Using an Ethos of Care to Bridge the Digital Divide: Exploring Faculty Narratives During a Global Pandemic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v25i1.2484Keywords:
culturally sustaining pedagogy, digital divide, ethos of care, narrative inquiry, online learningAbstract
Prior to the COVID-19 emergency, some faculty resisted the move to digital learning formats due to concerns for student equity or that engagement would suffer. The purpose of this study was to understand how faculty adapted their courses during the rapid shift to remote and online learning in the spring of 2020, and to understand the role of equity in their experiences. Faculty narratives revealed that elements such as flexibility, reducing coursework to essential content, and personalization – all stemming from an ethos of care – were effective in mitigating the equity issues that surfaced during the emergency transition to universal remote learning. Our findings support the critical importance of extending culturally sustainable practices to all online learning environments in higher education as a way to mitigate equity issues related to the digital divide. These findings are in line with, and contribute to, the growing body of research on culturally sustaining pedagogy within the context of online learning.
References
Adams, M., Rodriguez, A., & Zimmer, K. (2018). Studying cultural relevance in online courses:
A thematic inquiry. Online Learning, 22(4), 361-381.
Banks, J., A. (1993). Chapter 1: Multicultural Education: Historical Development, Dimensions, and Practice. Review of Research in Education, 19(1), 3-49.
Baym, N. K. (2015). Personal connections in the digital age. John Wiley & Sons.
Bennett, S., & Maton, K. (2010). Beyond the ‘digital natives’ debate: Towards a more nuanced understanding of students' technology experiences. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 26(5), 321-331.
Blundell, R., Costa Dias, M., Joyce, R., & Xu, X. (2020). COVID‐19 and Inequalities. Fiscal Studies, 41(2), 291-319.
Blackburn, M. V., (2014). Humanizing research with LGBTQ youth through dialogic communication, consciousness raising, and action. In D. Paris & M. T. Winn (Eds.), Humanizing Research: Decolonizing qualitative inquiry with youth and communities (pp. 43-57). SAGE Publications.
Blair, E. (2015). A reflexive exploration of two qualitative data coding techniques. Journal of Methods and Measurement in the Social Sciences, 6(1), 14-29.
Buelow, J. R., Barry, T., & Rich, L.E. (2018). Supporting learning engagement with online
students. Online Learning, 22(4), 313-340.
Bunk, J., Li, R., Smidt, E., Bidetti, C., & Malize, B. (2015). Understanding Faculty Attitudes About Distance Education: The Importance of Excitement and Fear. Online Learning, 19(4), 1-11.
Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing Grounded Theory: A Practical Guide through Qualitative Analysis. London: Sage Publications.
Conlon, M. M., Smart, F., & McIntosh, G. (2020). Does technology flatten authenticity? Exploring the use of digital storytelling as a learning tool in mental health nurse education. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 3(1), 1-10.
Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (2008). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory (3rd ed.). Sage Publications, Inc.
Coulter, C., Michael, C., & Poynor, L. (2007). Storytelling as pedagogy: An unexpected outcome of narrative inquiry. Curriculum Inquiry, 37(2), 103-122.
Garrison, D. & Anderson, T. & Archer, W. (1999). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2-3), 87-105.
Gay, G. (2002). Preparing for Culturally Responsive Teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(2), 106-116.
Gonzales, A. L. (2017). Disadvantaged minorities’ use of the Internet to expand their social networks. Communication Research, 44(4), 467-486.
Gonzales, A. L., Calarco, J. M., & Lynch, T. (2020). Technology problems and student achievement gaps: A validation and extension of the technology maintenance construct. Communication Research, 47(5), 750-770.
Heitner, K. L., & Jennings, M. (2016). Culturally Responsive Teaching Knowledge and Practices of Online Faculty. Online Learning, 20(4), 54–78.
Hendry, P. M. (2009). Narrative as inquiry. The Journal of Educational Research, 103(2), 72-80.
Jaggars, S. S., Xu, D. (2016). How do online course design features influence student performance? Computers & Education, 95(1), 270-284.
