fatality rate than COVID. The country’s packed classrooms and poor school infrastructure, such as poor ventilation and sanitation, make students highly vulnerable to infections.</p>
<p>But young Ugandans have already fallen <a href="https://theconversation.com/uganda-closed-schools-for-two-years-the-impact-is-deep-and-uneven-176726">far behind</a> in their learning because of COVID. And, as the effects of climate change worsen, Africa is becoming increasingly vulnerable to health emergencies, including a number of infectious diseases. </p>
<p>That makes it incredibly important for Uganda to find a way to balance the realities of public health emergencies with children’s right to education. This is a particularly pressing issue in low-income contexts where many children struggle to complete their schooling even outside emergency situations.</p>
<h2>Kids are already far behind</h2>
<p>In a previous <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/chso.12627">study</a> emerging from a larger project called <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-7654-8">CoVAC</a>(led by Karen Devries, Jenny Parkes and Dipak Naker), we outlined the many harms and losses Ugandan children and youth faced due to the prolonged closure of schools. </p>
<p>When schools finally reopened in January 2022, one in ten students <a href="https://www.unicef.org/uganda/press-releases/23-countries-yet-fully-reopen-schools-education-risks-becoming-greatest-divider">did not report back</a> to school. Some schools had <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/jan/14/term-starts-in-uganda-but-worlds-longest-shutdown-has-left-schools-in-crisis">closed for good</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/uganda-closed-schools-for-two-years-the-impact-is-deep-and-uneven-176726">Uganda closed schools for two years – the impact is deep and uneven</a>
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<p>The government tried to support distance learning through TV, radio, newspapers, downloadable curricula or, in some instances, via mobile phones. However, most interventions, in particular those that required access to a mobile phone or computer only benefited urban elites with the means to send their children to expensive private schools.</p>
<p>Almost all of the participants in our study had no or limited access to the resources needed to effectively engage with these materials. Girls in remote areas were especially disadvantaged, as they tended to have less access to mobile phones than boys.</p>
<p>Most of our study participants were not able to continue their schooling via distance learning. They eventually gave up on their education.</p>
<p>Homeschooling became a common practice in wealthier countries. But in Uganda it was a privilege reserved for only a few children from higher socio-economic backgrounds and expensive schools. The majority of Ugandan caregivers have to make an income in any way they can and often lack the time, space and resources to learn with their children at home.</p>
<p>Although schools will be only closed for a relatively short time, losing another ten days of learning may weaken the trust among Ugandans in the functioning of their educational institutions. Many Ugandans <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0738059321000237?via%3Dihub">struggle to pay</a> for their children’s school fees and will question the real value of education in light of current and potentially more interruptions. </p>
<h2>Overhauling current model</h2>
<p>Uganda’s education sector needs to be strengthened so that disruptions caused by future health emergencies do not leave children even further behind in their schooling.</p>
<p>This will require an overhaul of how education is governed, implemented and made accessible during emergency situations. Uganda inherited its education system from its former British colonial administration. The appropriation of western and former colonial education systems by countries in sub-Saharan Africa has been questioned and critiqued by many, particularly <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11159-016-9547-8">African scholars</a>. </p>
<p>Schooling, it is argued, was initially used as a tool by former colonisers to “<a href="https://ngugiwathiongo.com/decolonising-the-mind/">conquer the African mind</a>”. It ignored local culture and context with the intention to sustain colonial administration and nurture exploitative economic structures. </p>
<p>Today, part of the problem with adopting a universal model of schooling is that the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X22002030?via%3Dihub">many flaws inherent in western-style education</a> are exacerbated in times of crisis. For instance, the model champions a form of schooling that is time and location bound. It does not easily adapt to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13533312.2016.1214073">alternative forms of education</a> that allow for a more flexible mode of learning in the absence of a functioning school. </p>
<p>If adequately resourced and well implemented, alternative modes of learning during school closures can help the most vulnerable children and youth in their educational trajectories and overall well-being. This could be in the form of supporting distance learning in a different manner, such as the potential of outdoors teaching and learning where there is enough space for social distancing. Nearby teachers could be engaged to support locally organised, small learning groups of children in their respective communities. </p>
<p>Another option could be to ensure safe and continuous access to education in a staggered manner under strict hygienic measures. Investments in partnerships with local agencies and community-based organisations could help to facilitate radio, TV or internet-based learning spaces for children and youth with no access to learning technology.</p>
<h2>Urgent</h2>
<p>Some Ugandans told us that they fear schools will be closed for far longer than initially announced. This happened repeatedly during the COVID pandemic. It is also sadly likely that Ebola will not be the last epidemic the country must manage. </p>
<p>That’s why novel strategies and more resources are urgently needed to finally address deeply rooted social injustices in and outside education that arise before, during and after public health emergencies. Otherwise, children will be continuously at a high risk of dropping out of school, making them vulnerable to child labour or teenage pregnancies.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194924/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simone Datzberger received funding for work referenced in this article from the European Commission Horizon 2020 programme (grant number 702880).
Funding for CoVAC research, referenced in this article, is provided by the Medical Research Council (grant number: MR/R002827/1).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Musenze Junior Brian does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Young Ugandans have already fallen far behind in their learning because of COVID.Simone Datzberger, Assistant Professor in Education and International Development, UCLMusenze Junior Brian, PhD Fellow, Makerere Institute of Social Research, Makerere UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1616242021-05-28T19:25:49Z2021-05-28T19:25:49ZHow teachers can use video games to motivate students<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/402925/original/file-20210526-19-hvew6m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=26%2C13%2C4335%2C2890&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">'Gamification' introduces points, leaderboards, badges and trophies into a classroom. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you ask your teens to do their homework they’ll find a thousand other things to do. But put them in front of a video game, and they’ll focus on it for hours. How exactly do game designers create this kind of engagement? And what would happen if we applied these principles to teaching?</p>
<p>I am a teacher, a father of teenagers and an occasional video game player myself. I know that university professors decry, with reason, the <a href="https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.547.2832&rep=rep1&type=pdf">violence</a> some of these games promote. Others point to the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dr_Anthony_Bean/publication/317335670_Video_Game_Addiction_The_Push_To_Pathologize_Video_Games/links/597b84130f7e9b8802879118/Video-Game-Addiction-The-Push-To-Pathologize-Video-Games.pdf">issue of video game addiction</a>.</p>
<p>Yet these criticisms ignore the strengths and potential of the video game world, including its ability to engage young people in complex and challenging tasks.</p>
<p>Watching my teens play video games for hours on end tells me that video game designers understand something that my fellow teachers and I had not!</p>
<p>In my teaching duties, this question has taken on a more concrete form: I wonder if it is possible to make distance learning courses more dynamic by incorporating some elements of video game culture into them.</p>
<h2>The era of gamification</h2>
<p>Others have asked the same question. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mohammad_AL-Smadi/publication/280934777_GAMEDUCATION_Using_Gamification_Techniques_to_Engage_Learners_in_Online_Learning/links/5655f4bb08ae1ef92979b9c5/GAMEDUCATION-Using-Gamification-Techniques-to-Engage-Learners-in-Online-Learning.pdf">Gamification</a> is an established research area in university pedagogy. In general, it refers to a set of teaching approaches and tools that use both the mechanisms of video games and their ability to stimulate student engagement.</p>
<p>These pedagogical approaches use “<a href="https://books.google.ca/books?lr=&id=cdtnAQAAQBAJ">game-based mechanics, esthetics and game thinking to engage people, motivate action, promote learning and solve problems</a>.” </p>
<p>We might assume that university students are more naturally engaged and passionate about the subject matter to begin with. After all, they each chose their area of study. But my answer to that is: it depends on the course.</p>
<p>When I first started teaching, I taught a course in ethics and professionalism. It was a mandatory course in the engineering program, and far from being a popular one.</p>
<p>To begin with, lecturers assigned to this task, all trained in philosophy, struggled to teach a course in applied ethics targeted to the concrete difficulties of science and engineering professionals (engineers, land surveyors, chemists, agronomists).</p>
<p>The students were resistant to content that seemed too theoretical, even cut off from the reality of their future profession. So what does it take to create an exciting course that engages these students?</p>
<p>I didn’t know much about my students, other than the fact that they belonged to an <a href="https://www.theesa.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Final-Edited-2020-ESA_Essential_facts.pdf">age group (19-23) that regularly plays video games</a>. What if the key to engaging them was hidden in the gaming consoles they spent their evenings with?</p>
<h2>Games as a tool for engagement</h2>
<p>Engagement is a concept that has been present in academic literature for over 70 years. It has become a policy anchor for many educational institutions. Student engagement is associated with several benefits: increased student satisfaction, perseverance and academic performance.</p>
<p>Some researchers use engagement to evaluate instructor performance, or even institutional excellence. Over the years, I have gradually adopted new tools to make the course more interesting, engaging and stimulating, for both students and their teacher.</p>
<h2>Trophies, badges and rewards</h2>
<p>One of these tools has shown itself to be particularly exciting and helped increase my students’ engagement: a system of trophies, badges and rewards inspired by the world of video games.</p>
<p>Designed with the help of the “Centre de services en technologies de l'information et en pédagogie (CSTIP)” at Laval University, the system is presented in the form of an application. The mechanics and style are similar to the “achievements” and “trophies” systems typically found on the two most popular video game consoles (Xbox and PlayStation).</p>
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<p>This reward system encourages behaviours such as active participation, attendance, humour, creativity, helpfulness, team spirit, leadership and curiosity. While our educational institutions promote these behaviours in their rhetoric and policies, in practice, these behaviours are difficult to recognize through traditional assessments and grading systems.</p>
<h2>Completing ‘levels’</h2>
<p>Trophies and achievements are used in video games to reward the player’s efforts, and to track and measure progress. For example, when the player completes a level, discovers a new power or eliminates an enemy, they receive a trophy. These systems also encourage players to explore elements of the game they might otherwise ignore or overlook.</p>
<p>For example, exploring all the nuclear shelters in Fallout, visiting all the brothels in Grand Theft Auto, or buying paintings in Florence and Venice in the Assasin’s Creed universe all require a lot of time, patience and effort. Each of these exploits is rewarded with a trophy or an achievement, depending on the console being used.</p>
<p>The sum of these rewards also allows the players to compare themselves to other players. All of these tasks and mechanics can be transposed into a teaching context: exploring new content, succeeding in a difficult task, actively participating, completing a series of specific tasks and so on. </p>
<p>In order to systematize and categorize the trophies and rewards associated with my students’ engagement, I drew on the following five categories identified in a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mohammad_AL-Smadi/publication/280934777_GAMEDUCATION_Using_Gamification_Techniques_to_Engage_Learners_in_Online_Learning/links/5655f4bb08ae1ef92979b9c5/GAMEDUCATION-Using-Gamification-Techniques-to-Engage-Learners-in-Online-Learning.pdf">study on the subject</a>:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Express (create, build, embellish)</p></li>
<li><p>Explore (try, experiment, research)</p></li>
<li><p>Compete (excel, succeed, distinguish)</p></li>
<li><p>Collaborate (share, help, cooperate)</p></li>
<li><p>Identify (recognize oneself, know oneself, associate with a group)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>When a student demonstrates any of the first four categories of commitment through his or her actions or attitude, they earn a trophy. Each trophy is accompanied by a short note from the teacher congratulating the student on his or her “achievement” with a promise they’ll get bonus marks at the end of the course.</p>
<p>The last category (identify) is presented as a table of leaders and winners in each category. The chart shows students their most successful category of engagement and their profile. There are four profiles in the game: expression profile; explorer profile; competition profile and collaboration profile.</p>
<p>Here are a few examples of trophies. A student who attends 90 per cent of their classes receives the “My body was there” trophy. Students who participate more than 20 times in the discussion board receive the “Forum Addict” trophy.</p>
<p>Some trophies target peer support and team spirit, such as the “Medical Assistance—Medic” trophy. Trophies are obviously provided for academic performance as well, including the “Captain America” trophy (for an A+ grade). My course offers several dozen trophies, badges and rewards. Top students win about 30 of them. And they do this all for a maximum of five bonus marks!</p>
<p>The effort these students are willing to put in for a few trophies is impressive. While the average number of visits to a course site is about 100 per semester, some students make over 1,000 visits to this course site. On discussion boards many students admit to being hooked on winning trophies. Others write to me asking for a list of all the trophies, badges and rewards. Not all of the students strive to win trophies, but the students on the whole are having a little more fun. And so is their teacher!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/161624/count.gif" alt="La Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jean-François Sénéchal ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>Watching my teens play video games for hours on end tells me that video game designers understand something that my fellow teachers and I had not!Jean-François Sénéchal, Ph.D. Chargé d'enseignement, Université LavalLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1596432021-05-04T13:15:46Z2021-05-04T13:15:46ZHow the pandemic is hurting university students’ mental health<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/398379/original/file-20210503-15-19d28tb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The pandemic has driven university students' stress levels up as they grapple with remote learning.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">thembi.jpg/Shutterstock/For editorial use only</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Institutions of higher education worldwide are undergoing unprecedented change because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Universities and colleges have been forced to switch to online teaching and learning. Many were unprepared for this move to what is termed <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-020-00187-4">emergency remote teaching and learning</a>. </p>
<p>It is now just more than a year on from many countries’ initial lockdowns. Many universities have adopted some form of hybrid learning approach. They are attempting to combine face-to-face and online instruction into a single, seamless experience. This situation is likely to remain the status quo for some time, especially in the Global South. That is because, although a variety of <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03370-6">vaccines are available</a> around the world, distribution and actual vaccination has been slow in poorer countries – and particularly on the African continent. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/interested-in-vaccine-rollouts-across-africa-heres-a-map-to-guide-you-156802">Interested in vaccine rollouts across Africa? Here's a map to guide you</a>
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<p>This has serious implications for higher education. For many students, the university campus isn’t just where they go to learn. It also provides a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1515/humaff-2019-0020">space for relationships</a> that helps them to form important networks and alliances that evolve and extend beyond their university education. </p>
<p>We wanted to know how students have coped and are negotiating the current challenges. So, we <a href="https://doi.org/10.29034/ijmra.v12n1editorial3">conducted research</a> soon after the pandemic started that explored how teaching and learning had been affected. This <a href="https://doi.org/10.29034/ijmra.v12n1editorial3">initial publication</a> focused on one of South Africa’s research-intensive universities. It revealed that students had struggled to manage online learning remotely. </p>
<p>A network of global researchers from multiple disciplines and universities (including five institutions in South Africa) is now replicating this study. Their aim is to understand better the situation elsewhere in Africa as well as in Europe, South America, the Caribbean and North America. Ultimately, these studies will help us to make sense of how the pandemic is reshaping higher education.</p>
<p>The initial study confirmed the need to prioritise university students’ welfare. We found that undergraduates, full-time students, and female students were especially vulnerable at home while learning online due to the pandemic. Given South Africa’s <a href="https://ewn.co.za/2019/11/18/ramaphosa-our-gender-based-violence-plans-are-well-on-their-way">gender-based violence crisis</a>, stay-at-home learning has exposed many young women students to challenging and dangerous situations.</p>
<p>The global pandemic has created more uncertainty about the future, including higher education and the world of work. This uncertainty emerged in our research as fundamentally affecting mental health. South African universities have to support students’ transition through this uncertainty. That includes the difficulties stemming from lack of social cohesion — including peer-to-peer relationships on campus — that are afflicting students.</p>
<h2>Seven key themes</h2>
<p>For our study, a total of 1,932 university students completed an online questionnaire over a period of six weeks. A mix of undergraduate and postgraduate, and international students also were involved.</p>
<p>The questionnaires yielded demographic data. They also examined students’ perceptions of readiness and motivation for online teaching, learning and assessment; student engagement; and their attitudes towards COVID-19 and its impact on higher education. Open-ended items also were included. These asked the students to reflect on the disruption caused by the pandemic. </p>
<p>Seven themes emerged from the data. These represented challenges that hindered students’ ability successfully to learn online during the COVID-19 era. The themes were:</p>
<ul>
<li>Internet connection</li>
<li>Mental health</li>
<li>Personal challenges/ability</li>
<li>Time management</li>
<li>Being easily distracted</li>
<li>Family members making studying difficult</li>
<li>The interaction between lecturers and students</li>
</ul>
<p>We found that undergraduate and full-time students were approximately twice and four times, respectively, more likely than were postgraduate and part-time students to indicate problems associated with mental health. Those aged between 18 and 24 were approximately 1.75 times more likely than students older than 24 to present problems associated with mental health.</p>
<p>The findings also reveal a gender dimension to mental health in our study. Specifically, female students were 1.83 times more likely than male students to indicate problems associated with mental health. These problems included stress, anxiety and depression. </p>
<p>Students expressed challenges with time management, distraction and problems associated with family members. These were situated in the notion of self-directed learning and self-management. These notions entail discipline, personal commitment, motivation and so on. Researchers have argued that <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02324">self-directed learning</a> is important to success. Students struggled with the lack of physical support from their peers and lecturers. They said they were unable to stay motivated and focused by themselves within the remote learning space. </p>
<p>Internet connectivity emerged strongly as a theme. This indicates how great the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2019.1694876">digital divide</a> is between South Africa’s urban and rural areas. Older students were more likely than were their younger peers to experience connectivity issues. This supports the argument that younger university students are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2010.09.004">more likely to be digital natives</a> than older students. International students, many of them back at home in other African countries because of the pandemic, struggled the most with connectivity. The university provided data bundles to local students so they could access streamed lectures.</p>
