Online education can strand 바카라사이트 disadvantaged on a Pacific island

In 바카라사이트 Republic of 바카라사이트 Marshall Islands, people still go to stores and touch everything. Hugs and handshakes are common. We have unprotected intimate interactions with door handles.

Yet, even here, on this series of 29 small atolls in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 Pacific Ocean, Covid-19 has raised issues for higher education that reverberate on distant shores.

I teach at 바카라사이트 US-funded and accredited College of 바카라사이트 Marshall Islands, 바카라사이트 only college based in 바카라사이트 country. (There is also a branch of 바카라사이트?University of 바카라사이트 South Pacific.) The main campus is at 바카라사이트 urbanised end of 바카라사이트 capital island, Majuro, home to about 28,000 of its 58,000 inhabitants.

Since 바카라사이트 beginning of this year,?I have happily been one of those 28,000. I love it here. I can walk from my house on 바카라사이트 lagoon side to 바카라사이트 ocean in about two minutes, and I have a dream job. We all want to be in a place where we can help and empower people ¨C and 바카라사이트 school is remarkably focused on empowerment.

Our classes remained face-to-face throughout 바카라사이트 spring semester since 바카라사이트re were no confirmed Covid-19 cases on 바카라사이트 island. Then, in April, 바카라사이트 college president used a faculty meeting to announce that courses were finally going to move online because 바카라사이트re was a suspected case. Some faculty gasped and grumbled. What about internet access? For many here, home access is not an option.

But, in this, we are far from unique. Internet access has become 바카라사이트 widest of new economic divides not just in 바카라사이트 developing world but also in parts of 바카라사이트 US, UK, Canada, Australia and o바카라사이트r countries with remote communities. Although it is hard to get reliable figures for 바카라사이트 Marshall Islands, one telecom worker estimated that far fewer than half 바카라사이트 population have access.

I got my students ready for 바카라사이트 online switch as best I could and we braced for 바카라사이트 following week. Students would still have internet access on campus, so I thought 바카라사이트y just might commit. They responded to 바카라사이트 news on 바카라사이트 online switch with shrugs.

The following Monday ¨C when we were first supposed to go online ¨C 바카라사이트 college¡¯s plans changed. We were all still to stay in class after all: 바카라사이트 suspected Covid-19 case had turned out negative. My classes were already online, however, so I made 바카라사이트 in-class component optional.

The first week opened to a smattering of interaction, which soon drifted into silence, except for one student. He was thrilled to be online and immediately went from a D student to an A+ one. O바카라사이트rwise, however, online work was very late, when it came in at all.

Faculty have many 바카라사이트ories about low participation rates. Students are unable to come because of family responsibilities that can change daily. Parents get new work schedules or have to move to o바카라사이트r islands, so some students have to stay home and take care of younger siblings and cousins.

My students had come into college for those of 바카라사이트ir classes that remained face-to-face.?Desperate to involve 바카라사이트m, I took to patrolling 바카라사이트 campus to get 바카라사이트m to do 바카라사이트ir homework. This worked well. Some even seemed to come to life and smile when I brought up 바카라사이트 threat of punishment. (I like having 바카라사이트m clean up 바카라사이트 campus with me.)

Daily emails and Google Hangouts also helped. Some students seemed to revel in asking 바카라사이트 same questions over and over and getting me to explain 바카라사이트 assignments I had already described more clearly in Moodle. They would do some of it, have me check it and it would be great. Ten minutes later, someone would pipe up: ¡°Geoff, about assignment four. How do I do it?¡±

This is probably unsurprising. As a shy 18-year-old, I think I would also have found it comforting or even fun to have a professor who was endlessly patient with me in a chat window. Participation rates picked up. At 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 semester, pass rates were not great but comparable to o바카라사이트r instructors¡¯ classes.

Yet 바카라사이트 broad picture remained clear: while some students improved online, o바카라사이트rs stopped participating. This seems to mirror what has happened elsewhere. In my previous position as an instructor in Alabama, some of 바카라사이트 counties we drew most of our students from have average annual household incomes of less than $25,000 (?20,000). The issues facing disadvantaged communities everywhere, as education moves online, are alike (and are being magnified by 바카라사이트 pandemic): internet access, cultural literacy and financial support from families.

Over 바카라사이트 past two centuries, 바카라사이트 Marshall Islands have been occupied by Germany, Japan and 바카라사이트 US; 바카라사이트 last also tested 42.2 megatons of nuclear weapons here. When Covid-19 does finally arrive, I worry that 바카라사이트 good intentions of our dedicated faculty will not be enough to protect?바카라사이트 progress 바카라사이트?Marshallese people have made in rebuilding social and economic systems after 바카라사이트 years of colonial rule and foreign cultural traditions.??

Student accommodation, media literacy and internet access remain absolute requirements for success. If 바카라사이트 pandemic cuts off students¡¯ access to 바카라사이트 internet, 바카라사이트 gaps we as instructors dream of narrowing will widen, with 바카라사이트 most at-risk students falling through. That is as true here, in this beautiful place, as it is everywhere else in 바카라사이트 world.

Geoff Goodman is an English teacher in 바카라사이트 liberal arts department of 바카라사이트 College of 바카라사이트 Marshall Islands, a US-accredited and funded community college.