Carleton University’s transition to online classes raises the question of whether all students will have access to the tools they need to learn at home.
Students from low-income backgrounds or those who live in rural areas may not have access to laptops, computer software, reliable Internet connections or other technology they need to learn on a level playing field with their peers.
Nathaniel Black, one of Carleton’s Board of Governors student representatives, is proposing a tax credit to the federal government to help make sure students have access to the technology they need to learn in the fall.
“We were discussing how we were going to go about making sure students in rural areas, marginalized communities, low-income students, have access to technology like laptops or modems and different things that you need to connect through Zoom with your professor,” Black said.
Black wrote and signed a letter on May 22 to Minister of Finance, Bill Morneau, along with other students from Queen’s University and the University of Ottawa, proposing a “tech tax” credit for students who have to buy new tech for online learning.
The proposed tax would allow students to receive a 10 per cent return on the money they spent on laptops and other technology for school, and would also incentivize stores to offer discounts on products students need for their studies.
“In the long term, this would decrease the [financial] effect of technology for students in September,” Black said.
At Carleton, the Paul Menton Centre (PMC) provides access to computer labs outfitted with text-to-speech software for students with reading difficulties, and speech recognition software for students with difficulty typing or spelling.
Students who returned home for the summer due to the COVID-19 outbreak won’t have access to the equipment PMC provides if they take a summer class. During the winter 2020 exam period, the PMC recommended students who normally use the on-campus computers use one of several recommended free options.
Sydney Weaver, a third-year communications and media studies student, said not everyone has crucial software on their own computers that they need for learning.
“I’m lucky that I have my own voice-to-text software that I can use for longer assignments, if I need it,” Weaver said.
The PMC also loans assistive learning technology — such as Smartpens, audio recorders, and FM systems — to students with physical and learning disabilities.
Those who don’t own the assistive technology or programs they need to learn may be forced to buy them in time for the fall semester.
Smartpens cost around $200 at Best Buy, and voice recorders average between $50 and $200. FM systems, used by people with hearing impairments, can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000. Dictation software such as Dragon, depending on the version, costs between $215 and $725.
Amanda St. Dennis, a recent Carleton graduate of the child and youth studies program who used PMC’s services, said access to assistive learning technology poses a significant problem.
“I don’t know how they’re making that work,” she said.
Note-taking, accommodations and learning strategy sessions, and flexible exam writing conditions are some of the PMC’s academic accommodation services which are still available for online summer classes.
However, some accommodations come with exceptions.
Initially, when Weaver heard fall classes would be online, she was worried if she would have access to PMC’s note-taking services if she took a pre-recorded online class, since all the students would be taking the class at different times.
She said she was reassured by PMC that note-taking services will remain in place, but that her notes might be uploaded later than they would for an in-person class.
“Knowing that that crucial element of my education that I rely on was going to be there, made me feel a lot better,” she said.
The PMC’s website also says students who have “alone room” or “quiet room” and break accommodations for exams won’t receive those accommodations for online classes, since they have more control over their home environments.
Weaver said not everyone has access to the quiet environment they need to learn and write exams at home.
“When you have certain things that might make that space more necessary than others, if you’re not in an environment where that’s accessible to you, that can become a very big challenge,” she said.
St. Dennis said the transition to online classes will be a test for Carleton to prove its commitment to accessibility.
“It’s going to need the entire school to think creatively, and not necessarily think [about] what would be the norm,” St. Dennis said.
Featured image from file.