<p>Overall, the results under this theme showed a lack of internet connectivity in rural areas, in general, and particularly in South Africa’s poorest provinces. A large relationship emerged between the poverty ranking of provinces across South Africa and the degree to which students reported experiencing internet connectivity challenges.</p>
<h2>Long-term strategy</h2>
<p>A country like South Africa cannot afford to ignore the impact of the pandemic on higher education, especially on students’ health and well-being. South Africa’s comparative and competitive edge is locked in the youth, especially university students. They are a critical mass in “building the capability of the state to play a developmental, transformative role” <a href="https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/ndp-2030-our-future-make-it-workr.pdf">according to</a> the National Development Plan 2030.</p>
<p>South African universities, working with the Department of Higher Education and Training and other national government departments, must create and resource a long-term strategy to support the well-being of university students as they transition through this pandemic. One example is that of the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/wellbeingatoxford">Wellbeing at Oxford</a> programme at Oxford University in England. Online mental health services, as provided in <a href="https://www.universityaffairs.ca/features/feature-article/how-mental-health-services-for-students-pivoted-during-covid-19/">Canadian universities</a>, must become an integral and sustained intervention in South African universities going forward.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/159643/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Samantha Adams receives funding from the National Research Foundation. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Annie Burger, Anthony J Onwuegbuzie, Bryan Jason Bergsteedt, Emmanuel Ojo, and Talitha Crowley do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Ultimately, these studies will help us to make sense of how the pandemic is reshaping higher education.Emmanuel Ojo, Senior Lecturer, University of the WitwatersrandAnnie Burger, PhD student, Stellenbosch UniversityAnthony J Onwuegbuzie, Senior Research Associate, University of CambridgeBryan Jason Bergsteedt, Lecturer (Clinical Anatomy), Stellenbosch UniversitySamantha Adams, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Psychology, Stellenbosch UniversityTalitha Crowley, Senior lecturer at the Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Stellenbosch UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1560092021-03-16T18:16:24Z2021-03-16T18:16:24ZUsing game-based learning to teach economics during times of disruption<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/389433/original/file-20210314-23-1ruflz9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C26%2C6000%2C3961&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Research shows that game-based learning techniques can improve students' understanding of class material.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-using-a-laptop-5198239/">Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://artlibre.org/licence/lal/en">FAL</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The educational disruption caused by the Covid-19 outbreak represents a significant challenge for teachers all over the world. The situation requires adapting the organization of lectures and the learning style to a fully online distance-learning context. Distance-learning is very different from face-to-face learning, notably in terms of the interaction between teacher and students and among students, and complicates student engagement and participation. The paradigm of “student centered” education seems more challenging to maintain in this context.</p>
<p>Even in a traditional classroom, however, it is not always easy to get students’ attention. This is especially true for courses in technical fields. Our experience as teachers suggests that game-based learning (GBL) techniques can be useful in reducing student anxiety toward technical and/or abstract concepts and in increasing class-involvement. Both are consistent with existing evidence (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563218302541">Subhash & Cudney, 2018</a>). However, there is little to no indication, thus far, whether GBL methods remain effective in a distance-learning setting, which has disrupted most educational institutions over the past year.</p>
<h2>Developing a group simulation game for an online course</h2>
<p>As finance professors in an undergraduate program in hospitality management, we are facing the above situation. To overcome this issue, we have used mostly group-based games in our finance courses. Organizing games in groups comes with several advantages: it makes the game easier to manage and, more importantly, increases the number of constructive exchanges among students. It also helps weaker students to develop competencies through the interaction with their classmates.</p>
<p>When designing a game, it is essential to ensure that it is reasonably realistic, fun, competitive, and aligned with the learning outcomes. These “rules” ensure that the game is engaging and contributes to the effective acquisition of the targeted competencies and their transfer to the workplace.</p>
<p>However, adjustments are required to make games work in a distance-learning environment. In particular, interactions with 60-plus students via an online chat are more complex than in a classroom setting. Likewise, it is impossible to let students interact with each other through the learning platform. Thus, the most critical step is to deploy a strategy to make students interact with each other in a dynamic yet manageable way.</p>
<p>The teacher must take a leading role, providing all relevant data and ensuring that all students have access to the same information. The simulation needs to be organized very clearly with dedicated processes to ensure effective communication among students and between students and the teacher. It is important to give the students enough time to reflect on their decisions and discuss them with the other group members. The use of a learning management system such as <a href="https://moodle.org/">Moodle</a> (e.g., to allow students to communicate their decisions/actions in the game to the teacher) may smooth the overall process.</p>
<h2>Does GBL help to reduce the gap with face-to-face learning?</h2>
<p>In the following, we use the example of a “bond simulation game” implemented in two online corporate finance classes. We ran a survey asking students about their learning experience concerning the game, especially the game’s ability to reduce the gap between distance and face-to-face learning.</p>
<p>In the first class, only 37.5% of students playing the game answered the survey. This may indicate that some students were inactive but may also be due to the context: in a distance-learning setting, it is difficult to ensure that all students participate in a survey. In the second class, more effort motivating the survey and explaining that feedback would improve the course was invested. 64% of students playing answered. This higher rate of response outlines that teachers need to clearly motivate all activities to ensure that students remain involved in a distance-learning setting.</p>
<p>The results reported in Figure 1 indicate that GBL reduces the gap in class dynamics and interaction between distance-learning and regular face-to-face learning. Indeed, out of 48 respondents, 47 students consider that the game contributes to making the course closer in dynamics to a traditional face-to-face course. Moreover, most students acknowledge that the class was more interactive (43 out of 48) and enjoyable (44) thanks to the game.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/389430/original/file-20210314-19-33ufca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/389430/original/file-20210314-19-33ufca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/389430/original/file-20210314-19-33ufca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=228&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389430/original/file-20210314-19-33ufca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=228&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389430/original/file-20210314-19-33ufca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=228&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389430/original/file-20210314-19-33ufca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=287&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389430/original/file-20210314-19-33ufca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=287&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389430/original/file-20210314-19-33ufca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=287&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Impact of game-based learning on the gap in class dynamics and interaction between distance-learning and regular face-to-face learning.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Does GBL help students acquire targeted competencies?</h2>
<p>Until the final evaluation, it will be difficult to propose a definitive and unbiased answer to this question. However, feedback from students is encouraging. The game’s objective was to assess if students had acquired the first two learning outcomes (LO #1: bond prices and yields, and #2: economic conditions and bond yields) and to introduce the third and last learning outcome (LO #3: bond risks) of the corresponding chapter. </p>
<p>Figure 2 shows that most students (39, respectively 41) recognize that the game helps them understand LO #1 and LO #2. Finally, 39 students answer that “the game gives them some intuition” on LO #3’s concepts to come. It appears that GBL helps students assimilate learning outcomes and is corroborated by highly relevant questions and comments students made after the game.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/389431/original/file-20210314-17-11lqfy9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/389431/original/file-20210314-17-11lqfy9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/389431/original/file-20210314-17-11lqfy9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=227&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389431/original/file-20210314-17-11lqfy9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=227&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389431/original/file-20210314-17-11lqfy9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=227&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389431/original/file-20210314-17-11lqfy9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=285&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389431/original/file-20210314-17-11lqfy9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=285&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/389431/original/file-20210314-17-11lqfy9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=285&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">What students feel about how the game used in class helped them understand two learning outcomes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>More generally, 81% of surveyed students stated that “the game reinforces their interest for the course”. Only one student out of 48 disagrees with this statement. 81% of the students further mention that “the game motivates them to engage more in the course”. No student disagrees with this statement. Finally, when using a game in class, especially in a distance-learning context, it is essential to ensure that the instructions and the progression in the game are clear to all students. 83% of the students concur that “the instruction and the progression in the game were clear”. This suggests that there was no important bias in the game and that the results from the survey can be considered relevant.</p>
<p>We remain cautious and cannot ensure that the game will effectively increase the number of students who acquire the learning outcomes. However, it seems evident that the game has had, at the very least, a positive impact on class dynamics and interaction, as well as on student engagement and motivation for the course.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>The University of Western Switzerland (Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale, HES-SO) and the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) provide funding as members of The Conversation FR.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/156009/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Les auteurs ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>Real-life experience suggests that game-based learning (GBL) techniques can be useful in reducing student anxiety toward technical and/or abstract concepts and in increasing class involvement.Philippe Masset, Professeur associé, Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale (HES-SO)Jean-Philippe Weisskopf, Associate Professor of Finance, Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale (HES-SO)Mélanie Bonvin, Faculty Development Coordinator, Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale (HES-SO)Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1558992021-02-24T20:12:31Z2021-02-24T20:12:31ZOpen educational resources for emergency remote teaching – a new paradigm?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385829/original/file-20210223-21-4z8mkf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=333%2C639%2C5349%2C3368&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Distance learning has its advantages, but requires the correct technology and respect for intellectual property rights.
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/ecELcxmJTk4">Lucas Law/Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Covid-19 pandemic has forced universities and other educational institutions around the world to implement <a href="https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning">emergency remote teaching</a> (ERT). In other words, courses that had not been originally designed for distance learning have been adapted to be delivered online.</p>
<p>Distance learning and ERT require not only having the right technologies in place but also the correct policies. The global pandemic brought to light the importance of having policies tackling the management of intellectual property and personal data online.</p>
<h2>Copyright issues</h2>
<p>Most likely the educational resources (ER) that a professor uses to support ERT activities – text, images, videos, and so forth – are protected by copyright, which is a complex area of law. For example, having a lawfully acquired physical copy of a book at the university library does not authorize the person in question to make copies of it (an act of reproduction) or to upload them to an online platform (communication to the public). For each of these uses, a particular license must be obtained in advance from the copyright holder for which normally a fee must be paid.</p>
<p>Some uses of copyrighted ER may be covered by an exception or limitation to copyright law (for example, <a href="https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html">“fair use”</a> in the United States) for teaching and research purposes, which in principle makes them free of charge and require no authorization from the copyright holder. However, they are limited in scope, and is not easy to know in advance what is covered by an exception and what is not.</p>
<p>The European Union’s recent <a href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/790/oj">Copyright and Digital Single Market Directive</a> incorporated a new exception to copyright law for digital and cross-border education (art. 5). However, due to asymmetric implementation by member countries uncertainty remains high. A Damocles sword thus hangs over the heads of educators and universities that rely on exceptions and limitations for ERT.</p>
<p>In addition, ERT requires using external platforms and third-party software such as Zoom, Teams, Blackboard, Skype etc. Each of these platforms has its own terms and conditions (T&C), intended to minimize their exposure to different legal risks, which must be accepted first. Among them, platforms attempt to limit their liability in case of copyright infringement by the user. </p>
<p>A group of <a href="http://copyrightblog.kluweriplaw.com/2020/05/27/emergency-remote-teaching-a-study-of-copyright-and-data-protection-terms-of-popular-online-services-part-i/?doing_wp_cron=1590581686.4380888938903808593750&print=print">scholars</a> has recently emphasized the potential dangers of the platform’s T&C to users. Most platforms may block access, terminate accounts, remove ER they consider suspicious, and even report allegedly infringing activities if they unilaterally consider an educator or any of her students may be infringing copyright.</p>
<h2>Public domain versus open educational resources</h2>
<p>How can universities avoid paying licensing fees for educational resources or relying on uncertain exceptions and limitations to copyright law for distance learning? One possibility would be to exclusively use ER that are in the <strong>public domain</strong>, meaning that it is no longer subject to copyright. However, because copyright can last the life of the author plus 50 to 100 after his or her death, depending on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries%27_copyright_lengths">country</a>), ER in the public domain are old, not suitable for teaching current subjects.</p>
<p>Another possibility is to rely on <strong>open educational resources</strong> (OER). This term refers to any learning material, (text, video, or audio), in any format (though usually in electronic form) that has been released using an open license that guarantees what <a href="https://openedreader.org/chapter/open-content/">David Wiley</a> called the <strong>five Rs</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>Retain</strong>: Permission to keep copies of the works, for storing, uploading, downloading, etc.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Reuse</strong>: Permission to modify the intended use of a work, such as reciting a literary text in the classroom.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Revise</strong>: Permission to adapt, modify, or alter the work, for instance, translating it to another language.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Remix</strong>: Permission to combine the original with other works to create something new, such as a mashup or a remix.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Redistribute:</strong> Permission to share copies of the original work or its remixes with other people, such as e-mailing them to students or colleagues.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>OER thus enable educators to use, share, and adapt learning materials for their own specific teaching purposes, free of charge and free from most limitations afflicting copyrighted contents.</p>
<p>Copyright law, necessary to incentivize the creation of certain types of creative works, considerably limits many uses of ER in distance education that current technology enables. In that sense, is like having planes and <a href="https://opencontent.org/blog/archives/3761">driving them on roads</a>. OER allows the take-off of distance-learning activities.</p>
<p>Probably the most well-known open license model for OER is provided by <a href="https://creativecommons.org/about/">Creative Commons</a> (CC). These licenses allow authors to decide which rights to retain and which ones to waive (“some rights reserved”, instead of “all rights reserved”). Five CC <a href="https://www.cccoer.org/learn/open-licensing/">open licenses</a> are suitable to license OER, permitting different degrees of access to suit different institutional objectives.</p>
<h2>Big players getting on board</h2>
<p>OER is slowly gaining traction, and is supported by <a href="https://en.unesco.org/themes/building-knowledge-societies/oer">UNESCO</a> and the <a href="https://www.oecd.org/innovation/open-educational-resources-9789264247543-en.htm">OECD</a>. Repositories of OER include <a href="https://openstax.org/">OpenStax</a>, <a href="https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks">Open Textbook Library</a>, <a href="https://open.bccampus.ca/">BCcampus Open Education</a>, and <a href="https://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm">MIT Open Courseware</a>, to name a few. </p>
<p>While OER may be fairly easy to implement, it may require a change of strategy. <a href="https://resources.creativecommons.org.nz/cc-schools-policy/">CC New Zealand</a> provides a model policy to promote OER and open licensing at schools.</p>
<p>To sum up, there are some reasons why universities may want to adopt OER:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>Cost reduction</strong>: OER is free of charge.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Mitigation of legal risks</strong>: OER avoids copyright liability issues while using platforms such as Zoom, Teams, Skype, and others.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Improved quality of teaching</strong>: OER allows educators to tailor ER to their pedagogical needs while promoting an ethos of cooperation and openness which is the essence of learning.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Support for social responsibility</strong>: OER promotes inclusive learning by providing quality learning materials to students that may not be able to afford copyrighted ones.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Promotion:</strong> OER circulates with the brand name of the university or institution that created them. The more OER are disseminated, the more the university brand becomes well-known, perhaps worldwide, which may attract more students to enrol for paid or for-credit courses.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The Covid-19 pandemic has had many impacts, direct and indirect. To some educational institutions, one of them has been realizing the restrictive character of traditional copyrighted ER and third-party platforms policies when it comes to ERT and distance learning activities. There are alternatives, such as open licensing and OER. However, it seems too early to tell whether these alternatives will become mainstream.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/155899/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Maximiliano Marzetti a reçu des financements de Creative Commons, for a different project: the effects of the "domaine public payant" in force in some Latin American and African countries on CC initiatives. In addition, I received a grant from the French Embassy in the US to create a VE/COIL course (not related to the topics covered in this article).
As an IP scholar, I have been researching copyright law, the public domain, and related issues for many years. I'm a member of different research groups and associations. The interest in this article is personal, as a lecturer, I face some of the limitations of the traditional copyright model. I see no conflict of interest.
I remain at your disposal should you need further clarification.
