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Throughout the past year, students of all ages have had to adjust to learning in a virtual classroom. While there are a few benefits of this teaching style, online courses are a challenge for many students, especially those who don’t have access to the same resources as the rest of their peers.

As we progress through another semester of virtual learning, it’s vital that college professors create an equitable learning environment.  An equitable classroom is perhaps one of the most important components of online learning and can be defined simply as giving the students what they need to succeed in a particular course. 

However, what each student needs varies based on their lives. There is no way for a professor to know what a student needs unless they ask. Student surveys are a great way for professors to gain the information about the obstacles their students face that’s necessary for making their virtual classroom more equitable. 

Some obstacles in the virtual classroom include the technology students may not have access to due to living conditions, job requirements and financial situations, as well as anything else that diverts their participation in a course. 

Many professors require that their students keep their cameras on in an attempt to maintain the sense of a traditional classroom setting, but not all students can have their cameras on, and many might feel uncomfortable showing their background. 

While this is just one example of an obstacle that students may face throughout the semester, it gives professors a good reason to take the time to get to know their students on a personal level. 

A poll conducted a few months after the start of the pandemic found that 77% of college students believe that online learning is worse than in-person learning. In a similar survey conducted in October 2020 by Pew Research Center, 68% of adults said that online courses do not provide the same value as in-person classes, and 75% of surveyed college graduates held the same belief. 

Implementing evidence-based online learning practices could help further decrease the number of students who dislike virtual learning. The most effective way for professors to find this information out is to create a survey for their students that asks about their strengths, any obstacles they face and what they require to succeed in an academic setting, especially from their homes. 

Pre-course student information surveys, as seen in this sample, give professors the tools necessary to create more of a community for the students in their class. By asking their students a series of questions about their home, personal and work lives, professors will be able to take that information into account when revising their syllabus. Though the spring semester has already begun, it’s not too late to implement such surveys to make adjustments.

These surveys not only give professors helpful insight into their students’ lives, but they also allow students to share personal information with their instructor and relieve some of their stress about the upcoming semester. 

If students can be less worried about having to keep their cameras on during online classes or can communicate openly with their professor about what obstacles they’re facing, their professors can help them succeed in class like in past semesters. 

To the professors who have taken the diverse array of home learning situations into account: Thank you. To those who haven’t: Please consider doing so.

Samantha Kolb is an environmental studies major at SUNY-ESF. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at sakolb@syr.edu.

Published on March 3, 2021 at 9:12 pm