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Snapshot

Course design, resource connection, and faculty engagement practices can greatly impact students who may be experiencing internet issues during crisis events.

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As higher education institutions work to become more inclusive and representative of local and national populations, it is imperative that underserved students are included in this vision. More so, if these student populations are neglected during crisis events, they are more likely to delay their education or even withdraw from their education all together (Strada, 2020). The dangers of ignoring underserved student populations during crises may include lower academic achievement, lower retention rates, and complete withdrawal from the institution. Fortunately, educators and practitioners have the ability to enact small changes that will have a huge effect on these student populations.

Underserved Communities Defined

Historically underserved student populations are typically comprised of students who are underrepresented in terms of population percentage and available resources. On average, these students come from marginalized and low-income communities with few resources available to assist with educational transitions (Mac Iver et al., 2017). First-generation, low-income, Black/African-American, Latinx, LGBTQ+, and non-traditional students are just a few examples of historically underserved communities within educational systems.

Serving these communities should not a “one-size fits all” approach as each type of student has different needs (Rendón, 2006). However, the basic needs of these students remain consistent: access to materials, connections to resources, and support from academic communities (Rendon, 2006; Dortch, 2020; Weissman, 2020).

Students who fall within the “underserved” or “underrepresented” category are resilient, hard-working individuals who navigate and maneuver a variety of challenging obstacles in their personal and professional lives (Rendón, 2006). When faced with crises, these students work hard to rise to the occasion—they simply need institutions to lend a collaborative hand along the way.

Crisis Response from Institutions

Sudden crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, uproot everyone’s lives and leave no one untouched. Institutional responses to these events must be made quickly and decisively to help as many students as possible continue their education. Unfortunately, underserved student populations can get left behind in the midst of educational shifts. Recent data has shown that Black and Latinx students are more likely to have changed or canceled their plans for their education due to the pandemic (Strada, 2020). Most institutional responses to the pandemic have been to move classes online in some capacity. A shift to online learning may have caused significant obstacles for students who had to return to communities that have less robust resources than others. Access to the internet has become one of the most significant challenges that many underserved students face when crises occur. Dr. Dortch (2020) from George Washington University states the following:

It’s imperative they [underserved students] have access to the internet so they can participate in emergency remote learning. Students who live in rural areas where Wi-Fi is sparse or unstable may experience tremendous difficulty completing schoolwork and joining online class sessions. (para. 7-8).

Serving these students should not only be a pandemic-focused practice since crises can arise when we least expect them. During the Texas Winter Storm Uri, power outages across the state prevented college students from being able to complete coursework. Even when the storm passed, some students experienced loss of shelter and/or loss of adequate technology to help them continue their studies. If these students selected remote learning as a class option due to the pandemic, they may now be facing accessibility issues regarding their course materials. Serving students who must rely on technology, in areas that prove to be a challenge to do so, need some assistance in navigating their courses and education.

Providing Accessibility: Instructional Designers and Course Developers

Instructional Designers and Course Developers can make a direct impact on underserved populations during crisis events through accessibility. If internet connection is a large obstacle for many of these students, an applicable solution is to help provide material directly. This can be done through purposeful design of courses that allows faculty to easily print or download material on a USB drive to mail to students who need it (Dortch, 2020). Alternatively, some students may need to find temporary internet access at a location other than home—such as the local library or a friend’s house. Instead of trying to digest this information in a short period of time, students can download and/or print the material to take home.

Course lessons and modules should be adapted to allow for easy and quick printing or downloading. If a course module uses a video for lecture, a transcript can be provided for print/download then be mailed to students. Online course sites can provide resource links that can also be formatted to easily print off for students. Resource communication is a vital part of assisting underserved communities, so any information that can be provided to students should be an element included in design. Instructional Designers and Course Developers should ask: How can this information be provided to a student in an emergency where they can’t access this material? Creating printable or downloadable material for each component of a course may be a simple idea, but it is a straight-forward solution that can assist students in times of need. Of course, Instructional Designers and Course Developers may need to hold discussions with faculty and Learning Management System (LMS) representatives to create this functionality.

Providing Assistance: Faculty

Course design is just one way to assist underserved students during crisis events. Faculty are on the front lines when it comes to knowing and hearing from students, but they may not always know when a student is in need of assistance. Instructors should always encourage students to reach out if they need extra resources or specific accommodations as a result of crises. Communication of this message should occur as often as possible—before a crisis event, during a crisis event, and after the event passes. Faculty should provide a list of resources on the course site and work with students and their departments to mail resources if needed. Faculty members do not need to be the sole resource for students, but they should be aware of resources that can assist students who have limited resources at home.

Additionally, researchers and practitioners agree that underserved student populations respond extremely well to community and connection (Dortch, 2020; Holcombe & Kezar, 2019). Faculty are uniquely positioned to assist with community building in the classroom in order to facilitate connections between peers. Building community early, and providing proactive connections for potential underserved students, can greatly assist students should a crisis event occur. For example, faculty can create a voluntary student contact list that can be distributed to the class at the beginning of the semester, and students can utilize this list to reach out to peers if they need assistance. Even students who may not have solid internet access at home might find a way to phone a fellow classmate and ask for help. If a student coming from an underserved community feels the support and connection of their classmates and peers, they are more likely to succeed in their classes.

Conclusion: Impacting Future Practices

Crisis events will, unfortunately, continue on in higher education—though, hopefully, not as drastic as we’ve seen since 2020. Nevertheless, underserved and underrepresented student populations will need assistance when these events arise. Institutions can provide meaningful assistance through course development and faculty engagement practices, and these methods can prove to be useful for years to come. Underserved students should be thought of proactively and not reactively, so efforts to meet their needs should start as soon as possible. Continuous improvement on practices to support these students will need to occur, especially as we learn more about how institutions can meet the needs of these student populations, but starting with simple LMS design methods, faculty assistance, and peer connection attempts are a solid foundation to build upon.

References

Dortch, D. (2020, May 27). Increasing access for underserved students during COVID-19 [Interview]. Best Colleges. https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/increasing-access-for-underserved-students/

Holcombe, E., & Kezar, A. (2019). Ensuring success among first-generation, low-income, and underserved minority students: Developing a unified community of support. American Behavioral Scientist, 64(3), 349-369. doi: 0.1177/0002764219869413

Mac Iver, M.A., Mac Iver, D.J., & Clark, E. (2017). Improving college readiness for historically underserved students: The role of the district office. Education and Urban Society, 51(4), 555-581. doi: 10.1177/0013124517728102

Rendón, L. (2006). Reconceptualizing success for underserved students in higher education. National Postsecondary Education Cooperative. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/npec/pdf/resp_Rendon.pdf

Strada. (2020). Public viewpoint: COVID-19 work and education survey [Data set]. Strada Education. http://stradaeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Public-Viewpoint-Report-Week-9.pdf

Weissman, S. (2020, April 19). The underrepresented, underprivileged hit hard by Coronavirus-related campus closures. Diverse issues in higher education. https://diverseeducation.com/article/173382/