M. Marzetti</span></em></p>Distance learning requires not only the right technologies, but also policies that respect intellectual property and personal data. Open educational resources are an approach that is gathering support.Maximiliano Marzetti, Assistant professor of law, IÉSEG School of ManagementLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1524612021-02-22T18:34:17Z2021-02-22T18:34:17ZHow universities can support Indigenous online learners in the COVID-19 pandemic<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/384874/original/file-20210217-13-ff7ndj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C588%2C6551%2C3795&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Indigenous people with experience guiding culturally safe talking circles in an online environment can work with students to nurture safe virtual spaces.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As the <a href="https://www.aptnnews.ca/nation-to-nation/second-wave-of-covid-19-crashing-into-several-first-nations-communities/">second wave of the pandemic wears on</a>, Indigenous students are facing challenges. At Athabasca University, we conducted a study to learn how Indigenous students at our university are doing with online learning in the pandemic. Our colleagues Martin Connors, professor of space sciences/physics and Barbara Reis, a master of education student, were part of our research team.</p>
<p>Athabasca University <a href="https://www.athabascau.ca/aboutau/history">specializes in</a> and has been an <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140820212801/http://www.edmontonjournal.com/June+1985+Athabasca+University+opens+distance+education/9942159/story.html">early adopter of distance education</a>, so Athabasca’s contemporary online learners did not face an abrupt switch to online learning because of the pandemic. We asked students who self-identify as Indigenous to explain the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges and barriers they face in an online learning environment and the adaptations they have made.</p>
<p>While this project studied the immediate impact of the educational disruptions of the pandemic at our university, the findings are relevant to all Canadian universities whose responses need to take into account the impact of the pandemic on Indigenous learners. </p>
<h2>Financial, internet barriers</h2>
<p>Athabasca University has 3,849 Indigenous students who self-identify as First Nations, Métis, non-status and Inuit. These students live in cities, towns and Indigenous territories across Canada, the northern part <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/turtle-island">of Turtle Island</a>. This spectrum of indigeneity was evident among respondents to our survey. </p>
<p>One hundred and forty Indigenous students completed the online survey, six participated in a focus group and 16 took part in interviews. Among the 16 students interviewed, 11 had to seek course extensions or drop courses due to the stress. Five experienced difficulties, but were able to complete their studies. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A mural showing an Indigenous woman." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/384878/original/file-20210217-19-1bfq6ae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/384878/original/file-20210217-19-1bfq6ae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/384878/original/file-20210217-19-1bfq6ae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/384878/original/file-20210217-19-1bfq6ae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/384878/original/file-20210217-19-1bfq6ae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/384878/original/file-20210217-19-1bfq6ae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/384878/original/file-20210217-19-1bfq6ae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Indigenous students who participated in the survey live in cities, towns and Indigenous territories across Canada. Here, a Calgary mural, ‘sôhkâtisiwin,’ by Kevin Ledo, shown in August 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">(Ricky Leong/Flickr)</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Students are weathering an economic storm amid a pandemic. <a href="https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/alberta-budget-2020-advanced-education-funding-cut-6-3-per-cent-tuition-to-rise">Alberta’s decision to implement</a> a performance-based funding model <a href="https://www.ucalgary.ca/news/birds-eye-view-saving-bull-trout">affects post-secondary institutions’ budgets</a>, and consequently, Athabasca University increased tuition by seven per cent in 2020 and announced a five per cent increase for 2021. </p>
<p>Before hearing about the recent increase, an Indigenous student who is also a parent explained her hard-pressed situation, saying: “I am really careful with my money when I do get the funding, because I never know if it’s going to be a problem next time.” There are many steps involved with securing a province of Alberta student loan and some students experience a gap between the time <a href="http://registrar.athabascau.ca/financial/application.php">they need to pay tuition and the time funding arrives</a>. </p>
<p>Of the 140 students who completed the survey, 14 per cent found it difficult to complete assignments due to financial stress, and more than half (53.5 per cent) experienced financial fluctuations and had difficulty completing assignments. Many other barriers to completing assignments included competing for household internet or living in a remote location where internet usage must meet the needs of many people living in one household. Some students relayed that internet costs were very high.</p>
<p>Athabasca University’s online format was a reassurance to some Indigenous students. One student shared that knowing he was already set up for online learning “when everything else was going crazy” was helpful:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“We had stability at [Athabasca University] because we did not have to worry about how we were going to do our courses, we just continued because we knew how to do it … now everyone else is forced to do it,” he said.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Understanding disease and historical trauma</h2>
<p>Indigenous students are anxious about becoming infected with COVID-19 and passing it on to others. Over the winter, numbers surged, <a href="https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/alberta-s-indigenous-communities-hit-harder-by-covid-19-than-any-other-province-1.5269395">hitting Indigenous communities in Alberta hard</a>. During individual interviews, we asked questions about infectious disease, because the past affects the present day, and there are lessons to be learned.</p>
<p>We asked students about their knowledge of the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/jeffery-amherst-history-complex-1.4089019">historical past of smallpox-infected</a> blankets and handkerchiefs and the <a href="https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/the-indian-act-residential-schools-and-tuberculosis-cover-up">historical treatment</a> and neglect of Indigenous children in residential schools where tuberculosis and neglect caused sickness and deaths.</p>
<p>One student explained:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“My mom’s dad had 13 brothers and sisters, and he lost 11 of them to tuberculosis … they were originally from Northern Saskatchewan. And the time that the tuberculosis outbreak was happening, they had to move closer to Prince Albert to be closer to their kids who were in the hospital, and they ended up getting stuck there, because that was when the Indian agent instituted the need to have a pass to travel around. They had to have a pass to go anywhere. So, we ended up getting stuck on [another] reserve that we now call home but that wasn’t their original home.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Historical trauma of infectious disease and displacement are not something Indigenous people get over; it is something passed on that we learn to understand and move through. </p>
<h2>How to support students</h2>
<p>The pandemic has changed the way post-secondary institutions need to support Indigenous students and provide essential learning services. Through student responses we heard of many ways to do so. </p>
<p>When there is an emergency, communication is very important. Keeping the lines of communication open while responding to student questions is essential for learner success. Indigenous students suggested that it’s important for university phone lines to remain open and e-mails should be returned promptly.</p>
<p>Students are in need of mental health support for anxiety and depression exacerbated by the pandemic. One student commented that our society tends to “put such a focus on acute care,” while dragging its heels about investing long-term <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1089%2Fheq.2019.0041">in services to address health inequities</a> for Indigenous people. She was referring to Canada’s <a href="https://www.aptnnews.ca/videos/your-covid-19-vaccine-questions-answered/">distribution of vaccines</a>. Elderly members of First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities were <a href="https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1606941379837/1606941507767">vaccinated in the first stage</a> of Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="A fire" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385173/original/file-20210218-15-1cnkn14.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385173/original/file-20210218-15-1cnkn14.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=573&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385173/original/file-20210218-15-1cnkn14.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=573&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385173/original/file-20210218-15-1cnkn14.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=573&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385173/original/file-20210218-15-1cnkn14.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=720&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385173/original/file-20210218-15-1cnkn14.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=720&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385173/original/file-20210218-15-1cnkn14.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=720&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When Indigenous people meet on the land, a fire is one symbol of sacred connection. Online, it is also important to nurture sacred space for Indigenous students to connect.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The majority of students who spoke with a member of our team shared their experiences and difficulties. It helped them to have a person listening. During the focus group, when Indigenous students met virtually for the first time together, it was mentioned how novel it was to meet online to share personally together as Indigenous people. Technology in an online environment allows for some human connection via Microsoft Teams or Zoom, but it is not the same as being together grounded in ceremony and on the land. </p>
<p>When Indigenous people meet on the land, a fire is one symbol of sacred connection. Online, it is also important to nurture sacred space for Indigenous students to connect. Indigenous people with experience in guiding culturally safe talking circles in an online environment can work across distances and time zones to create such spaces. In an online sharing circle, it’s about listening from the heart and sharing experiences. Each person holds space for one another and reminds each other how they belong by being present with one other.</p>
<p>Creating a sacred space in an online environment requires building trust and rapport. Listening to students with a caring heart builds trust and rapport during the era of reconciliation.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/152461/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The Algoma University Office of the Provost and Vice President Academic funded the study in question in this story.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Janelle Marie Baker is Assistant Professor in Anthropology at Athabasca University and is a co-applicant on the funding from Athabasca University for this study.</span></em></p>Student respondents to a survey discussed memories of historical trauma of infectious disease and displacement, financial hardship related to Alberta tuition hikes and mental health concerns.Josephine Auger, Associate professor, Indigenous Studies, Athabasca UniversityJanelle Marie Baker, Assistant Professor, Anthropology, Athabasca UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1553892021-02-21T17:32:24Z2021-02-21T17:32:24ZFive tips on how to reinvent remote teaching<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/384439/original/file-20210216-19-g3trav.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C10%2C2235%2C1338&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">How can lecturers avoid one of the classic syndromes of remote teaching: a screen of blank student webcams?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Covid-19 health crisis has made remote teaching a reality for all, but not without difficulty. At our University, our students have been learning remotely for almost a year and the successive lockdowns have taken their toll. At the start, we battled with technical difficulties, poor Internet connections and insufficient IT equipment while we struggled to isolate ourselves from others.</p>
<p>We were then quickly faced with even more serious challenges: students confined to tiny bedrooms with intermittent wifi, some dealing with economic and social difficulties, sometimes worsened by psychological strain.</p>
<p>As lecturers, we have all had to get adapted and tweak our <a href="http://www.villebon-charpak.fr/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/kit-de-survie-pour-enseigner-a-distance-autrement-english.pdf">teaching methods</a> to compensate for the constraints of remote learning. At Université Paris-Saclay, we have tried several new tools and methods, testing them with our students and sharing them among ourselves. Here are five tips that have improved (in part at least) our daily lives as lockdown lecturers.</p>
<h2>Using platforms differently</h2>
<p>During the first lockdowns, we often had to keep things simple. Our lectures were mainly us commenting PowerPoint presentations via our microphones. However, we soon realised that this format had its limits, regardless of the platform used (Zoom, Collaborate, Teams, Meet, etc.) and that students were becoming weary.</p>
<p>This was when we discovered <a href="http://obsproject.com/">OBS</a>, a software originally used by YouTubers to give their videos more animation. OBS allows speakers to switch easily between different shots, sometimes showing their face full-screen, a notebook they are writing on, their face next to a slide or a video.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385078/original/file-20210218-12-1ffjol2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385078/original/file-20210218-12-1ffjol2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=336&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385078/original/file-20210218-12-1ffjol2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=336&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385078/original/file-20210218-12-1ffjol2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=336&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385078/original/file-20210218-12-1ffjol2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385078/original/file-20210218-12-1ffjol2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385078/original/file-20210218-12-1ffjol2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Using OBS, a computer and a smartphone, we can reinvent the blackboard.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In this <a href="https://youtu.be/U1kj_ObSAr4">five-minute tutorial video</a> (in French), we explain how to use the software and become your very own TV director at little cost (<a href="http://www.villebon-charpak.fr/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/tuto-obs-english.pdf">a full English tutorial can be found here</a>). Whether they are taught live or recorded ahead of time, lectures are significantly more dynamic with the help of OBS.</p>
<p>The software also means that you can use a second webcam, or a <a href="http://www.villebon-charpak.fr/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/tuto-smartphone-webcam-english.pdf">smartphone</a>, to film a sheet of paper you are writing or drawing on live. This new way of managing different shots and perspectives gives you the chance to completely rethink the dynamics of your lectures.</p>
<h2>Encouraging interaction</h2>
<p>What lecturer has never experienced that painfully awkward moment when they find themselves alone, in front of their camera, with their students’ microphones and cameras all switched off? We have tested a few solutions to improve this scenario.</p>
<p>“Write your answers in the chat” is an effective way to get discussion started.</p>
<p>“Draw the answer on the virtual whiteboard” is a good way to make use of this collaborative tool which is available on many platforms.</p>
<p>Sending regular interactive surveys to students is also another option: multiple-choice questions, cards or images to click on, open questions, etc. Numerous solutions are available on a range of platforms. We also use <a href="https://www.wooclap.com/">Wooclap</a> and <a href="https://www.google.com/intl/fr/forms/about/">Google Form</a>.</p>
<p>Icebreakers are also another solution to boost interaction. These informal games help to create a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere and encourage students to turn on their webcams when it is possible for them. Examples of short games include asking students to turn their webcams on and off to answer rounds of True or False, or “the most original background” challenge with a set theme. We have come up with some <a href="http://hebergement.universite-paris-saclay.fr/supraconductivite/v/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ice-breakings-US.pdf">20 icebreakers</a> which can be used as fun breaks for what can otherwise be rather serious content.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385079/original/file-20210218-22-1qg14gx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385079/original/file-20210218-22-1qg14gx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=378&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385079/original/file-20210218-22-1qg14gx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=378&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385079/original/file-20210218-22-1qg14gx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=378&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385079/original/file-20210218-22-1qg14gx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=475&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385079/original/file-20210218-22-1qg14gx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=475&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385079/original/file-20210218-22-1qg14gx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=475&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A few icebreakers: click on where you want to go on holiday/find a yellow object in under a minute/answer a question with your thumbs/draw together on a set theme.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Finally, working in small groups is also a way to avoid an entirely top-down teaching approach and build relationships between students at the same time. For this we use the free platform <a href="https://discord.com/">Discord</a>. Originally created for the world of video gaming, the platform means that you can switch from working as a class to working in small groups with everyone moving seamlessly from one space to another. Everyone can share documents or their screen, even outside of lecture time and it takes just <a href="http://www.villebon-charpak.fr/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/tuto-discord-english.pdf">a few minutes to master</a>.</p>
<h2>Getting students to stand up</h2>
<p>Our students are stuck in front of their computer screens all day. To remedy that, we can offer students activities that force them to use their bodies. Several of us have developed <a href="https://theconversation.com/teaching-experimental-science-in-a-time-of-social-distancing-139483">remote experimental activities</a> where we ask students to take measurements using their <a href="http://hebergement.universite-paris-saclay.fr/supraconductivite/projet/smartphone/?lang=en">smartphones</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385081/original/file-20210218-20-1aibm1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385081/original/file-20210218-20-1aibm1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=249&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385081/original/file-20210218-20-1aibm1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=249&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385081/original/file-20210218-20-1aibm1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=249&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385081/original/file-20210218-20-1aibm1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=313&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385081/original/file-20210218-20-1aibm1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=313&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385081/original/file-20210218-20-1aibm1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=313&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">To get students to move away from their computer screens, ask them to take measurements with their smartphones.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">A. Khazina/_Physics Reimagined_</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We have also designed <a href="http://hebergement.universite-paris-saclay.fr/supraconductivite/projet/tp_smartphone_en_lycee/?lang=en">teaching labs</a> (in French) for high school students with the French Ministry of National Education. Aside from their scientific interest, these activities encourage students to move away from a wholly virtual experience, get up and design and experiment for themselves.</p>
<p>Beyond the field of science, similar activities could also be an option for assignments. Instead of asking students for a written report or a slide, why not ask them for a video or a model? In short, anything that forces them to unglue themselves from their screens for a while? Free editing tools, like Youcut for Android, VSDC for Windows or iMovie for Macs, can help them to make videos in just a few minutes.</p>
<h2>Helping students take a break from everyday life</h2>
<p>Living in lockdown is monotonous – the same routine and the same backdrop day in, day out, just like <em>Groundhog Day</em>. To help students escape from the monotony of everyday life, we have come up with teaching methods based on fiction, giving students the opportunity to live in a fictional universe where they have a role to play alongside their lecturers. For example, students are asked to rescue a spacecraft remotely, working at home in teams to create, imagine, design solutions and take measurements for the rescue operation.</p>
<p>Remote learning presents several advantages for this type of activity: no need for fancy backdrops or costumes, a simple virtual background or an e-mail with a header is enough to believe that NASA has contacted them.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385084/original/file-20210218-19-c6ijuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/385084/original/file-20210218-19-c6ijuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385084/original/file-20210218-19-c6ijuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385084/original/file-20210218-19-c6ijuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385084/original/file-20210218-19-c6ijuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385084/original/file-20210218-19-c6ijuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/385084/original/file-20210218-19-c6ijuc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Morgane Parisi/_Physics Reimagined_ and COMPAS.</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<p>We have also experimented with online escape games, like <a href="http://hebergement.universite-paris-saclay.fr/supraconductivite/projet/la_fac_se_gele/">preventing the University from freezing</a> after a liquid nitrogen leak. <a href="http://genial.ly/">genial.ly</a> is a simple and effective tool for creating games, thanks to the tutorials produced by the very active educational community, <a href="https://scape.enepe.fr/">S’Cape</a>.</p>
<h2>Sharing with colleagues</h2>
<p>Students are not the only victims of remote teaching. Lecturers are also having to deal with this difficult and lonely period. Organising regular moments when colleagues can discuss and share ideas can help combat feelings of loneliness.</p>
<p>At the Institut Villebon-Georges Charpak, we have set up weekly “Zoom cafés”, a sort of virtual staffroom for lecturers, where everyone can talk about their difficulties or share their educational tips. We have also organised workshops among colleagues, to learn how to use the tools mentioned above. What could be more conclusive than learning how to use remote teaching methods by testing them working from home!</p>
<p>These five suggestions have their limits. They may not resolve the underlying problems linked to remote learning and their overall effectiveness deserves to be assessed with a formal protocol. But in the meantime, they have truly improved our experience has lecturers, and that is something at least!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/155389/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julien Bobroff has received public funding from the University of Paris-Saclay, his Foundation and IDEX, CNRS and ANR.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Frédéric Bouquet a reçu des financements publics de l'Université Paris-Saclay, de sa Fondation et de son IDEX, du CNRS et de l'ANR.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jeanne Parmentier is a research engineer at the Institut Villebon, Georges Charpak. The latter is a public interest grouping that receives funding from the University of Paris Saclay, the University of Paris, the University of Evry-Val-d'Essonne, the Ecole normale supérieure Paris-Saclay, schools of the ParisTech grouping and the ParisTech Foundation. It has also received IDEFI funding from ANR from 2012 to 2020.</span></em></p>How to invite students to participate in classes and experiment when the computer becomes the main classroom?Julien Bobroff, Physicien, Professeur des Universités, Université Paris-SaclayFrédéric Bouquet, Enseignant-chercheur en physique, Université Paris-SaclayJeanne Parmentier, Ingénieure de recherche à l'Institut Villebon - Georges CharpakLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1532492021-02-09T15:25:22Z2021-02-09T15:25:22ZDistance learning: How to avoid falling into ‘techno traps’<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/378915/original/file-20210114-23-t660cn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=4%2C0%2C1345%2C667&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">There's strong pressure to use more technology to capture student attention, but what about inviting students to adopt a contemplative posture? </span> </figcaption></figure><p>As another virtual university semester unfolds — the second or even third for some since the beginning of the pandemic — fatigue and declining satisfaction with this remote format seem to be increasingly felt on both sides of the screen.</p>
<p>On the one hand, there are <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/university-students-online-learning-mental-health_ca_5fc933f6c5b6e3f2bebab958">students worried about the quality of the courses</a> they are taking, but above all, they are missing out on campus and community life. On the other hand, there are <a href="https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/were-exhausted-teachers-overwhelmed-by-online-transition/271289">teachers feeling breathlessly short of resources</a>, who have been pushed overnight to change their practices and run their classes from home.</p>
