Faculty Inquiry Meetup: Education, access, and the digital divide

Inquiry question: In this Inquiry Meetup, we’ll discuss practical ways to address the digital divide, increase student engagement, and foster connection as educators. We will also explore how to apply these ideas in a global context.

Description: Educators and students around the world have been forced to adapt to distance learning as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. While remaining physically distant, we have implemented new ways to connect with our students and with each other using online tools. However, this new educational reality highlights critical questions of access and equity, as educators, students, and even institutions in marginalized communities often struggle to make the shift.

Ideas to explore:

• How do you foster connection in online spaces, including but not limited to your classes?
• How can we create opportunities for students to show up as their authentic selves in an online class?
• What cool new digital tools have you been using to improve the educational experience?
• What digital divides have you noticed in your own educational settings during the pandemic? That is, in what ways have students and faculty been (dis)advantaged in the shift to distance learning? These can include anything from the level of access to online tools to the level of comfort using certain online platforms. How do these divides intersect with race, class, gender, ability, age, etc?
• In what ways have you noticed the impact of digital divides on a global scale? For example, what is your experience with students who are now attending your class from other countries? How has your own work in global studies been impacted by shelter-in-place orders?