In this period of the U.S. government considering how it might subsidize various components of the economy in response to the shutdown caused by the Coronavirus, the Wall Street Journal offers an article asking whether Internet access should be included among other subsidized services. I apologize for the link to a resource that is behind a paywall. I have this habit of citing sources and I can read the WSJ because it comes with the Apple News+ service we pay to use. Some news sources have not protected their pandemic related stories, but this does not appear to be the case with this article.
Working from home is the new normal for many and this includes some in health care, education, and others providing services needed by many. The present Senate bill has a small amount of funding for mobile hot spots.
My own experience involves distance education. I have taught a nunber of online courses to graduate students interested in the application of technology in education. This is not the ideal situation for gaining more general insight as expectations for my activity were supported by a university and my area of expertise itself assures I have the background and equipment to function in this capacity and the same would be the case for the advanced students I work with.
This is not the case for others in higher education, for some K12 educators, and for the students who find themselves at least temporarily relying on an online approach to teaching and learning. It is not always a matter of motivation. Low-income families are more likely to face barriers involving internet access and equipment. Many schools with 1:1 plans can send computers or tablets home with students, but this does not alone assure connectivity. Some schools also have the resources to provide mobile hotspots to needy students. The issues are often more complex than might be assumed. If schools do not provide equipment, what about those families that rely on one device. What happens when three kids need to connect with their class in real-time to receive instruction.
There are also so many issues related to the quality of the learning experience. How much training do educators require to take advantage of the unique requirements of one to many online instruction? I am not a fan of assumptions often made regarding class size. It just takes more time to accomplish the same thing when interacting via the Internet. Thirty student high school classes or the hundreds we often teach at a time just don’t work the same online.
More equipment, more bandwidth, fewer students, etc. all are financial issues. What about laboratory experiences? The list of questions about how it can work and how it can be paid for go on and on. The present situation will offer a great opportunity to explore and the government and some commercial Internet service companies are easing the burden, but there are real costs here that need to be covered.