<p>Beyond the purely pedagogical impacts, the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/online-university-burnout-1.5793757">issue of mental health for everyone is of concern</a> today. Having personally had to give online courses to more than 250 undergraduate students over these past weeks, I have been able to experience these issues and to feel the limits of this new way of teaching.</p>
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<img alt="Succulent plants on a laptop." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/382920/original/file-20210208-19-1ylrhwx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/382920/original/file-20210208-19-1ylrhwx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382920/original/file-20210208-19-1ylrhwx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382920/original/file-20210208-19-1ylrhwx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382920/original/file-20210208-19-1ylrhwx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382920/original/file-20210208-19-1ylrhwx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382920/original/file-20210208-19-1ylrhwx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Students and professors are feeling fatigued with screens.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<h2>Web influencer or academic expert?</h2>
<p>The temptation — but also often the pressure — to draw out a host of technological tools to capture and maintain the attention of students or facilitate their collaboration is often very strong. Certainly, the idea of teaching a class live on <a href="https://kotaku.com/professor-calls-students-idea-to-teach-class-on-twitch-1842277603">Twitch</a> or in a fictional world on <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/31/21200972/college-students-graduation-minecraft-coronavirus-school-closures">Minecraft</a> and then continuing the discussion on Discord or Slack can be exciting. But in this particular context, the teacher is sometimes more of a <a href="https://lens.monash.edu/@education/2019/06/28/1373473/the-teacher-as-social-media-celebrity">online influencer</a> than an academic expert.</p>
<p>These technological choices also confront teachers with limits, both logistical and human. What can we say to the many students who access this content from their cell phones and therefore from their cellular data, or to <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/students-without-laptops-instructors-without-internet-how-struggling-colleges-move-online-during-covid-19">those who do not yet have a computer</a> and a high-performance internet connection? </p>
<p>What to do with students who have to share their workspace with the rest of the family, who don’t have a good grasp of these different tools or who have to learn how to use a range of different applications for each of their courses?</p>
<p>These issues also illustrate the very real risk of creating <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/6/21168463/coronavirus-covid19-seattle-public-schools-networks-broadband">new barriers </a>to inclusion in education. </p>
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À lire aussi :
<a href="https://theconversation.com/online-learning-during-covid-19-8-ways-universities-can-improve-equity-and-access-145286">Online learning during COVID-19: 8 ways universities can improve equity and access</a>
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<p>So, before mobilizing such hardware, it is important to consider not only the ability of students to grasp it, but also the ability of teachers to train themselves sufficiently to offer a positive learning experience. More importantly, this is also an opportunity to learn about other modes of distance education and finally to move away from a vision requiring more and more tools and overstimulation.</p>
<h2>A more human approach</h2>
<p>What if one of the answers to the challenges of distance learning is to go back to basics and set up contexts that are less “techno” and more human?</p>
<p>In their work on the <a href="https://hbr.org/1998/07/welcome-to-the-experience-economy">experience economy</a>, consultants Joseph Pine and Jim Gilmore explore how value can be created based on the experience of “guests” (whether as consumers in shops or visitors to museums). They propose four categories for experience: educational, entertainment, escapist and esthetic. “Esthetic” experiences, they argue, are those in which participants are invited to adopt a contemplative posture. The experience then aims at harmony of the senses and attaining a kind of individual fullness.</p>
<p>An example of that could be a visit to a museum, where people walk around, sit on a bench and get lost in their thoughts. It contrasts sharply with an entertainment experience such as a music show or an amusement park. It’s a celebration of slowness, of a more subtle but equally engaging non-technological stimulation.</p>
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À lire aussi :
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-slow-professor-could-bring-back-creativity-to-our-universities-121170">The 'slow professor' could bring back creativity to our universities</a>
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<p>This kind of call for a slower, more informal pedagogical approach isn’t new. Moreover, the idea of lowering the pace, or to prune the content a little to facilitate retention without affecting the quality, was <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2018/02/01/581864513/would-college-students-retain-more-if-professors-dialed-back-the-pace">slowly gaining ground</a> long before the pandemic.</p>
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<img alt="A guy listening to music." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/382918/original/file-20210208-17-c3xfmz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/382918/original/file-20210208-17-c3xfmz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382918/original/file-20210208-17-c3xfmz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382918/original/file-20210208-17-c3xfmz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382918/original/file-20210208-17-c3xfmz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382918/original/file-20210208-17-c3xfmz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/382918/original/file-20210208-17-c3xfmz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Offering podcast courses or transmitting evaluations via audio not only gives you a break, but also gives you more flexibility as to when and where to view this content.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<h2>Create an atmosphere conducive to reflection</h2>
<p>So, instead of using yet another collaborative tool during a Zoom course, why not simply create an atmosphere conducive to reflection through a warm decor, a little nature, something to watch or music that is pleasant to listen to?</p>
<p>Similarly, why not open the virtual rooms earlier, or close them later, for those who want to exchange in a more informal setting. Why not send the content in advance so as to take advantage of these so-called “synchronous moments” to interact and inject some human warmth?</p>
<p>Finally, it is possible to enhance non-visual stimuli to allow students to take a break from their screens for even a brief moment. The simple act of recording podcast episodes or transmitting assessments via audio not only gives students a break for their eyes but also offers more flexibility in when and where they can view the content. The opportunity has also come to rediscover the charms of a simple telephone conversation, instead of another videoconference.</p>
<p>Since this virtual mode of teaching is expected to continue at least until next fall or winter and to play a greater role in university curricula after the pandemic, it is not too late to imagine modes of engagement that are more mindful of individual constraints.</p>
<p>According to Pine and Gilmore, any good experience must be thought of in the broader context in which it takes place. So, rather than relying on the equivalent of an online lecture, let’s reconsider. Keep in mind the constraints of the moment and imagine courses that allow you to vary the contexts in which you immerse yourself, whether it’s by the fire or even under the comforter!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/153249/count.gif" alt="La Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Louis-Etienne Dubois ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>What if one of the answers to the challenges of distance learning was to go back to basics and set up less “tech” and more human contexts?Louis-Etienne Dubois, Assistant Professor, School of Creative Industries, Faculty of Communication and Design, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1437972020-10-05T12:07:18Z2020-10-05T12:07:18ZRemote learning isn’t new: Radio instruction in the 1937 polio epidemic<p>A <a href="https://data.unicef.org/resources/remote-learning-reachability-factsheet/">UNICEF survey</a> found that 94% of countries implemented some form of remote learning when COVID-19 closed schools last spring, including in the United States. </p>
<p>This is not the first time education has been disrupted in the U.S. – nor the first time that educators have harnessed remote learning. In 1937, <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59888554/children-to-be-taught-by-radio-dixon/#">the Chicago school system used radio to teach children during a polio outbreak</a>, demonstrating how technology can be used in a time of crisis.</p>
<p>I’ve <a href="https://www.umasspress.com/9781625345288/constructing-the-outbreak/">documented outbreaks</a> of scarlet fever, measles, diphtheria, influenza and other communicable illnesses that regularly closed schools <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/209448">before vaccines</a> greatly reduced childhood diseases. </p>
<p>Responses varied from district to district. During the <a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.28.6.w1066">1918-19 influenza pandemic</a>, school boards held special meetings to debate the best way to proceed. Chicago, New York and New Haven were among the cities that never closed, using medical inspection and individual quarantine instead, while <a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.28.6.w1066">other schools shuttered for up to 15 weeks</a>. </p>
<p>School closings typically halted formal learning. For some kids, it meant extra playtime, while others went back to work at home or on family farms. Schools sometimes compensated for lost instructional time by shifting the academic calendar or mandating Saturday attendance.</p>
<h2>Radio school</h2>
<p>In 1937, a severe polio epidemic hit the U.S. At the time, this contagious virus had no cure, and it crippled or paralyzed some of those it infected. Across the country, playgrounds and pools closed, and children were banned from movie theaters and other public spaces. Chicago had a record 109 cases in August, <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59889301/delay-opening-on-orders-of-health/">prompting the Board of Health to postpone the start of school</a> for three weeks. </p>
<p>This delay sparked the first large-scale “radio school” experiment through a highly innovative – though largely untested – program. Some 315,000 children in grades 3 through 8 continued their education at home, receiving lessons on the radio.</p>
<p>By the late 1930s, radio had become a popular source of news and entertainment. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1207/s15506878jobem4802_2?casa_token=9kx859uJE7gAAAAA:dgAGC-vA_ON5H2g3LdannS-gRe_qKkLpor1njpho3Qqp5aDZXCCJLV2ylcLnUdpdxCcKnT_3V5sR">Over 80% of U.S. households owned at least one radio</a>, though fewer were found in homes in the southern U.S., in rural areas and among people of color. </p>
<p>In Chicago, teachers collaborated with principals to create <a href="https://nyti.ms/34bojSX">on-air lessons</a> for each grade, with oversight from experts in each subject. Seven local radio stations donated air time. September 13 marked the first day of school. </p>
<p>Local papers printed class schedules each morning. Social studies and science classes were slated for Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays were devoted to English and math. The on-air school day began with announcements and gym. Classes were short – just 15 minutes – providing simple, broad questions and assigning homework. </p>
<p>The objective was to be “<a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59889812/broadcast-food-for-thought-chicago/">entertaining yet informative</a>.” Curriculum planners incorporated an engaging commercial broadcasting style into the lessons. Two principals monitored each broadcast, providing feedback to teachers on content, articulation, vocabulary and general performance. When schools reopened, students would submit their work and take tests to show mastery of the material.</p>
<p>Sixteen teachers answered phone calls from parents at the school district’s central office. After the phone bank logged more than 1,000 calls on the first day, they brought five more teachers on board. </p>
<p>News stories reporting on this novel radio school approach were mostly positive, but a few articles hinted at the challenges. Some kids were distracted or struggled to follow the lessons. There was no way to ask questions in the moment, and kids needed more parental involvement than usual. </p>
<p>In general, media coverage focused on the innovation of the delivery method. Access issues received little attention. Even Superintendent William Johnson <a href="https://nyti.ms/34bojSX">didn’t know how many students tuned in</a> for the lessons.</p>
<p>Radio instruction officially ended at the end of September when schools reopened. Though the program ran for less than three weeks, it transformed the role of local radio in Chicago education. The experiment initiated a partnership between the city’s public schools and local radio stations, which was quickly cemented in the formation of the <a href="https://ecommons.luc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3272&context=luc_diss">Chicago Radio Council</a>. The council produced educational shows, broadcasted educational conferences and supplemented specific grade-level curriculum.</p>
<p>The partnership also brought more radios into schools, with teachers required to include on-air programs in their lesson plans. It also offered opportunities for students to participate in newscasts, radio round tables and other programming. </p>
<h2>Remote learning 2020</h2>
<p>Fast forward to 2020. When the current pandemic shut down schools last spring, nations around the world instituted remote learning. But many countries used multiple platforms: About three-quarters also offered classes on television and about half used radio learning – which was particularly important in developing nations.</p>
<p>Instruction through multiple technologies helps, but many kids simply have no access. Approximately <a href="https://data.unicef.org/resources/remote-learning-reachability-factsheet/">one-third</a>) of students worldwide cannot participate in digital or on-air education because they don’t own a computer, TV or radio, lack reliable internet access or live in remote areas that lie beyond the range of broadcasts.</p>
<p>[<em>Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/weekly-highlights-61?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=weeklybest">Sign up for our weekly newsletter</a>.]</p>
<h2>Lessons from Chicago</h2>
<p>Chicago’s handling of remote education during its 1937 polio epidemic offers lessons on ways to use technology to address the current educational disruptions. But even where most students have access to reliable internet service, the pandemic has highlighted the mass-scale burdens of the digital divide. </p>
<p>One example comes from Southern California, where <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-08-13/online-learning-fails-low-income-students-covid-19-left-behind-project">a survey of 45 school districts</a> found substantial differences in distance learning among children living in high-poverty communities compared with those in more affluent areas. State officials estimate that California’s students need more than a million computers – and additional hot spots. </p>
<p>This highlights the need for funding in the U.S. – and in nations worldwide – to address technological inequalities in schools and to teach educators, administrators, parents and students how to better use digital platforms.</p>
<p>This pandemic could reshape education once school safely shifts back to the classroom. Innovative use of digital tools and platforms could enrich curriculum, provide online makeup material and create new ways to connect with students beyond the traditional modes of learning. It would also reduce the environmental impact from distributed papers and help teachers, students and parents to more easily connect outside of the classroom.</p>
<p>Pandemic teaching may not just be a temporary means to an end. It could ultimately improve education, much like Chicago’s radio experiment in 1937.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/143797/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katherine A. Foss does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>This isn’t the first time America’s schoolchildren have studied remotely – and Chicago’s 1937 ‘radio school’ experiment shows how technology can fill the gap during a crisis.Katherine A. Foss, Professor of Media Studies, Middle Tennessee State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1455142020-09-22T12:22:15Z2020-09-22T12:22:15ZTips for living online – lessons from six months of the COVID-19 pandemic<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/358883/original/file-20200918-18-p8j5u0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C0%2C5725%2C3811&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Life online isn't ideal, but it is manageable.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/afro-caribbean-woman-working-from-home-during-the-royalty-free-image/1253792565">Alistair Berg/DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Valentine’s Day was sweet, spring break was fun, then… boom! COVID-19. Stay-at-home orders, workplace shutdowns, school closures and social distancing requirements changed lives almost overnight. Forty-two percent of the U.S. workforce <a href="https://siepr.stanford.edu/research/publications/how-working-home-works-out">now works from home full-time</a>. In the six months since the “new normal” began, Americans have gained a fair amount of experience with working, studying and socializing online.</p>
<p>With schools resuming and cooler weather curtailing outdoor activities, videoconferencing will be as front and center as it was in the spring.</p>
<p>As someone who <a href="https://www.iswd.msstate.edu/directory/dr-pamela-bracey">researches and teaches instructional technology</a>, I can offer recommendations for how to make the best of the situation and make the most of virtual interactions with colleagues, teachers, students, family and friends.</p>
<h2>Create a designated videoconferencing space</h2>
<p>If working from home, select a location with a simple background that does not show angles of your personal space that you would like to keep private. Some videoconference platforms even include free virtual background options to choose from, or allow you to upload your own mock office image files.</p>
<p>If you aren’t able to add home classrooms, desks or workstations, be sure to create a designated learning space at a table for children and their school materials to create structure and a routine. Post schedules near the workspace, and limit distractions. </p>
<p>If lighting in your designated workspace is dark, invest in a ring light or other lamp to guarantee that you can be clearly seen. </p>
<p>Environment <a href="https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/enhance-your-wellbeing/environment/your-personal-environment/how-does-your-personal-environment-impa">affects mood</a>. Since many people now spend the majority of their time within the confines of their homes, it’s worthwhile to declutter, reorganize and clean on a regular basis to make home a space of peace and comfort in the midst of chaotic circumstances. </p>
<h2>Get to know your videoconferencing software</h2>
<p>To lessen the probability of having your meetings compromised by hackers, <a href="https://theconversation.com/videoconferencing-keeps-people-connected-while-the-coronavirus-keeps-them-inside-but-privacy-and-security-are-far-from-perfect-135799">use passwords</a> and log onto videoconferences only via secure, password-protected internet networks. </p>
<p>Use headphones with noise-canceling microphones for optimal sound. This can help provide clear communication. </p>
<p>Create accounts within videoconference platforms before going into meetings to access more available features and set your personal preferences. </p>
<p>If you’re tired of the “Hollywood Squares” effect of Zoom and the other major videoconferencing platforms, take a look at some of the <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/9/15/21434946/augmented-reality-future-remote-work-spatial-zoom-calls-feel-like-real-life">newer alternatives</a>, like Spatial, and keep an eye on projects in the works that aim to <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/zoom-fatigue-and-the-new-ways-to-party">make videoconferencing feel more like real life</a>.</p>
<h2>Keep a schedule and take breaks</h2>
<p>Set alarms five or 10 minutes before scheduled start times to remember when to log into videoconferences. Also keep your schedule written in a planner in case your phone dies or gets misplaced.</p>
<p>People with children participating in virtual learning may feel like they’ve become personal assistants trying to juggle multiple schedules. Showing students how to maintain their own schedules will not only lessen your load but will also teach them valuable planning and accountability skills that will carry them far beyond grade school. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="a girl looks over a piece of paper in front of a laptop in a bedroom" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/358879/original/file-20200918-22-3k7j1z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/358879/original/file-20200918-22-3k7j1z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/358879/original/file-20200918-22-3k7j1z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/358879/original/file-20200918-22-3k7j1z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/358879/original/file-20200918-22-3k7j1z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/358879/original/file-20200918-22-3k7j1z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/358879/original/file-20200918-22-3k7j1z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Setting up a dedicated virtual classroom space can help kids develop a sense of routine.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/VirusOutbreakTwoSanFranciscos/a7a6f5fb2df44c73b017e31f851b6346/photo">AP Photo/Jeff Chiu</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Consider actually resting during scheduled breaks in videoconferences. Go for walks outside for fresh air, eat healthy snacks and drink water. Refrain from forcing children to work on homework during short breaks, and allow their eyes to rest, too. Excessive screen time can be <a href="https://www.ophth.wisc.edu/blog/2020/03/02/protect-your-eyes-from-too-much-screen-time/">bad for your eyes</a>.</p>
<p>Sitting in front of a computer for long periods of time can cause pain in other parts of the body, so be sure to get up and move around during breaks. Being sedentary is <a href="https://theconversation.com/if-sitting-at-a-desk-all-day-is-bad-during-coronavirus-could-i-lie-down-to-work-instead-145081">generally bad for your health</a>. </p>
<p>Keeping computers at eye level or using moveable webcams can help alleviate neck pain, and also avoid showing what’s in your nose. Maintaining an upright posture can help prevent back and wrist injuries; and using an external mouse for laptop navigation can help reduce strain on fingers and joints.</p>
<h2>Identify available resources</h2>
<p>Explore resources and benefits offered through your place of employment. Perhaps there is a designated budget for home office equipment like printers, desks, chairs, webcams and headsets. Many companies also offer free mental health therapy sessions, childcare provisions and extended family medical leave through the <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic/ffcra-employee-paid-leave">Families First Coronavirus Response Act</a>. </p>
<p>If you have suffered personal losses due to COVID-19, taking time to grieve is essential; coping alone can weigh heavily on your mental health. Having the support of friends and colleagues can help you navigate these uncharted waters more successfully, but only if they are made aware of your circumstances. </p>
<h2>Life online isn’t easy – be patient with yourself and others</h2>
<p>The effects of living virtually online continue to affect everyone in various ways. Some are struggling with guilt from having to send children back to school while COVID-19 is still spreading rapidly – but work schedules or financial situations leave no other choice. Other families are struggling with the demands of keeping children home to learn virtually because their school districts aren’t offering an in-person option due to safety concerns.</p>
<p>People in supervisory roles should try to remember that life is different for everyone right now. It’s unreasonable to expect the same level of productivity without considering employees’ home-life situations. </p>
<p>While virtual learning is extremely inconvenient for parents who have multiple children, demanding careers or financial restraints, it’s important to recognize that most educators are doing the best they can – especially those who are also parents. Most are working to learn how to use new software applications, navigate learning management systems and adopt unfamiliar online strategies and classroom management techniques, often with no technical assistance. </p>
<p>[<em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>.]</p>
<p>Whatever your reality is right now, just trust your gut and do the best that you can. Take time to appreciate small pleasantries of life, incorporate daily physical activity, take walks to enjoy nature, reconnect with family through game or movie nights and try new cooking recipes. Be especially mindful of your attitude around children, since adults set the tone and highly influence the outlooks of impressionable young minds. </p>
<p>Living online is not the end of the world, but attitude is everything. Continue to do your best, and know that this too shall pass, hopefully sooner than later.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/145514/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pamela Bracey is an associate professor of Instructional Technology at Mississippi State University. She also serves as lead consultant with Urbane Enterprises LLC. </span></em></p>From setting passwords to cultivating patience, a mindful approach to virtual working, studying and socializing can make life online manageable.Pamela Scott Bracey, Associate Professor of Instructional Systems and Workforce Development, Mississippi State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1433872020-09-04T03:16:36Z2020-09-04T03:16:36ZMixing online and offline classes in blended learning during COVID-19 pandemic: challenges and opportunities<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/355778/original/file-20200901-14-1x9ocaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C5%2C3988%2C2646&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A student in Salatiga, Central Java, gets a medical check up before entering her class. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">ANTARA FOTO/Aloysius Jarot Nugroho/aww</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>School closures in Indonesia due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to online learning have affected <a href="https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse">around 68 million students from pre-school to higher education levels</a>.</p>
<p>One of them is 16-year-old high school student Hazel. </p>
<p>“We get more homework than learning materials, so we spend more time working on them. Sometimes we stay up until 11pm to reach deadlines,” she told <em>The Conversation Indonesia</em> recently.</p>
<p>Moving class online also creates an additional burden for teachers as they have to incorporate technology in their learning method, a skill not many people possess.</p>
