Equity and the Student Experience
The Zoom Experience
Zoom provides an excellent opportunity to connect with students! And, we also need to be mindful that Zoom can also exacerbate existing inequities.
Students Have Different Levels of Familiarity with Zoom
To help students:
- Don't assume every student has the same access to technology
- Survey students to determine their needs—preferably at the very beginning of the quarter
- Provide links for students needing hot spots, laptops, and disability resources Links to an external site.
- Provide clear instructions for how to access Zoom from a range of devices (e.g., mobile phone, desktop)
- Offer Zoom practice sessions
- Help your students get help with Zoom:
- Your students can get help with Zoom from the ASG Computer Lab Links to an external site.
- You should direct your deaf and hearing-impaired students to request aid from the Disabled Students Programs and Services Center Links to an external site.
Many Students Have Difficulty Connecting to Zoom Sessions
Some students may have difficulty connecting to live Zoom sessions, due to being in a different time zone or internet connectivity issues.
- Record your class and make recordings available to students
- Post your class recordings and include the automatically-generated transcript
- Incorporate asynchronous interactive learning opportunities. For example:
- Add discussion posts to your Canvas course to provide all students an opportunity to take part in discussions
- For ideas on what this might look like in your class, visit Online Education Teaching Course Design Resources Links to an external site. or attend an upcoming workshop or Faculty Open Office Hour Links to an external site..
Zoom Fatigue
Research Links to an external site. indicates Zoom requires more focus and can be draining to participants, including you! Zoom fatigue may impact some individuals more than others. To help avoid Zoom fatigue:
- Schedule 5-10 minute breaks
- Encourage students to stand up and move around during the breaks
- Add break-out room activities and interactive activities like Padlet or Quizlet to break up the session
- Limit the length of Zoom sessions
- Check-in with students and ask about their needs
Differential Access & Privacy
Students are likely to be joining your class from a range of learning spaces. Many students do not have a private, quiet place from which to access Zoom or may not feel comfortable sharing their space with their instructor and classmates. Many people may fear implicit bias Links to an external site. because of their appearance, or have security concerns.
- You should not expect students will have their cameras on
- If a camera is necessary for instruction, clearly identify the essential nature of video for instruction and have a confidential "opt-out" mechanism that allows students to decline video participation (see online class cameras-on legal decision Download cameras-on legal decision for more details)
- Allow students to mute microphones
- Normalize the use of virtual backgrounds
- COC provides free virtual backgrounds Links to an external site.
- Monitor the use of the chat function. This may be the only way some students can participate.
- Be accommodating. We are in the midst of extreme times.
- Provide assurance that you are here to help students succeed. Follow up with action.
- Make every student feel that they belong.