Consider how the pandemic affects students

When designing a course for remote instruction, flexibility is important. In this pandemic situation, students have not chosen to take a remote course. They are being required to take courses remotely and may not even have taken an online course before. Even if they had made that choice, a pandemic is not the ideal circumstance in which to begin that experience.

Students will not have equitable access to essential tools and materials for an online or remote delivery course.

For example, students may:

• not have a printer
• have poor or no wifi
• not have a calm place to work
• not have a suitable device
• have health issues their own or family members’
• be working in a different time zone, for a family business, or have other responsibilities that take time away from their studies

It is easy to imagine a myriad of ways that students’ life circumstances could create or amplify challenges they will experience as remote learners. Remember also that intersectionality makes potential challenges more complex and hard to fully address in advance.

We suggest addressing this reality at the outset of the course, and acknowledging that the circumstances in which we all find ourselves (students, professors, TAs) can vary greatly. We share the goal of trying to include everyone, regardless of their circumstances. Including everyone with reasonably similar effectiveness will simply require a bit of extra care and patience. This does not imply discarding academic standards and rigour, but does imply applying them thoughtfully in an individual way wherever practical.

To address potential issues, you can use or adapt this questionnaire to ask students what tools they have at their disposal. Using asynchronous options is one way to allow for greater flexibility in the course. There are also lower bandwidth alternatives to common tools that you may wish to explore.

Students can be referred to Laurentian’s Centre for Academic Excellence Student Advising for learning support , or the Accessibility Office ) should your students require accommodations to facilitate their learning.. Faculty members should consider adding an accommodation statement to their syllabi. Additionally, this accommodation statement, among several other recommended content, is included in the LU Syllabus Generator.

Remember how the pandemic affects you

Students are not the only ones who have or will experience serious challenges. Professors and TAs are subject to all of the same constraints. Pressures could even be greater under some circumstances.

Be kind to yourself and forgiving of colleagues. We suggest giving yourself extra time to get things done if you find yourself managing many obligations.

Up next

Where to find help and advice. We know that this large change in course structure is demanding. The following chapter explains where to find additional support and resources.

Please feel free to contact us at any time with questions, suggestions, and concerns by emailing coffeehouse@laurentian.ca