<p>Other challenges for online learning include lack of internet access, poor quality of teachers’ capacity and student-parent readiness.</p>
<p>The Indonesian Teachers Association has <a href="https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20200609104407-20-511303/ikatan-guru-usul-siswa-masuk-sekolah-dua-kali-sepekan">proposed the use</a> of <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11528-019-00375-5#:%7E:text=As%20previously%20mentioned%2C%20Allen%20and,5">blended learning</a> – a mix of online (distance) and face-to-face (in-class) delivery – as a way to create an effective learning environment amid the pandemic.</p>
<p>Blended learning stems from <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-ax/The+Blended+Learning+Book%3A+Best+Practices%2C+Proven+Methodologies%2C+and+Lessons+Learned-p-97807879764530">technology-based education practices in the 1960s and 1970s</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/355769/original/file-20200901-24-1nd7q0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/355769/original/file-20200901-24-1nd7q0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355769/original/file-20200901-24-1nd7q0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355769/original/file-20200901-24-1nd7q0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355769/original/file-20200901-24-1nd7q0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355769/original/file-20200901-24-1nd7q0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355769/original/file-20200901-24-1nd7q0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Schools located in the green and yellow zones are able to prepare for in-class learning.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">ANTARA FOTO/Raisan Al Farisi</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The system offers a wide range of technologies, including web-based courses, live videos and conference calls. These can be used to support traditional education settings.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-52412171">Several countries in Europe</a>, such as Germany, Norway and Denmark, have started to adopt this learning method to help them conduct classes amid the pandemic. By having a mix of online and offline classes, opening schools is manageable during the pandemic. </p>
<p>Blended learning may work in Europe, but it still has a long way to go to be implemented in Indonesia despite its potential to reform the country’s education sector.</p>
<h2>Challenges</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-52412171">European countries carried out blended learning</a> by limiting class sizes to a maximum of 10-15 students and alternating periods of in-class learning with online learning. </p>
<p>During in-class learning, children stay in small groups and are assigned individual seats. Their in-class learning is also shortened to avoid COVID-19 infections.</p>
<p>Some argue that the use of <a href="https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20200609104407-20-511303/ikatan-guru-usul-siswa-masuk-sekolah-dua-kali-sepekan">blended learning during the pandemic can create an effective and safe learning environment</a> because it will shorten the teaching and learning time with school materials being delivered online and offline.</p>
<p>However, the application of this learning method in <a href="https://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2020/05/02/covid-19-disruption-and-the-widening-digital-divide.htm">Indonesia stills face many constraints</a> – particularly when it comes to the online learning part. </p>
<p>Research <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s41239-017-0043-4">suggests</a> blended learning is an effective learning method but only if both students and teachers have the capability and experience in using the technology.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/05/18/disconnected-digital-divide-may-jeopardize-human-rights.html">Indonesia’s digital divide</a> presents a challenge for blended learning, as this method still rests upon <a href="https://educationaltechnologyjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41239-017-0087-5">online learning</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/355772/original/file-20200901-16-iti99g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/355772/original/file-20200901-16-iti99g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355772/original/file-20200901-16-iti99g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355772/original/file-20200901-16-iti99g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355772/original/file-20200901-16-iti99g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355772/original/file-20200901-16-iti99g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355772/original/file-20200901-16-iti99g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">For the past months, students nationwide have relied on online (distance) learning to support their education.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jagrit Parajuli/Pixabay</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The owner of a pre-school in Cirebon, West Java, Lismah (52), has tried to implement blended learning during the pandemic. She acknowledged the difficulties in conducting online classes, with many of her students’ parents having limited technological resources.</p>
<p>“The students are given homework […],” she said. “The teachers remind the parents of these homework through a Whatsapp group, but we’re aware some parents don’t have mobile phones.”</p>
<p>Implementing blended learning in Indonesia means extra work for teachers as they are <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/08/14/hybrid-learning-coronavirus-risk/">expected to master both distance and in-class teaching</a>.</p>
<p>“We’re expected to work harder. We have to prepare both online and in-class learning activities. Those activities must be synchronised, so they don’t overlap each other in reaching the learning objectives,” junior high school teacher Aris (39) from Cirebon told <em>The Conversation Indonesia</em>.</p>
<p>Edi Subkhan, a lecturer in education technology and curriculum at Universitas Negeri Semarang in Central Java, also argues that schools and teachers must firstly have the capacity to implement this learning method.</p>
<p>“There are teachers who can follow this method because they are skilled in operating various technologies, but there are also teachers who have yet to fully understand what online or even blended learning is,” he said.</p>
<p>Returning to school amid the pandemic, even in a blended learning setting, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/aug/28/how-parents-can-prepare-their-children-for-going-back-to-schoo">can also be unsettling</a> after a long period of separation from in-class learning. </p>
<p>Zamzami Zainudin, a researcher at the University of Hong Kong, explains the challenge of “recharging” students upon returning to in-class learning.</p>
<p>“Many students become too comfortable with distance learning because they are separated from in-class learning for a long time. So when in-class learning resumes, they need to be recharged. This becomes the teacher’s challenge to motivate them back from zero,” he said.</p>
<p>Another challenge to <a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/how-countries-are-reopening-schools-during-pandemic">health and safety precautions during in-class learning</a> is uncertainty as to what happens on the days when students are supposed to conduct distance learning. Around <a href="https://en.tempo.co/read/1375481/20-percent-indonesians-not-wearing-face-masks-health-ministry-says">20% of Indonesians</a> still do not wear face masks when going outside.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/355774/original/file-20200901-20-wgmuhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/355774/original/file-20200901-20-wgmuhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355774/original/file-20200901-20-wgmuhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355774/original/file-20200901-20-wgmuhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355774/original/file-20200901-20-wgmuhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355774/original/file-20200901-20-wgmuhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355774/original/file-20200901-20-wgmuhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Schools have been empty but that will all change when in-class learning resumes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">PublicDomainPictures/Pixabay</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Indonesia has the highest COVID-19 fatality rate in Southeast Asia with <a href="https://www.csis.org/programs/southeast-asia-program/southeast-asia-covid-19-tracker-0">7,417 deaths as of August 31</a>. The country also has recorded <a href="https://www.csis.org/programs/southeast-asia-program/southeast-asia-covid-19-tracker-0">the second-highest number of COVID-19 infections in Southeast Asia</a> with 174,796 cases – behind Philippine’s 220,819 cases. </p>
<h2>Rising opportunities</h2>
<p>Though blended learning is largely at the discussion stage – with <a href="https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20200813064216-20-535143/khofifah-uji-coba-buka-sekolah-jenjang-sma-smk-18-agustus">a few schools already carrying out trials</a> – opportunities are open for blended learning to be implemented as part of <a href="https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/08/12/covid-19-crisis-opportunity-for-education-reform-in-indonesia.html">education reform</a> during the pandemic.</p>
<p>Teacher Aris believes that implementing blended learning during the pandemic can increase the ability of educators to conduct effective distance learning, especially in terms of using technology.</p>
<p>“Whether we like it or not, teachers are forced to be creative in using information technology. We have to choose which technology fits the learning activity, learn how to use it, and then evaluate how we used it to see its appropriateness in the learning setting,” he said.</p>
<p>Edi supports this notion. He thinks blended learning can serve as the first step towards an information and communication technology-based education system. </p>
<p>Given Indonesia’s <a href="https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/ICT-and-education-in-Indonesia-Yuhetty/4eff2e21decedea72b87a1c186dae9a01ac9ee39">lack of infrastructure, digital literacy and economic welfare</a>, developing an education system of this kind must be taken one step at a time.</p>
<p>“With its flexibility in combining online and face-to-face learning, we can build an education system that doesn’t force it to be fully internet-based, because we’re also considering the social, economic and geographical context of Indonesia,” explained Edi.</p>
<p>Zamzami added that blended learning would also open doors for emerging technologies in Indonesia’s education sector through, for example, augmented reality and computational thinking.</p>
<p>“There are many emerging technologies in the field of education that Indonesia still lacks. Blended learning is the most simple form of technology that we can start with,” he said.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/143387/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
As the Indonesian government reopens schools located in the green and yellow zones, a blended learning approach is being discussed as a solution.Ika Krismantari, Chief Editor/Content DirectorAyesha Nadya Muna, EditorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1441692020-09-01T12:23:45Z2020-09-01T12:23:45ZRace and class can color teachers’ digital expectations for their students – with white students getting more encouragement<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/351831/original/file-20200808-14-1apzmoz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=45%2C0%2C7463%2C4560&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Is he learning something?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/boy-with-digital-tablet-on-sofa-royalty-free-image/1021924794">Pollyana Ventura/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Schools that rely on remote learning during the pandemic are trying to ensure that all kids have the <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90543628/remote-education-is-forcing-the-u-s-to-confront-the-digital-divide">devices and internet bandwidth</a> they need. While important, it takes more than everyone having comparable equipment and working WiFi for all children to get an equal shot.</p>
<p>In my <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/D/bo57273552.html">new book</a> based on the <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=qoCI1AgAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">sociological research I conducted at three middle schools</a> before the COVID-19 pandemic, I explain how even if all students could get the same hardware and software, it would fail to even the academic playing field.</p>
<p>I saw many technologies used in unequal ways. And I observed teachers responding differently to students’ digital skills depending on the race or ethnicity and economic status of most of their students.</p>
<h2>Learning from digital play</h2>
<p>Previous research by a team of University of California researchers found that young people gain basic <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/hanging-out-messing-around-and-geeking-out">digital skills just from playing with friends online</a>. This includes the ability to do things like communicate online and create and share media.</p>
<p>Consider <a href="https://www.minecraft.net/">Minecraft</a>, the popular video game that lets players build cities and towns.</p>
<p>Minecraft players have to learn how to create and assemble the building blocks – like digital Legos. Players can learn creative skills, too. For example, they can design how characters look by creating custom “<a href="https://www.minecraftskins.com/">skins</a>.”</p>
<p>These activities require the same basic digital skills educators are increasingly asked to teach school children.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LVB9n5FbPKI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Minecraft tips and tricks, explained.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3 middle schools</h2>
<p>I studied three Southern California middle schools over the course of the 2013-14 academic year to observe what happened when students had acquired these digital skills on their own.</p>
<p>All three schools had plenty of technology available for students to use. The students told me they used social media and played video games at home.</p>
<p>Many students had also mastered the basics of many digital tools, like knowing how to communicate online and how to create and share digital media. Most told me that they were the tech experts of their families. Further, their teachers and administrators explained that teaching digital skills was an essential part of their class curricula.</p>
<p>For all three schools, it seemed, students were ready to use what they already learned to succeed in class.</p>
<p>The main differences were demographic.</p>
<p>One of the schools had mostly wealthy, white students – none of whom got <a href="https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/food-and-nutrition-programs/free-and-reduced-price-meals#:%7E:text=Families%20who%20earn%20less%20than,qualify%20for%20reduced%2Dprice%20meals">free or reduced-priced meals</a>.</p>
<p>At another, most students were middle class and Asian American, with about 10% qualifying for free or reduced-price meals.</p>
<p>The students at the third were mostly working class and Latino, with 87% eligible for free or reduced-price meals.</p>
<p>There were few Black students at any of the schools, and I believe that more research is needed to assess how teachers interact with Black children.</p>
<p>I observed that their teachers responded to these different kinds of student communities in different ways. They appeared to see the value of the skills they’d acquired differently depending on characteristics of the school’s student body.</p>
<p>At the school with mostly wealthy, white students, teachers considered digital play as essential to learning. </p>
<p>“I always use the example of Steve Jobs going to his garage and tinkering around,” explained the school’s technology manager, who I’ll call Mr. Crouse. “Why can’t the garage be at school?” </p>
<p>Teachers at this affluent school tended to see pupils as “future innovators.” </p>
<p>Some teachers at the more well-off school would even let students submit their online creations, like Minecraft levels, stories they wrote online or digital art, in place of some classroom assignments.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/355362/original/file-20200828-14-1ejilu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An Asian American girl points at a computer screen with African American female teacher." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/355362/original/file-20200828-14-1ejilu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/355362/original/file-20200828-14-1ejilu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355362/original/file-20200828-14-1ejilu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355362/original/file-20200828-14-1ejilu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355362/original/file-20200828-14-1ejilu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355362/original/file-20200828-14-1ejilu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355362/original/file-20200828-14-1ejilu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Teachers may perceive digital skills differently depending on their students’ class, race or ethnicity.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/pre-teen-students-in-computer-lab-with-instructor-royalty-free-image/171583465">SDI Productions/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Very different responses</h2>
<p>But teachers at the schools where students were less affluent and predominately came from communities of color, saw these same digital activities in different lights. </p>
<p>At the school with mostly middle-class, Asian American students, teachers treated the most tech-savvy kids as potential troublemakers. </p>
<p>While teachers at this school saw students as upwardly mobile, racial stereotypes about the overall student body drove perceptions of digital play as threatening rather than an opportunity for learning.</p>
<p>“We’ve had a bunch of suspensions this year because these Asian kids are so good at using technology that they hack our online system,” explained a teacher I’ll call Ms. Finnerty, an eighth-grade science teacher at the school.</p>
<p>Over time, I observed that when these teachers caught students playing video games in class they would snatch their phones, give them detention and shame them for it.</p>
<p>At the mostly working-class, Latino school, teachers had stereotypes about their students as “hard-working immigrants” who were destined for working class jobs. The teachers I observed didn’t punish them for playing online. But they indicated that they didn’t think the digital skills acquired from gaming or social media use mattered at all for achievement. </p>
<p>“These kids aren’t naturally gifted at technology, so those skills playing video games don’t translate to school,” explained a teacher I’ll call Ms. Duffey, a seventh-grade science teacher at the school. “The kids we teach, if we are being realistic, they need skills for hands-on jobs, like how to fix a (car). If they learn technology it’s for that purpose.”</p>
<p>UCLA education professor <a href="https://www.sunypress.edu/p-2619-choosing-colleges.aspx">Patricia McDonough</a> has previously demonstrated that teachers’ assumptions about working-class students’ futures can shape the kinds of lessons they get in class. However, I saw that this also extends to assumptions about students’ socioeconomic status and technology use.</p>
<p>When technology came up, the teachers at the mostly Latino school focused instead on teaching students how to type quickly or other noncreative tech activities that they thought would help those middle school students some day in a low-ranking job requiring only the most basic digital abilities.</p>
<h2>The role of stereotypes</h2>
<p>Even though students at each of these schools gained some of the same basic skills while having fun online – such as becoming adept at online communication and digital production – their teachers responded differently when they encountered these activities in the classroom.</p>
<p>I believe that this happened due to stereotypes that colored what the teachers believed about their students.</p>
<p>These beliefs regarding race and class shaped whether they saw students’ digital skills as valuable or not. That is, not even the best equipment and fastest WiFi can end the inequities that emerge through digital technology use - often called the “<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-digital-divide-leaves-millions-at-a-disadvantage-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic-133608">digital divide</a>.”</p>
<p>[<em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/144169/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matt Rafalow works for Google, where he leads social science research for a product team.</span></em></p>While providing access to digital technology is important, it won’t even the digital playing field. If teachers can embrace all students’ digital interests as opportunities for learning, it would help.Matt Rafalow, Sociologist and Visiting Scholar, University of California, BerkeleyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1434102020-08-03T12:01:07Z2020-08-03T12:01:07Z3 ways to promote social skills in homebound kids<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/350648/original/file-20200731-20-xiyg45.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=543%2C129%2C4802%2C3492&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Too much time screen time can lead to lower self-esteem.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/teen-boy-plays-game-on-digital-tablet-at-home-royalty-free-image/1146552988">SDI Productions/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>With the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic getting worse in most of the country, a growing number of school districts from <a href="https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/san-francisco-public-schools-to-start-distance-learning-for-fall-semester-aug-17/">San Francisco</a> to <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/education/atlanta-public-schools-to-require-virtual-learning-for-first-quarter-of-school-year/85-57d59621-0a94-4d89-89a8-603a3f54921c">Atlanta</a> have determined that a return to daily in-person instruction isn’t yet safe or viable. They aim to to stick with remote learning as the school year gets underway.</p>
<p>Based on my <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=RzBpB7MAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">research</a> about the psychological effects of digital technology, I’ve seen that when children and teens spend a great deal of time isolated at home and gazing at screens their <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2013.0466">social skills</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2005.8.1">self-esteem</a> can suffer and they may <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1461444812466715">become lonelier</a>. Fortunately, there are ways to lower those risks while young people spend way more time than usual at home.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/350651/original/file-20200731-15-ge3pg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Teenage boy sits in chair playing a video game on a big flat screen." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/350651/original/file-20200731-15-ge3pg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/350651/original/file-20200731-15-ge3pg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=460&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350651/original/file-20200731-15-ge3pg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=460&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350651/original/file-20200731-15-ge3pg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=460&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350651/original/file-20200731-15-ge3pg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350651/original/file-20200731-15-ge3pg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350651/original/file-20200731-15-ge3pg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Kids who play outside and do things offline are better able to focus on their studies.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/teenage-boy-sits-in-front-of-tv-playing-video-game-royalty-free-image/106748964">Schedivy Pictures Inc./DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>1. Practice paying attention to other people</h2>
<p>One important social skill is the ability to pay attention to another person while you’re interacting with them. A long-term study of more than 300 teenagers found that those with the heaviest screen use were also the most <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.10.032">likely to focus on their own needs</a>, instead of those of the other people they were interacting with. Other research indicates that this <a href="https://doi.org/10.1515/jcc-2013-0003">self-centered behavior</a> tends to lead to more social problems with friends.</p>
<p>The good news is that regular, daily activities apart from technology can help kids focus in general and pay attention to other people. For example, when families do things together, such as cooking meals and gardening, or have a designated time when everyone reads at the same time, it can help children maintain the social skill of paying attention to others. A large study found that both adults and children engaged in these kinds of activities <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1037%2Fa0014123">felt better about their relationships</a>. </p>
<p>Kids find it easier to focus on their friends when they play together in person – something that is harder to do while social distancing. And when children play outdoors, or even just spend time outdoors, they become more able to pay attention to their friends and, later on, <a href="https://sophia.stkate.edu/maed/309">focus on schoolwork</a>. In addition, <a href="https://doi.org/10.4103/2277-9531.119043">yoga and other relaxation exercises</a>, such as breathing exercises, can help children practice focusing in general.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/350655/original/file-20200731-21-mqo82r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Teenage girl studying with video online lesson at home with her family amid widespread distance learning." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/350655/original/file-20200731-21-mqo82r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/350655/original/file-20200731-21-mqo82r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350655/original/file-20200731-21-mqo82r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350655/original/file-20200731-21-mqo82r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350655/original/file-20200731-21-mqo82r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350655/original/file-20200731-21-mqo82r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350655/original/file-20200731-21-mqo82r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Practicing the art of conversation helps kids who aren’t around their classmates sharpen their social skills.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/teenage-girl-studying-with-video-online-lesson-at-royalty-free-image/1216391310">valentinrussanov/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>2. Foster the give-and-take of conversation</h2>
<p>Interactions at school help children learn to read facial expressions and body language, the give-and-take of conversations and how to change or initiate topics of conversation. Having these informal encounters regularly are one way that kids learn how to meet and greet people. While there’s no perfect substitute online, there are steps parents and other guardians can take to help preserve a child’s social skills.</p>
<p>Some online activities can help kids practice perceiving others’ emotions by looking at their faces. One example is the “<a href="http://socialintelligence.labinthewild.org/mite/">Eyes In the Mind Test</a>,” in which people look at a picture of someone’s eyes and guesses the emotion that person is experiencing.</p>
