Exaggerating Existing Inequality: An Introduction
Before a global pandemic swept through the U.S. and brought about unprecedented social and economic change, there were deep and deepening inequities of race, class, and gender. As COVID-19 prompted universities to swiftly shutter their campuses and switch to remote instruction, there were already students who were struggling with homelessness, discrimination, poverty, food insecurity, and mental illness (figure 1). This health crisis exaggerated these existing disparities as it made them more visible. Drawing upon the notion of an ecosystem as a framework for understanding, the analysis presented in this study aims to generate creative solutions to problems that are inherent to US higher education outside the context of a global crisis.
In order to propose solutions, we will provide insight for instructors, administrators, and researchers into some of the societal determinates, (e.g., the experiences and identities students bring with them to class), that affect the teaching and learning of students during crisis remote instruction. We also will provide tangible and practical suggestions that can be implemented, hopefully, without additional cost or infrastructure. Being aware of some of the difficult circumstances that students endure can assist us with better modifying our teaching practices for increased equity and inclusion. Small changes in instructor acknowledgment, rhetoric, empathy, and practices can have large learning implications over time. Though one class will not change the entire educational system, we do have the power to lead by example, starting right where we are, one student at a time.