<p>Family time can potentially make the biggest contribution to conversational and social skills. Plan to eat dinner together, without the distraction of any screens or phones because <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25676655/">kids who eat dinner with their families</a> tend to form stronger relationships with their peers, marked by less fighting and bullying.</p>
<p>Writing letters by hand, instead of relying on electronic devices for written communication are helpful too. Parents can encourage kids to find new friends in faraway places through “snail mail,” by taking advantage of a <a href="https://www.penpalschools.com/">pen pal website</a>. Exchanging letters with a stranger builds conversational skills, since writing a letter to get to know someone involves posing questions such as asking about favorite activities and foods.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/350658/original/file-20200731-18-iwsqh6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Toddler looks at a laptop in the dark." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/350658/original/file-20200731-18-iwsqh6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/350658/original/file-20200731-18-iwsqh6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350658/original/file-20200731-18-iwsqh6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350658/original/file-20200731-18-iwsqh6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350658/original/file-20200731-18-iwsqh6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350658/original/file-20200731-18-iwsqh6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350658/original/file-20200731-18-iwsqh6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Children of all ages are spending more time gazing at screens.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/year-old-boy-looking-a-laptop-in-the-dark-royalty-free-image/922390736">Thanasis Zovoilis/DigitalVision</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3. Maintain friendships</h2>
<p>Parents of home-bound kids may need to look for creative ways to keep school friendships going. Apps like Skype, Zoom and FaceTime can be useful but children – like adults – can grow tired of them. Fortunately, there are alternatives. </p>
<p>Remind your kids about the difference between brief messages or posts and longer communications. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.0690">Through my research</a>, I’ve found that children generally see the differences between brief but fun interactions versus feeling a deep connection to a good friend. Encourage kids to write longer, but less frequent, messages to their friends because it may help keep those relationships strong.</p>
<p>[<em>Get facts about coronavirus and the latest research.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=coronavirus-facts">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.</a>]</p>
<p>Despite having to socially distance, don’t forget that children of all ages can also connect with others outdoors, which is <a href="https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2020/07/17/outdoor-gathering">safer than being together indoors</a>. Set up outdoor visits that keep children and teens and their friends six feet apart from each other and make sure <a href="https://theconversation.com/kids-need-to-wear-masks-when-they-go-to-school-in-person-and-parents-can-help-them-get-the-hang-of-that-143389">everyone wears masks</a>. Consider <a href="https://www.woodmallets.com/how-to-play-croquet/">playing croquet</a> or other games that can work with these circumstances or just having them run through sprinklers. Even just a small group of friends hanging out while social distancing can preserve friendships.</p>
<p>Last but not least, encourage teachers to break classes into small groups while they’re learning online. Kids can still learn how to study together, practice skills together, and talk and socialize while they learn outside the classroom.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/143410/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elizabeth Englander receives funding from The Digital Trust Foundation. </span></em></p>It’s worth going out of your way to ensure that kids practice interacting with others and maintain their friendships.Elizabeth Englander, Professor of Psychology, and the Director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC), Bridgewater State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1431642020-07-29T19:11:31Z2020-07-29T19:11:31ZParents with children forced to do school at home are drinking more<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348958/original/file-20200722-24-bh7f37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=26%2C0%2C5869%2C3924&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">More people turn to alcohol in the wake of disasters, research has found.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/family-relaxing-on-sofa-at-home-royalty-free-image/1217703099?adppopup=true">Kerkez/GettyImages</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take about interesting academic work.</em></p>
<h2>The big idea</h2>
<p>We found that parents who are stressed by having to help their children with distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic drink seven more drinks per month than parents who do not report feeling stressed by distance learning. These stressed parents are also twice as likely to report binge drinking at least once over the prior month than parents who are not stressed, according to our results. <a href="https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/alcohol-facts-and-statistics">Binge drinking</a>, which varies by gender, is when women consume at least four, or men have at least five alcoholic beverages (which includes beer, wine, or liquor) within a couple hours of each other. </p>
<p>We learned this from our online survey, which 361 parents with children under 18 years old currently living with them completed in May 2020. Seventy-eight percent of the parents had children who did distance learning in the Spring of 2020. Of those, 66% reported that the experience caused them stress because they were not sure how to help. </p>
<p>We sent the survey out through social media sites and listservs to people throughout the U.S. However, this is not a nationally representative sample. As is <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/methods/2015/09/22/coverage-error-in-internet-surveys/">common with such surveys</a>, most of the parents who responded were middle-income or higher. The results of the study have not yet been published. </p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>While many people joke about how booze is <a href="https://preventionconversation.org/2020/04/30/canfasd-alcohol-memes-and-covid-19/">getting them through the COVID-19 pandemic</a>, drinking can be harmful. More people <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6310a2.htm?s_cid=mm6310a2_w">die each year from drinking alcohol</a> than from motor vehicle crashes, guns or illegal drugs. Increased drinking is also related to many public health problems, such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2019.04.018">violence</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2012.01753.x">crime</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0306-4603(01)00181-2">poverty</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/01.olq.0000151418.03899.97">sexually transmitted diseases</a>.</p>
<p>Drinking alcohol is <a href="https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/437608/Alcohol-and-COVID-19-what-you-need-to-know.pdf?ua=1">especially dangerous during COVID-19</a> because alcohol use weakens your immune system. Drinking increases your likelihood of getting COVID-19 and, if you do get it, of having <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/15/drinking-alcohol-can-make-the-coronavirus-worse-the-who-says-in-recommending-restricting-access.html">worse outcomes</a>.</p>
<p>People increase their alcohol consumption after stressful times, such as <a href="https://doi.org/0.1186/1471-2458-8-92">tsunamis</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3109/10826080902962128">hurricanes</a>. Research has shown that this pattern has held before during disease outbreaks, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agn073">SARS in 2003</a>, and following the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.20673">9/11 terrorist attacks</a>.</p>
<p>COVID-19 is another stressful situation. One study in Poland with over 1,000 participants found that people are currently <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12061657">drinking more wine, beer and liquor</a> than before the pandemic. </p>
<p>Given that distance learning <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2020/06/29/back-to-school-reopen-online-classes/3251324001/">is going to continue for the near future</a>, we believe it is warranted to decrease stressors that lead to parents’ drinking.</p>
<h2>What other research is being done</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.rti.org/sites/default/files/covid19_alcohol_survey_webinar_slides_071420.pdf?utm_campaign=SSES_SSES_ALL_LeadGen2020&utm_source=IntEmail&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=COVID19DrinkingSurveyWebinarPostAtt">Parents are drinking more during the COVID-19 pandemic</a> than people without children. Our survey is the first one to look at the relationship between alcohol use and the stress caused by distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. </p>
<h2>What still isn’t known</h2>
<p>School systems throughout the U.S. currently are planning for the upcoming year. In many cases, that will <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2020/06/29/back-to-school-reopen-online-classes/3251324001/">require more distance learning</a>. For distance learning to be successful for children and parents, more needs to be known about what makes it stressful.</p>
<p>[<em>Get facts about coronavirus and the latest research.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=coronavirus-facts">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.</a>]</p>
<p>Another study of ours, currently underway, suggests that one reason that parents are stressed is that they are not getting enough guidance from teachers or schools. This is a particular concern for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15427609.2016.1194707">low-income families</a> whose children, in general, already <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ936666">fare worse in school</a> than more affluent children.</p>
<p>It is important to realize that <a href="https://www.the74million.org/2-new-surveys-find-teachers-stressed-by-shutdown-unable-to-contact-students-and-feeling-their-confidence-drop/">teachers and other school staff are also experiencing stress</a> and not getting enough guidance on how to do distance learning. </p>
<p>Our results were collected in May 2020. As distance learning becomes the new normal, at least for now, it is important to see what, if anything, changes in how well schools provide distance learning and how it affects parents.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/143164/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Susan Sonnenschein received funding from the Montgomery County, Maryland Alcohol Beverage Services for this study. However, it should be noted that the content of this study is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Montgomery County, Maryland Alcohol Beverage Services. The funders had no role in the design of the study, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elyse R. Grossman received funding from the Montgomery County, Maryland Alcohol Beverage Services for this study. However, it should be noted that the content of this study is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Montgomery County, Maryland Alcohol Beverage Services. The funders had no role in the design of the study, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.</span></em></p>The stress of having children do distance learning at home during the pandemic is linked to an increase in alcohol consumption among parents, a new survey finds.Susan Sonnenschein, Professor, Applied Development Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore CountyElyse R. Grossman, Policy Fellow, Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1422412020-07-08T12:17:41Z2020-07-08T12:17:41ZSending international students home would sap US influence and hurt the economy<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/346214/original/file-20200707-194409-s4nu5d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=4%2C4%2C2785%2C1944&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Some colleges may have to scramble to make plans to keep international students enrolled.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/emotions-run-high-at-the-olin-college-of-engineering-news-photo/1206832712?adppopup=true">Boston Globe/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Editor’s Note: This story was originally published on July 8 to explain a policy rule issued on July 6. The Trump administration announced on July 14 that the policy rule had been <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/07/15/trump-administration-drops-directive-international-students-and-online-courses">rescinded</a>.</em></p>
<p>U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, made a <a href="https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/sevp-modifies-temporary-exemptions-nonimmigrant-students-taking-online-courses-during">decision</a> on July 6 regarding international students in the U.S. that will affect far more than just the roughly <a href="https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insights/Open-Doors/Data/International-Students/Enrollment">870,000</a> international students themselves.</p>
<p>Based on <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-l-di-maria-1086927">what I know</a> about the power and influence of higher education in the U.S., this decision could increase the tuition American students pay, cost thousands of jobs throughout the nation and erode America’s stature in the world.</p>
<p>Under this new rule, international students may stay in the country only if they attend a college or university offering in-person classes this fall. Otherwise, they won’t be able to get visas, enter the country or stay here if they plan to attend one of the many schools that are teaching students entirely online.</p>
<p>In effect, thousands of students from other countries who attend schools that do not plan any in-person instruction this fall may have to immediately transfer to another school or leave the country. Otherwise, they could face deportation.</p>
<p>Against the backdrop of what top U.S. public health officials describe as an <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20200701-fauci-says-new-us-cases-of-covid-19-could-double-to-100-000-per-day-1">out-of-control virus</a>, this new immigration rule puts U.S. colleges in a jam. Schools must choose between bringing students together on campus to comply with the immigration restrictions, or adhere to public health precautions related to physical distancing.</p>
<p>It may be hard to do both if the online option is off the table when it comes to international students. Which means U.S. colleges and universities could take a significant financial hit in the form of lost tuition revenue beyond what they were anticipating as a result of COVID-19.</p>
<h2>Colleges must scramble</h2>
<p>As of July 6, more than 1,000 colleges and universities have already released <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/Here-s-a-List-of-Colleges-/248626">plans for fall instruction</a>. Of those, 60% plan currently plan to offer in-person classes, 24% plan to offer hybrid and 9% plan to offer courses online. The remaining colleges are still undecided.</p>
<p>[<em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>.]</p>
<p>Now, some institutions will have to scramble to develop alternatives that can enable international students to remain enrolled without breaking the new rule. Schools must <a href="https://www.voanews.com/student-union/what-known-about-ices-rule-change-foreign-students">report how they plan to proceed by Aug. 1</a>, based on the ICE announcement.</p>
<h2>Far-reaching impact</h2>
<p>The impact of this rule is not just limited to the <a href="https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insights/Open-Doors/Data/International-Students/Enrollment">hundreds of thousands</a> of international students enrolled at U.S. colleges, who represent <a href="https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insights/Open-Doors/Data/International-Students/Enrollment">4.39% of the 20 million</a> people who currently attend U.S. colleges and universities. It also affects their institutions, their faculty and the local communities as well.</p>
<p>Consider that colleges and universities, which are the <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/money/2019/03/22/this-is-the-largest-employer-in-every-state/39237263/">largest employers in 1 in 5 states</a>, are already reeling from <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Business/coronavirus-pandemic-brings-staggering-losses-colleges-universities/story?id=70359686">heavy financial losses</a> associated with the pandemic.</p>
<p>While many schools have had to slash budgets due to <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/The-Coronavirus-Has-Emptied/248472">refunds issued to students</a> in the spring of 2020, <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/updated-labs-go-quiet-researchers-brace-long-term-coronavirus-disruptions">disruptions to research</a>, <a href="http://www.ncaa.org/sport-science-institute/coronavirus-covid-19">canceled athletic events</a> and <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/05/15/size-state-budget-cuts-becomes-clearer">cuts to state funding</a>, others are still waiting to see whether or not they will meet their <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/01/us/coronavirus-college-enrollment.html">enrollment targets for fall</a>. </p>
<p>Still, more than 200 colleges and universities have already announced <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/as-covid-19-pummels-budgets/248779">layoffs, furloughs or contract nonrenewals</a>.</p>
<p>At a time when the U.S. is trying to overcome <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/06/11/unemployment-rose-higher-in-three-months-of-covid-19-than-it-did-in-two-years-of-the-great-recession/">record unemployment</a> and manage its biggest <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/06/10/world/coronavirus-history.html">public health crisis</a> in a century, international students seem to be caught in the middle of a <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/21/poll-partisan-divide-273706">partisan divide</a> on reopening the country.</p>
<p>The new guidelines could place many colleges and universities in an impossible position: Increase the number of in-person classes and risk that COVID-19 will spread further.</p>
<h2>What they bring to the table</h2>
<p>Given how much international students contribute to the economy, you might assume ICE would find a way to keep them in the U.S.</p>
<p>The students affected by the new rule are the same people who help <a href="https://www.nafsa.org/policy-and-advocacy/policy-resources/nafsa-international-student-economic-value-tool-v2">support about 460,000 American jobs</a>.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0047272717301676">higher tuition and fees</a> they pay helps keep tuition lower for American students. But their contributions transcend economics.</p>
<p>Their academic talents <a href="https://www.nature.com/news/open-countries-have-strong-science-1.22754">help advance scientific discoveries</a>, which are more critical than ever given the nation’s ongoing battle against COVID-19. The fallout will be severe should these students choose to study in other countries instead. <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/australia-set-ease-visa-hardship-foreign-students">Australia and New Zealand</a>, for example, have recently made their policies more welcoming.</p>
<h2>Giving ground to other nations</h2>
<p>Booting international students would surely reduce America’s influence in the world as well.</p>
<p>According to the <a href="https://eca.state.gov/about-bureau/history-and-mission-eca">State Department</a>, the alumni of educational and cultural exchange programs include more than 75 Nobel Laureates and nearly 450 current and former heads of state and government. Having established personal ties, international students often return home as unofficial ambassadors for the U.S.</p>
<p>International alumni are more likely to look to the U.S. for ideas and trade agreements and to otherwise exert influence abroad that benefits U.S. interests. </p>
<p>While the share of international students studying in the U.S. has <a href="https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insights/Project-Atlas/Explore-Data/Infographics/2019-Project-Atlas-Infographics">steadily declined</a> – <a href="https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insights/Project-Atlas/Explore-Data/Infographics/2019-Project-Atlas-Infographics">from 28%</a> of the world’s 2.1 million international students in 2001 to 21% of the world’s 5.3 million international students in 2019 – other countries have made significant gains in attracting global talent due to <a href="https://www.nafsa.org/ie-magazine/2020/1/2/it-time-us-international-education-strategy">national strategies</a>.</p>
<p>Most notably, China now hosts nearly <a href="https://p.widencdn.net/rohmio/Project-Atlas-2019-graphics">1 in 10 students who study abroad globally</a>, including <a href="https://theconversation.com/china-tops-us-and-uk-as-destination-for-anglophone-african-students-78967">more students from Africa</a> than the U.K. and U.S. combined. One reason for China’s rise as a study destination is its leaders’ realization that it is lagging behind the U.S. in terms of soft power with only a <a href="https://thepienews.com/analysis/international-students-in-china-increasingly-diverse/">few world leaders</a> having graduated from Chinese institutions.</p>
<p>In my view, ICE’s new guidance is only the latest step in a steady retreat from global engagement that <a href="https://fortune.com/2020/06/29/h1b-visa-ban-immigration-trump-order-tech-workers-canada/">clears the path for other nations</a> to attract more of the students that might otherwise study in the United States.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/142241/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David L. Di Maria does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A new immigration rule may force some international students to leave the country.David L. Di Maria, Associate Vice Provost for International Education, University of Maryland, Baltimore CountyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1391472020-06-08T15:54:51Z2020-06-08T15:54:51ZHow to help high school seniors cope with milestones missed due to coronavirus<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/338575/original/file-20200529-78867-clp33p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C213%2C5684%2C3158&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Graduates during a drive-through graduation for Faith Lutheran High School at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, May 22, 2020, in Las Vegas. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/John Locher)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.5forcesofchange.com/2015/11/30/change-stressful/">Change is stressful for all of us</a>. It is therefore no surprise to find that, in general, <a href="https://www.anxietycanada.com/covid-19/">people are finding it difficult to cope with the COVID-19 restrictions</a>. None of us knows exactly how to cope with the fallout from this unprecedented situation.</p>
<p>While adults find this forced confinement difficult, <a href="https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2020/04/24/missed-milestones-from-cancelled-track-meets-to-postponed-proms-students-are-feeling-the-lows-of-the-covid-19-shutdown.html">young adults who were about to embark on a new chapter in their lives are finding the disruption in normal life events particularly stressful</a>. </p>
<p>Not only are they missing things such as proms or a graduation ceremony, but they’re also missing other potentially life-altering events: the track and field championship for which they’d worked hard all year just so they could compete; the Royal Conservatory exam to evaluate just how much they’d improved their musical skills; the summer job that would help them earn money and build a resume for future employment. </p>
<h2>Developmental milestones</h2>
<p>And now, the worst cut of all, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6935364/coronavirus-canadian-university-fall-classes/">in many cases, no in-person fall classes at college or university</a>. This means be no formal initiation into the freshman class of 2020 for students. </p>
<p>It means not having to decide what personal mementos to bring as you leave home or no tearful goodbye with parents. For those who planned to still live at home, it means not carefully packing one’s knapsack for the first day at campus orientation and no bonding with classmates. Now, this next chapter will most likely happen in their current bedroom, virtually.</p>
<p>These developmental milestones help young adults mark their progress as they transition from child to adult, and yet now these important events have all been shelved — at least until the pandemic ends. </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339241/original/file-20200602-133875-vnuprv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339241/original/file-20200602-133875-vnuprv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=714&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339241/original/file-20200602-133875-vnuprv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=714&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339241/original/file-20200602-133875-vnuprv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=714&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339241/original/file-20200602-133875-vnuprv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=897&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339241/original/file-20200602-133875-vnuprv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=897&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339241/original/file-20200602-133875-vnuprv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=897&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some schools provided signs for families to declare they’re proud of their high-school graduates.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In my role as clinical director of the <a href="https://www.queensu.ca/rarc/home">Regional Assessment and Resource Centre</a> at Queen’s University, I hear on a daily basis how the pandemic is affecting the mental health of high school seniors. </p>
<p>Our centre runs <a href="https://www.queensu.ca/rarc/transition-programs-and-services/olts-stomp">an online transition program for students with either learning or mental health disabilities</a> who are going to college or university next fall. We are hearing a lot from these students about the stress that the current closures and social distancing are causing them.</p>
<h2>Not what they signed up for</h2>
<p>Right now, this disruption has meant not only that they have to change the way they learn in high school, but also that they have to take more personal responsibility for engaging in learning. </p>
<p>This was not what they signed up for, and they find that their teachers are (in general) less adept at managing the online learning environment than they are. These students are learning that it is difficult to change from an in-person to an online learning environment. From some of their parents, we are also hearing that pressuring their children to do their assigned virtual homework is <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6851907/covid-19-parents-school-stress/">causing friction in their parent-child relationships</a>.</p>
<p>A number of the high school students with whom we work also worry that the change to online learning may mean that they miss out on some of the key foundational knowledge needed to help them succeed. They are, quite rightly, concerned that they won’t have the necessary knowledge and skills to successfully deal with first-year curricula.</p>
<h2>What parents and loved ones can do</h2>
<p>So, what can parents and significant others in the lives of these young adults do right now to help high school seniors cope?</p>
<p><strong>1. Don’t jump in to fix things:</strong> Agree and appreciate that this is a stressful time for them, but don’t jump in and try to fix things. Allow them to have their feelings and allow them to figure out how to cope with those feelings. Ask them: “What would you like me to do to help you right now?” Offer suggestions if they ask. Give the message that you have faith that they’ll find a way to cope. </p>
<p><strong>2. Help youth <a href="https://www.stressstrategies.ca/coping-with-stress">find positive coping strategies</a> to manage disappointment:</strong> In life, we all have to deal with loss and disappointment, and the more we can help young adults learn positive coping skills at these times the better prepared they will be to deal with such negative situations in the future. Learning skills like <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/28/meditation-and-mindfulness-apps-continue-their-surge-amid-pandemic/">mindfulness meditation</a> or <a href="https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/uz2255">deep breathing and relaxation</a> can help, as can learning how to create a <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/how-to-stop-worrying.htm">worry list</a> to contain anxiety and worry.</p>
<p><strong>3. Honour their achievements, even if it is virtually:</strong> Help them identify what they wanted most or wish could have happened these past few months. How can they honour what they’ve achieved? Can they or family find ways to celebrate now? Plan ahead for a big party once social distancing is over? Consider arranging a videoconferencing meeting with important members of their social circle and have speeches. Have everyone tell the young adult how proud they are of their achievements and reinforce for them what being part of their lives means to that particular individual.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339236/original/file-20200602-133933-18lplpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339236/original/file-20200602-133933-18lplpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339236/original/file-20200602-133933-18lplpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339236/original/file-20200602-133933-18lplpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339236/original/file-20200602-133933-18lplpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339236/original/file-20200602-133933-18lplpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339236/original/file-20200602-133933-18lplpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Graduate Cameron Magee of the New Orleans Charter Science and Math High School class of 2020 celebrates after receiving his diploma at a drive-in graduation ceremony as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, outside Delgado Community College in New Orleans, May 27, 2020.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>4. See the current pandemic challenges as an opportunity to build resiliency:</strong> Post-secondary counselling centres in North America have seen an <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1016492#:%7E:text=This%20paper%20identifies%20six%20factors,the%20lifestyle%20of%20university%20and">increase in student mental health problems</a> partly due to a <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/freedom-learn/201509/declining-student-resilience-serious-problem-colleges">lack of resiliency</a> because <a href="https://www.julielythcotthaims.com/parenting">many of these students haven’t previously dealt with disappointment or even minor stressful events</a>. </p>
<p>The COVID crisis has the potential to act as a yardstick for students. Once they get through this they’ll <a href="https://www.universityaffairs.ca/opinion/in-my-opinion/fostering-resilience-among-students-little-stress-goes-long-way/">feel better able to cope with other future stressful situations</a>.</p>
<p><strong>5. Focus on the positive:</strong> Having to learn to manage your own time, learn from online content and set your own schedule — these are all valuable transition skills that students need, whether going from high school to post-secondary education or eventually to a job. There are lots of good resources about <a href="https://blog.edx.org/tips-for-successful-online-learning/">how to cope with the demands of online learning</a> or a lack of structure in learning environments, and many library websites have shared this type of content. </p>
<p><strong>6. Limit media consumption:</strong> Young adults spend much of their time online and this is a good way to keep in touch; but too much is not good, especially if some of those interactions have the potential to be negative or increase anxiety. Studies have shown <a href="https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.190434">a strong link between time spent online and negative mood symptoms</a>. </p>
<p>One of the biggest challenges we hear about from post-secondary students we see at our centre is students with attention problems wondering: How can I limit my use of electronics? This might be the time to investigate installing <a href="https://www.geckoandfly.com/23509/smartphone-addiction-boost-productivity/">apps that limit the amount of time you can get online</a>.</p>
<p>Remember, teens and young adults, in general, can learn to become quite resilient if left to figure things out on their own and given <a href="https://parentandteen.com/building-resilience-in-teens/">positive support</a>. Send the message that you have faith they’ll succeed, not that you’re waiting to rescue them when they fall apart.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/139147/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Allyson G. Harrison does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>High school seniors will miss important anticipated events due to the coronavirus pandemic, but offering resources, alternatives and the confidence that they’re going to be fine is what matters.Allyson G. Harrison, Associate Professor of Psychology and Clinical Director, Regional Assessment & Resource Centre, Queen's University, OntarioLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1366962020-06-01T15:57:12Z2020-06-01T15:57:12ZCoronavirus: Distance learning poses challenges for some families of children with disabilities<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/338360/original/file-20200528-51471-sfcs5y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=44%2C0%2C2802%2C1661&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Parents are missing in-person supports for children. Here, MaShel West holds her son Lucas' hands while talking with his certified behaviour analyst at their home in Layton, Utah, March 5, 2020. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Ivy Ceballo/The Deseret News via AP)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>At a time when schools are closed due to COVID-19, many parents are juggling work, finances, child care and distance learning. It’s a lot to manage. For parents of children with disabilities, some unique challenges <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/parents-of-kids-with-special-needs-say-pandemic-presents-unique-challenges-1.4880560">have emerged</a>.</p>
<p>In Canada, it’s unclear exactly how many students between kindergarten and Grade 12 receive what schools call “special education services,” but according to <a href="https://inclusiveedns.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/CIE-Students-First-WEBreport-2.pdf">provincial figures</a>, percentages range from <a href="https://www.alberta.ca/student-population-statistics.aspx">10 per cent</a> to <a href="http://www.cdpdj.qc.ca/Publications/etude_inclusion_EHDAA_synthese_EN.pdf">20 per cent</a> of total student enrolment. </p>
<p>Figures from <a href="https://wwwdnntst.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/research/docs/reports/SpecialEducation%20in%20TDSB%20-%20TrendsComparisons%20to%20Ontario%202009-15.pdf">Ontario</a>, <a href="http://www.cdpdj.qc.ca/Publications/etude_inclusion_EHDAA_synthese_EN.pdf">Québec</a>, <a href="https://bctf.ca/publications.aspx?id=49000">British Columbia</a>, <a href="https://www.alberta.ca/student-population-statistics.aspx">Alberta</a>, <a href="https://inclusiveedns.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/CIE-Students-First-WEBreport-2.pdf">Nova Scotia</a> and <a href="https://www.gnb.ca/legis/business/pastsessions/57/57-2/LegDocs/2/en/StrengtheningInclusion-e.pdf">New Brunswick</a> show there are more than 750,000 students receiving special education services out <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3710001901">of about 4.3 million students enrolled in those provinces alone</a>.</p>
<p>Students receiving special education services may have a learning disability, autism spectrum disorder or a mental illness. Canadian schools offer different <a href="http://catalogue.pearsoned.ca/educator/product/Inclusion-of-Learners-with-Exceptionalities-in-Canadian-Schools-A-Practical-Handbook-for-Teachers-6E/9780134772059.page">types of supports</a>. Most children access differentiated teaching approaches in regular classes and some have individual learning plans, while others participate in tailored programs offered in specialized classes. </p>
<h2>While schools are closed</h2>
<p>Along with several researchers, I am engaging with families across the country who are sharing stories about how they are supporting their children with special education needs while schools are closed. </p>
<p>Through responses to a survey and in-depth interviews, we are hearing about the range of approaches that exist, some of which fit well for families and their children, and others that simply don’t. </p>
<p>We hope to learn about ways that distance learning can work well for students with special education needs and also about families’ needs. We hope our findings can then be used to better inform planning as schools begin to open. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/338377/original/file-20200528-51467-102oyw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/338377/original/file-20200528-51467-102oyw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=408&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338377/original/file-20200528-51467-102oyw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=408&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338377/original/file-20200528-51467-102oyw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=408&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338377/original/file-20200528-51467-102oyw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338377/original/file-20200528-51467-102oyw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338377/original/file-20200528-51467-102oyw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Collaborative approaches to supporting children with special needs have been interrupted by coronavirus closures.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Collaborative approaches</h2>
<p>A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40474-015-0038-6">collaborative team</a> approach is typically adopted when children need special education services, with students, parents, teachers, educational assistants and other school and community-based staff <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2013.788223">working together</a> to plan and implement programming.</p>
<p>Given the human supports required by many students with disabilities in order to flourish socially, emotionally and academically, it’s a challenge for systems to provide the <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2020/04/special-education-goes-remote-covid-19-pandemic/610231/">right types</a> and amounts of distance learning opportunities and supports.</p>
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<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/every-child-matters-what-principals-need-to-effectively-lead-inclusive-schools-114249">Every child matters: What principals need to effectively lead inclusive schools</a>
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<p>Some students who find structured schooling to be a poor fit are benefiting from the shift to a more relaxed pace and self-directed learning. They can dance, jump and wiggle to their heart’s content. They can engage in tasks for a length of time that works for them and make choices during their days. The right kind of distance learning paired with accessible technology and available supports <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/the-surprising-benefits-of-online-learning-for-my-not-so-typical-child">may be a great fit for them</a>.</p>
<p>Other students who thrive on a predictable routine, struggle with transitions and <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/fscd-angela-bladon-trish-bowman-rajan-sawhney-covid-1.5513215">depend on the strong relationships</a> built over time with teachers and educational assistants are experiencing a range of emotions, including <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/disability-new-brunswick-christine-roberts-jayden-moore-haley-flaro-1.5534430">worry, fear, anger and sadness</a>. </p>
<p>Some feel that they’ve lost a second home <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/autism-covid19-1.5521666">and may not understand why</a>. Some students may also communicate these difficult emotions in ways that are challenging for parents, caregivers and siblings.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/338383/original/file-20200528-51467-1vstpya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/338383/original/file-20200528-51467-1vstpya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338383/original/file-20200528-51467-1vstpya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338383/original/file-20200528-51467-1vstpya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338383/original/file-20200528-51467-1vstpya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338383/original/file-20200528-51467-1vstpya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338383/original/file-20200528-51467-1vstpya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some parents are describing feeling overwhelmed without respite and collaboration with school staff.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Family challenges</h2>
<p>Parents of students who have worked hard to make gains in their learning worry that they may fall behind. This is particularly the case where parents may not have the English- or French-language skills to provide help or the time to engage with their children because of work and life commitments. Where internet access and technology in homes is the exception rather than the rule, the situation is further complicated.</p>
<p>Parents who typically work in partnership with school staff and community organizations are especially <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/checkup/pandemic-home-schooling-families-children-special-needs-1.5522119">struggling with the disappearance of face-to-face networks and collaboration in supporting children</a>. </p>
<p>Many researchers have found that parents of children with disabilities wear many hats — as full-time caregiver, advocate and social worker — and find the experience extraordinarily <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2011.557445">stressful</a>. Without respite and collaboration with school staff, parents are describing <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/autism-covid19-1.5521666">feeling very overwhelmed</a>.</p>
<h2>Social, emotional supports</h2>
<p>It’s helpful for all families, and necessary for some, to find ways of connecting with others — for both parents and students. Connecting with school staff, community groups, family and friends may look different right now, but some of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2014.05.012">benefits</a> remain.</p>
<p>In my work with teachers, I focus on the need to emphasize social-emotional learning alongside academics as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-89842-1_9">key to well-being</a>. This is vital right now and will continue to be in the tricky transitions ahead. Across the country, school staff have reached out to students in different ways. Some are recording themselves reading favourite books and others are connecting by phone or video chats. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/zach-churchill-education-minister-covid-19-learning-plan-pandemic-1.5533604">Some regions</a> have social workers or psychologists reaching out to students or discussing <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/student-mental-health-1.5569068">mental health</a> via virtual classes.</p>
<h2>Peer connections matter</h2>
<p>Connections with peers are also crucial for students. Building and maintaining <a href="https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/eei/vol19/iss1/3/">friendships</a> is not always easy for students with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103634">disabilities</a>. Many students rely on school-based networks for friendship and may not have these connections in their neighbourhoods, particularly if they haven’t been in an <a href="https://communitylivingontario.ca/en/if-inclusion-means-everyone-why-not-me/">inclusive environment</a> at school.</p>
<p>Some community groups have come up with <a href="https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/how-people-with-neuro-differences-and-disabilities-are-staying-connected-during-the-pandemic-1.4907560">creative solutions</a> to virtually connect students. As one example, the Special Friends Network, a grassroots organization operating in the Halton region of Ontario, <a href="http://thespecialfriendsnetwork.ca/gallery.html">has organized Zoom sessions</a> where youth with all types of disabilities can chat, play games, create art work and take part in talent shows. </p>
<p>Peer and social support for parents is also crucial <a href="https://www.apa.org/research/action/children-disabilities-covid-19">at this time</a> — connecting with others who are in similar circumstances, seeking respite supports and collaborating with schools where possible. Organizations like the <a href="https://www.pleo.on.ca/">Parents Lifeline of Eastern Ontario</a> are offering virtual peer support groups and <a href="http://autismnovascotia.ca/covid-resources">others have created a range</a> of <a href="https://www.surreyplace.ca/resources-publications/coronavirus-updates-resources/">virtual options</a> for families.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/338378/original/file-20200528-51449-1r2n8xm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/338378/original/file-20200528-51449-1r2n8xm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338378/original/file-20200528-51449-1r2n8xm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338378/original/file-20200528-51449-1r2n8xm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338378/original/file-20200528-51449-1r2n8xm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338378/original/file-20200528-51449-1r2n8xm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338378/original/file-20200528-51449-1r2n8xm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Can we imagine how we can nurture and develop social networks among students with and without disabilities?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Expanding inclusion</h2>
<p>Our conversations with parents are bringing to light issues of inclusion and exclusion, of balancing academic and social needs and development and of the challenges of differentiating distance learning in ways that allow it to be meaningful. </p>
<p>It’s our hope that whatever schooling looks like in the fall in context of coronavirus, our schools and communities can create learning opportunities that reflect the unique strengths and needs of all our students. </p>
<p>We will be continuing to encourage educators and school communities to imagine how can we develop social networks among students with and without disabilities, how can we build authentic communities that live inside and outside the brick and mortar of a school and how can we support partnerships between families and school staff. </p>
<p>As researchers, educators, families and the general public, we’re learning a lot from the often-difficult experiences of students and families. Let’s make sure this learning isn’t lost.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/136696/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jess Whitley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Connecting with school staff, community groups, family and friends may look different right now for families of children with disabilities, but some benefits remain.Jess Whitley, Associate Professor of Inclusive Education, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1373592020-05-08T12:19:22Z2020-05-08T12:19:22ZNot all kids have computers – and they’re being left behind with schools closed by the coronavirus<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/332912/original/file-20200505-83740-valzhm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6720%2C4476&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Students without computers are having a rougher time with the new normal.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/mother-and-son-using-laptop-at-home-royalty-free-image/1136595440">damircudic/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take about interesting academic work.</em></p>
<h2>The big idea</h2>
<p>Since 2014, the Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research, located at the University of Southern California, has been tracking trends in health economic well-being, attitudes and behaviors through a nationwide survey for its <a href="https://uasdata.usc.edu/index.php">Understanding America Study</a>, asking the same individuals questions over time.</p>
<p>The nationally representative survey is now assessing how <a href="https://dornsife.usc.edu/news/topics/64810/understanding-coronavirus-in-america-survey/">COVID-19 is affecting U.S. families</a>. This includes their health, economic status and, for the first time, educational experiences. With two other education researchers <a href="http://gibsonconsult.com/who-we-are/">Amie Rapaport and Marshall Garland</a>, we analyzed the educational experience data that have recently been added to the study. </p>
<h2>What we did</h2>
<p>We worked with the broader Understanding America Study team to ask Americans about the effects the pandemic is having on students and their families. </p>
<p>About 1,450 families with children answered these questions between April 1 and April 15.</p>
<p>We found that nearly all – about 85% – of families with at least one child between kindergarten and their senior year of high school have internet access and a computer they can use for distance learning while <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/15/politics/what-matters-april-14/index.html">school buildings are shuttered</a>.</p>
<p>However, we found large disparities in technology access based on family income. Among the 20% of American households who make <a href="https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2019/demo/income-poverty/p60-266.html">US$25,000 or less a year</a>, just 63% of schoolchildren have access to a computer and the internet. In comparison, essentially all students from the most affluent families – those whose parents make $150,000 annually or more – do.</p>
<p>To be sure, that doesn’t mean a third of poor kids are being locked out of getting an online education. Many of those students are also using tablets and smartphones to participate in educational activities. However, the types of educational activities a student can easily engage in with a computer and wireless internet –such as writing long essays – are broader than the types possible on a tablet or an even smaller screen and with just a cellular connection.</p>
<p>These inequities can leave low-income families <a href="https://www.the74million.org/article/an-education-system-divided-how-internet-inequity-persisted-through-4-presidents-and-left-schools-unprepared-for-the-pandemic/">scrambling for wireless access</a>. Some of the limited options available can include include working from a car parked outside a local library or a McDonald’s parking lot.</p>
<p><iframe id="ml7Kx" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/ml7Kx/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>There’s a big gap between how much access rich and poor children have to technology. This is known as the “<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/school-online-digital-divide-grows-greater/">digital divide</a>.”</p>
<p>This <a href="https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/even-pandemic-students-limited-technology-access-lagged-behind-their-peers">disparity contributes</a> to the <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/studies/gaps/">achievement gaps</a> between students based largely on their economic status. </p>
<p>These findings show that the digital divide is playing out in real time during this pandemic in ways that are sure to lead to <a href="https://theconversation.com/online-learning-will-be-hard-for-kids-whose-schools-close-and-the-digital-divide-will-make-it-even-harder-for-some-of-them-133338">unequal negative effects on already disadvantaged</a> students. </p>
<h2>What’s next?</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/2020/4/29/21241856/returning-to-school-buildings-fall-coronavirus">Most schools</a> in the country are likely to <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/2020/5/1/21244741/mandatory-remote-in-person-districts-summer-school-logistics">remain closed for months</a> – long after we collected this initial data. We believe that it’s possible that this divide will narrow once more districts <a href="https://apnews.com/acb963817aeec3a92899aef03f3b9055">distribute computers, tablets and other hardware</a>, more communities take steps to expand <a href="https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/availableinternetplans.asp">broadband access to those who can’t afford it</a> and teachers get better at educating kids online.</p>
<p>There’s a chance that federal help could arrive, should Congress pass the <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/technology/493955-house-democrat-introduces-bill-to-ensure-students-have-internet-access-amid">Emergency Educational Connections Act of 2020</a>, a measure authored and backed by <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6563/cosponsors?r=32&s=1&searchResultViewType=expanded&KWICView=false">House Democrats</a> aimed at narrowing the digital divide. It would normally be states – which provide the <a href="https://theconversation.com/democratic-candidates-seek-a-big-and-unprecedented-k-12-funding-boost-131739">largest share of funding for public schools</a> – that would address issues like technology in schools, but with states facing mounting <a href="https://www.multistate.us/insider/2020/4/16/which-states-will-have-immediate-budget-issues-as-a-result-of-covid-19">budget constraints</a> that’s going to be a big challenge. A <a href="https://morningconsult.com/2020/04/30/ed-markey-erate-emergency-covid-connectivity-bill/">similar bill is pending in the Senate</a>.</p>
<p>In our view, without federal intervention, these gaps will not meaningfully narrow.</p>
<p>[<em>Insight, in your inbox each day.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=insight">You can get it with The Conversation’s email newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/137359/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Morgan Polikoff receives funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Institute of Education Sciences, and the Ballmer Group. The survey referenced in this article is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He is affiliated with the Data Quality Campaign and the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Corporation. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anna Rosefsky Saavedra receives funding from the George Lucas Educational Foundation. The administration of the survey referenced in this article is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>The administration of the survey referenced in this article is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.</span></em></p>This real-time snapshot of the digital divide illustrates why education experts are concerned that school closures could increase achievement gaps.Morgan Polikoff, Associate Professor of Education, University of Southern CaliforniaAnna Rosefsky Saavedra, Research Scientist, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and SciencesShira Korn, PhD Student K-12 Education Policy, University of Southern CaliforniaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1352802020-04-15T12:13:24Z2020-04-15T12:13:24ZHow to reach young voters when they’re stuck at home<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/326993/original/file-20200409-72664-iwoqu4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6000%2C3997&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Young Minnesota voters cast their ballots on March 3, before the coronavirus outbreak really set in for the U.S.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/young-somalia-americans-cast-their-ballot-during-the-news-photo/1204948098">Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Colleges across the U.S. have sent students home. High schools – and their elementary and middle-school counterparts – have moved operations online. </p>
<p>As scholars of <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=catzoVsAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">young people’s political involvement</a> and activity, we find that this presents a new set of challenges not only for campaigns, but also for democracy.</p>
<p>This election season will be unlike any other. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/2020-campaign-primary-calendar-coronavirus.html">More than a dozen states postponed</a> their Democratic Party primaries. <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/coronavirus-starts-to-scramble-presidential-campaign-2020-03-11">Campaigns canceled all in-person events</a>. </p>
<p>Young voters are important to the continuity of democratic society in the U.S., because voting is a habit: <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/becoming-a-habitual-voter-inertia-resources-and-growth-in-young-adulthood/9EA1F561496D714346491B25B0D52239">Starting early leads to continued voting</a>.</p>
<p>By our analysis, more than 15 million youth are newly eligible to vote in their first presidential election in November – and these first-time voters make up almost one-third of all 18- to 29-year-olds eligible to vote in the fall. They’re not in campaigns’ databases either, especially if they are not yet registered to vote, so the political machines’ get-out-the-vote systems won’t reach them.</p>
<p>At the <a href="http://circle.tufts.edu/">Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement</a>, part of Tufts University’s <a href="https://tischcollege.tufts.edu/">Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life</a>, we’ve spent nearly two decades researching how best to grow, inform and mobilize young potential voters. Our findings reveal several key actions that parties, campaigns, advocacy organizations, educators and journalists can take to help ensure that all young people are prepared and motivated to vote in the 2020 election and beyond:</p>
<h2>1. Look beyond the college campus</h2>
<p>Universities are valuable sites for voter education and engagement, but campaigns’ and other political organizations’ usual focus on campus-based voter outreach has historically left out most young people. At any given time, <a href="https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2017/demo/school-enrollment/2017-cps.html">45% – less than half</a> – of youth ages 18 to 22 are enrolled in college.</p>
<p>With so many students away from their college campuses now, campaigns and organizers will have to diversify their strategies to reach more young people, in or out of the virtual classroom. In the long run, that shift to be <a href="https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/political-outreach-youth-was-effective-2018-midterms">more inclusive of noncollege youth</a> may strengthen democracy as a whole.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/327000/original/file-20200409-72664-1r6tkrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/327000/original/file-20200409-72664-1r6tkrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/327000/original/file-20200409-72664-1r6tkrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327000/original/file-20200409-72664-1r6tkrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327000/original/file-20200409-72664-1r6tkrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327000/original/file-20200409-72664-1r6tkrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327000/original/file-20200409-72664-1r6tkrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327000/original/file-20200409-72664-1r6tkrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A high school student learns at home during the coronavirus pandemic, which has closed schools across the country.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Virus-Outbreak-Illinois/55a94206fb914033bf26811767268db0/121/0">AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>2. Discuss elections and voting in at-home learning</h2>
<p>Public schools have a responsibility to prepare their students to participate in democracy. In more than two dozen states, <a href="https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/state-statutes-support-growing-voters">policies or statutes explicitly mandate or recommend</a> that schools facilitate voter registration for their students. That responsibility does not end because students are not physically in school. Millions of high schoolers are now participating in online or at-home learning, which could include content about elections and voting.</p>
<p>Many high school seniors are already old enough to vote – or will be by November. <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/preregistration-for-young-voters.aspx">More than 20 states</a> allow people to register to vote before their 18th birthdays, if they will be 18 on or before Election Day. Our research on “<a href="https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/growing-voters-engaging-youth-they-reach-voting-age-strengthen-democracy">growing voters</a>” offers ideas for election administrators and nonpartisan community groups to reach diverse groups of young people through high schools, even if students aren’t in classrooms.</p>
<h2>3. Focus on online voter registration</h2>
<p>Registering to vote sooner rather than later is important. It makes voters visible to campaigns that rely on lists of registered voters for outreach. Research shows that contact by a political campaign or group supporting a candidate <a href="http://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/political-outreach-youth-was-effective-2018-midterms">is linked to a higher likelihood to vote</a>.</p>
<p>Online voter registration is <a href="http://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/facilitative-election-laws">a good way to support an increase in voter participation</a> because it can make it easier for young people and other new voters to register. It’s even more vital now that so much must be done remotely.</p>
<p>Currently <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Online_voter_registration">38 states and Washington, D.C.</a>, have online registration, but its availability alone isn’t enough. That’s especially true for young people from low-income backgrounds and marginalized communities. In one CIRCLE study of low-income youth, <a href="http://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/engaging-broader-youth-electorate-10-recommendations-increasing-voter-engagement">we found that only 17% of young people across several states</a> with online registration successfully used it. Many respondents shared that they ran into problems trying to do so or were unaware it was an option. </p>
<p>Local voter-registration groups, as well as state and local election administrators, can invest in widely promoting online voter registration and develop strategies to help young people with the process.</p>
<h2>4. Remember there are many ways to reach youth</h2>
<p>Our polling from the 2018 midterms <a href="https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/youth-engagement-2018-election">highlighted how youth learned about the election</a>: Many did so on social media but also from friends, family and classmates. </p>
<p>As young people interact less in person in the coming weeks and months, campaigns and organizations will need to invest in strategies that take into account who young people are already talking to online – especially those who can serve as trusted sources of information.</p>
<h2>5. Emphasize deeper, sustained digital contact</h2>
<p>Public health recommendations to engage in social distancing and avoid in-person contact will make <a href="https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/so-much-slacktivism-youth-translate-online-engagement-offline-political-action">digital organizing and outreach</a> an even more critical part of the 2020 election cycle. </p>
<p>But the goal should be to make digital contact feel more like personal contact. One-off text messages and social media campaigns can be important, but it’s much more effective to engage youth by building relationships, listening to their priorities, sustaining contact over time and creating opportunities for them to use their skills. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/327004/original/file-20200409-17471-1nvwrwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/327004/original/file-20200409-17471-1nvwrwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/327004/original/file-20200409-17471-1nvwrwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327004/original/file-20200409-17471-1nvwrwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327004/original/file-20200409-17471-1nvwrwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327004/original/file-20200409-17471-1nvwrwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327004/original/file-20200409-17471-1nvwrwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327004/original/file-20200409-17471-1nvwrwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Teenage environmental activist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez speaks at a political rally in California in February 2020.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/environmental-activist-and-hip-hop-artist-xiuhtezcatl-news-photo/1200231879">Ronen Tivony/Echoes Wire/Barcroft Media via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>6. Support young leaders</h2>
<p>Building new connections with young potential voters is always difficult; restrictions on events and in-person canvassing will make it even harder. But youth leaders and organizers, many of whom <a href="https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/gun-violence-prevention-movement-fueled-youth-engagement-2018-election">have spent recent years growing movements related to issues like gun violence</a> and climate change, may already have the experience, skills, networks and trust to effectively approach youth in their communities. Those leaders may be interested in joining electoral outreach efforts.</p>
<h2>7. Strengthen media connections</h2>
<p>During both public health emergencies and election seasons, the media plays a critical role in keeping people informed. Many young people may now <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2020-03-25/tv-news-audiences-are-surging-thanks-to-coronavirus-pandemic">rely even more on their local media or news broadcast for information</a>. This presents <a href="http://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/impact-local-news-youth-political-engagement">an opportunity for media organizations</a> to think of youth as a critical audience. They could build trust by partnering with young people in order to include their voices through collaborative digital storytelling, projects that share the information a diversity of youth need to participate, or highlighting what diverse youth are already doing to boost engagement. Accurate and actionable election information is especially critical for people new to the voting process.</p>
<h2>8. Pay attention to the issues</h2>
<p>Young people <a href="https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/texans-under-age-40-concerned-about-health-care-believe-effecting-change">care deeply about issues</a> like health care, education, employment, economic justice and racial justice. They are motivated to participate in elections when they see candidates and movements addressing what matters to them and to their communities. Some may be experiencing firsthand, for the first time, how policy decisions play out in ways that drastically shape their lives and the lives of their loved ones. </p>
<p>The coronavirus outbreak and the resulting socioeconomic effects <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/coronavirus-exposing-our-racial-divides/609526/">directly connect to many longstanding political issues</a> that matter to youth. For example, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/03/27/young-workers-likely-to-be-hard-hit-as-covid-19-strikes-a-blow-to-restaurants-and-other-service-sector-jobs/">young people are at higher risk of reduced employment</a> during the pandemic. This presents an opportunity to underscore the importance of youth engagement in the democratic process as a way for them to explicitly influence crucial issues.</p>
<p>[<em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/135280/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Abby Kiesa is the Director of Impact at CIRCLE, a national research center on youth civic education and engagement at Tufts University's Tisch College of Civic Life. Abby has worked on research projects funded by private foundations including: the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, Youth Engagement Fund, the Democracy Fund, the Spencer Foundation, CloseUp Foundation, Bonner Foundation, Ford Foundation, Corporation for National and Community Service, The Pew Charitable Trusts, S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and the Omidyar Network. She is affiliated with Rock the Vote's Democracy Class (Advisory Council), DoSomething.org (Civic Engagement Advisory Board), Generation Citizen/Vote16USA (Advisory Board). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg is the Director of CIRCLE. CIRCLE receives funding from private foundations such as the Ford Foundation, Democracy Fund, MacArthur Foundation, McCormick Foundation, and the Youth Engagement Fund to conduct nonpartisan research about youth and Civic Education and Engagement. CIRCLE also receives indirect funding from the National Endowment for Humanities and the Hewlett Foundation through its nonpartisan partner organizations that receive funding directly from these entities.She is affiliated with the Democracy Works and Generation Citizen as a director of national boards and serve as advisory member for the American Bard Association Standing Commission on Public Education, Project
Citizen Z at Education Week, and Project on Information Literacy. She does not receive compensation from these roles. </span></em></p>Young voters are important to the continuity of democracy because voting at a young age leads to continued voting throughout life. This year more than most, they’ll have a hard time getting started.Abby Kiesa, Director of Impact at CIRCLE, Tufts UniversityKei Kawashima-Ginsberg, Director, Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement in the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, Tufts UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1357992020-04-10T12:17:15Z2020-04-10T12:17:15ZVideoconferencing keeps people connected while the coronavirus keeps them inside – but privacy and security are far from perfect<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/326675/original/file-20200408-150164-wo6t5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3000%2C1998&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Face to face, virtually.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/asian-woman-working-with-laptop-on-the-bed-royalty-free-image/1204226034?adppopup=true">SammyVision/Moment via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If, before COVID-19, you were concerned about all the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/28/all-the-data-facebook-google-has-on-you-privacy">data that technology companies had about you</a>, just wait. As stay-at-home orders push more professional and social activities online, it’s becoming harder to remain in control.</p>
<p>Look no further than Zoom, which suffered <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/3/31/21201019/zoom-coronavirus-privacy-hacks">dual security and privacy crises</a> in the past few weeks. Lawsuits alleging data sharing violations and hackers have descended on the software, which has led <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/zoom-every-security-issue-uncovered-in-the-video-chat-app/">Google and school districts to ban Zoom</a> for professional use.</p>
<p>I’m a researcher who investigates <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1461444818801317">how these concerns affect the use of online platforms</a>. The first thing to understand is that privacy and security are two different things, and they have different consequences for using videoconferencing platforms.</p>
<h2>Privacy versus security</h2>
<p>Privacy refers to individuals’ <a href="https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/">universal rights</a> to control their data. Security is how that data is protected. One or both can be compromised when using popular videoconferencing tools, leaving personal information vulnerable.</p>
<p>For example, say someone signs up for a new videoconferencing platform using full name, email address and phone number. Ideally, the platform company would maintain both privacy and security, meaning the company wouldn’t share that person’s information outside the company, and would keep their system protected from hackers and viruses. The most private platforms, like <a href="https://signal.org/">Signal</a> and <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/facetime/id1110145091">FaceTime</a>, use end-to-end encryption to ensure that even the companies themselves do not have access to the contents of anyone’s communication. When such systems are kept secure, they are the best communication tools to use.</p>
<p>Alternatively, a company could compromise privacy but maintain security, meaning it would collect information about video calls and sell that data to a third party for marketing purposes. Many companies will include such conditions in their terms of service, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2018.1486870">which users rarely read</a>. However, companies have incentive to maintain security; they don’t want to be overrun with criminals or pranksters, which could damage their reputations. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/327021/original/file-20200409-122223-6hh2v4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/327021/original/file-20200409-122223-6hh2v4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327021/original/file-20200409-122223-6hh2v4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327021/original/file-20200409-122223-6hh2v4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327021/original/file-20200409-122223-6hh2v4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327021/original/file-20200409-122223-6hh2v4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/327021/original/file-20200409-122223-6hh2v4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Videoconferencing software mapped in terms of security and privacy protections.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Elizabeth Stoycheff</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Worst case is when a company surrenders both privacy and security, meaning they share personal information with third parties, and they <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/2019-data-breach-hall-of-shame-these-were-the-biggest-data-breaches-of-the-year/">fail to prevent data breaches</a>. Offerings from these companies are the riskiest of all digital tools, and unfortunately, they’re all too common.</p>
<p>Here’s how some of the most popular video conferencing services stack up.</p>
<h2>Videoconferencing options</h2>
<p>Zoom’s most updated <a href="https://zoom.us/privacy">privacy policy</a> states that the company “do[es] not allow third parties to use any personal data obtained from users for their own purposes, unless you consent.” However, Zoom is currently facing a lawsuit alleging that it violated this agreement and <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/zoom-app-personal-data-selling-facebook-lawsuit-alleges/">shared user data with Facebook</a>. The company claims that this was a security, not a privacy, breach and that it was not compensated for data sharing. </p>
<p>Zoom has also come under fire for security flaws that have allowed “<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/zoom-video-conferencing-feature-freeze-security-flaws/">Zoom-bombers</a>” to intrude on personal calls, often using profane or obnoxious content. The company admitted that it has <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/zoom-video-conferencing-feature-freeze-security-flaws/">fallen short on protecting users’ privacy and security</a> and is working to fix the problems.</p>
<p>Microsoft Teams’ <a href="https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement">privacy policy</a> leaves no questions. It explicitly states that it “collects data from you, through our interactions with you and through our products.” It is upfront about using this information to market to users, personalize their experiences and even participate in legal investigations. In other words, make no presumptions of privacy here – all personal data on the platform is fair game.</p>
<p>To differentiate its security from Zoom, Microsoft’s Teams has implemented <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/sign-in-teams">dual-factor authentication</a>, meaning passwords are not enough. Users need to also enter email or text codes to log in. The Microsoft family of software – though not Teams specifically – confronted a number of security problems this year, including a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2020/01/22/microsoft-security-shocker-as-250-million-customer-records-exposed-online/#6b52e7eb4d1b">breach of its customer service center</a> that exposed 14 years of information. The jury is still out on whether it’s a more secure alternative to Zoom. </p>
<p>Unlike Zoom and Teams, Webex offers hosts the option of <a href="https://help.webex.com/en-us/WBX44739/What-Does-End-to-End-Encryption-Do">end-to-end encryption</a>, meaning only the sender of a message and its recipient have access to the data within. This is a strong privacy feature, but it’s elective and tends to limit the usefulness of the tool. </p>
<p>Webex is not immune to security breaches, but the difference between this company and their competitors is their transparency and quick patches. The platform actively maintains a <a href="https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/publicationListing.x?product=Cisco&keyword=webex&sort=-day_sir#%7EVulnerabilities">public list of vulnerabilities</a>, which documents how the company has resolved them. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
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<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Zoom’s virtual waiting room, which prevents participants from joining a meeting without the host’s permission, is now on by default.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flickr.com/photos/pswansen/3063800085/in/photolist-5EJM2p-JPi3FZ-7t2yqf-8ZXGeW-2g3JYxh-eiVy7g-e4aj2K-myiYTZ-CmrmN-LavrPD-4SeE5A-9Fa1B7-CGE2MP-2hik4n2-28xqcvB-27ay7yw-zZVya-59uCCp-KUGD7U-5SS6g4-2biAdP8-ssKBF-25gDuEE-gqR2w-yJvxX-jP4Bw-8GtNWR-8ET3eb-8ESVQE-53xshM-7yuQFL-n79k9-8ET6e1-MaG4Q-GUP3p-GPp44-tLRgh-24GP516-EsqKvb-ps2H3X-Nfx8dX-nLDitH-b4PyCK-bgHNJT-dFrFn5-noXW3G-MBipMs-FfZEbr-4Y5poN-2gP6pLo">Paul Swansen/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Skype has a privacy problem. It <a href="https://www.comparitech.com/blog/information-security/is-skype-safe-and-secure-what-are-the-alternatives/">shares user data</a> with third parties, across the entire Microsoft family, and even with law enforcement when asked. In a benign effort to improve customer service, it <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jan/10/skype-audio-graded-by-workers-in-china-with-no-security-measures">allowed employees to access recordings of Skype conversations</a> from their personal computers over a period of several years. Such tasks have since been transferred to a secure facility, but it doesn’t change the fact that if you’ve used Skype lately, your privacy has been compromised. </p>
<p>Like Teams, Skype uses dual-factor authentication but it was also likely compromised in the <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/sign-in-teams">massive Microsoft customer service breach</a> earlier this year. </p>
<p>Long before Facebook acquired WhatsApp, the video chat service provided <a href="https://faq.whatsapp.com/en/android/28030015/">end-to-end encryption</a> on calls and messages. The privacy of chats here are, and always have been, protected. </p>
<p>However, WhatsApp suffered a very public security breach when Jeff Bezos’ personal messages were compromised by spyware and leaked. That was one of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-hack-whatsapp-disclosed-security-flaws-last-year-ft-2020-1">12 vulnerabilities</a> the platform faced last year. </p>
<p>Apple’s FaceTime also boasts <a href="https://www.apple.com/privacy/features/">end-to-end protections</a>, and the company has upheld its commitment to privacy by <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/02/25/468158520/why-apple-says-it-wont-help-unlock-that-iphone-in-5-key-quotes">refusing requests from the FBI</a> to access user devices. It’s positioning itself as a steward of user privacy.</p>
<p>Like other services, FaceTime has been susceptible to occasional security hacks. In early 2019, users reported a <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/01/29/689581417/apple-disables-group-facetime-after-security-flaw-let-callers-secretly-eavesdrop">security glitch in its group calls</a> where recipients could hear and see callers before answering. The feature was disabled and patched, and the service has been without a major incident since. </p>
<h2>Settings and choices</h2>
<p>Across all these platforms, people should use complex passwords, turn on enhanced security features, like the use of <a href="https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115000332726-Waiting-Room">waiting rooms</a> and <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/manage-channel-moderation-in-teams">channel moderation</a>, and make sure conferences are restricted to intended guests. It’s also important to consider what can be seen on camera, like a loan statement pinned to a bulletin board or an envelope with a home address visible. Try videoconferencing in front of a neutral wall or using <a href="https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA34896/what-is-background-blur-in-skype">blurred</a> or <a href="https://office365itpros.com/2020/04/06/teams-meeting-background-image/">customized</a> backdrops to keep the home environment off camera. </p>
<p>There’s still room in the market for more reliably secure, private videoconferencing systems. But in the meantime, not all communication requires the same levels of privacy and security. People might not care much if marketers or even pranksters crash their G-rated happy hours. But confidential client meetings and remote health care consultations are another matter. The companies’ offerings and track records, outlined here, should help people choose the videoconferencing tool that best balances usefulness with privacy and security.</p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elizabeth Stoycheff has received grant funding from WhatsApp, but it has not influenced the information in this article.</span></em></p>Zoom’s privacy and security shortcomings are just the latest videoconferencing vulnerabilities. Knowing each platform’s risks can help people avoid many of the downsides of virtual gatherings.Elizabeth Stoycheff, Associate Professor of Communication, Wayne State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.