Jungic, V., Creelman, D., Bigelow, A., Côté, E., Harris, S., Joordens, S., Ostafichuk, P., Riddell, J., Toulouse, P., & Yoon, J. S. (2020). Experiencing failure in the classroom and across the university. International Journal for Academic Development, 25(1), 31-42.
Kaupp, R. (2012). Online Penalty: The Impact of Online Instruction on the Latino-White Achievement Gap. Journal of Applied Research in the Community College, 19(2), 8–16.
Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Toward a Theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 465-491.
Ma, J., Han, X., Yang, J., Cheng, J. (2015). Examining the necessary condition for engagement in an online learning environment based on learning analytics approach: The role of the instructor. Internet and Higher Education, 24(1), 26–34.
Markova, T., Glazkova, I., & Zaborova, E. (2017). Quality issues of online distance learning. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 237, 685-691.
Maxwell, J. A. (2013). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach. SAGE.
McKay, J., & Devlin, M. (2016). Low income doesn't mean stupid and destined for failure: challenging the deficit discourse around students from low SES backgrounds in higher education. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 20(4), 347-363.
Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Nieto, S. (1992). Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education. New York: Longman.
Paris, D. (2012). Culturally sustaining pedagogy: A needed change in stance, terminology, and practice. Educational researcher, 41(3), 93-97.
Paris, D., & Alim, H. S. (Eds.). (2017). Culturally sustaining pedagogies: Teaching and learning for justice in a changing world. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Pearce, K. E., & Rice, R. E. (2013). Digital divides from access to activities: Comparing mobile and personal computer Internet users. Journal of communication, 63(4), 721-744.
Picower, B. (2012). Using their words: Six elements of social justice curriculum design for the elementary classroom. International Journal of Multicultural Education, 14(1), 1-17.
Puzio, K., Newcomer, S., Pratt, K., McNeely, K., Jacobs, M., & Hooker, S. (2005). Creative Failures in Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy. Language Arts, 94(4), 223-233.
Robinson, H.A., Kilgore, W., & Warren, S. J. (2017). Care, communication, learner support:
Designing meaningful online collaborative learning. Online Learning, 21(4), 29-51.
Salvo, S. G., Shelton, K., & Welch, B. (2019). African American males learning online: Promoting academic achievement in higher education. Online Learning, 23(1), 22-36.
Taylor, J. L. (2013). The Power of Resilience: A Theoretical Model to Empower, Encourage and Retain Teachers. Qualitative Report, 18(35), 1-25.
Tsetsi, E., & Rains, S. A. (2017). Smartphone Internet access and use: Extending the digital divide and usage gap. Mobile Media & Communication, 5(3), 239-255.
Valenzuela, A. (2005). Subtractive Schooling, Caring Relations, and Social Capital in the Schooling of U.S. Mexican Youth. In D. J. Flinders and S.J. Thornton (Eds.), Curriculum Studies Reader. (pp. 267-278). Routledge.
Wingo, N. P., Ivankova, N. V., & Moss, J. A. (2017). Faculty perceptions about teaching online: Exploring the literature using the technology acceptance model as an organizing framework. Online Learning 21(1), 15-3.
Wong, C., & Peña, C. (2017). Policing and performing culture: Rethinking “culture” and the role of the arts in culturally sustaining pedagogies. In D. Paris & H. S. Alim (Eds.), Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies: Teaching and Learning for Justice in a Changing World. (pp. 116-138). Teachers College Press.
Yeboah, A. K., & Smith, P. (2016). Relationships between Minority Students Online Learning Experiences and Academic Performance. Online Learning, 20(4) 1-26.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
As a condition of publication, the author agrees to apply the Creative Commons – Attribution International 4.0 (CC-BY) License to OLJ articles. See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
This licence allows anyone to reproduce OLJ articles at no cost and without further permission as long as they attribute the author and the journal. This permission includes printing, sharing and other forms of distribution.
Author(s) hold copyright in their work, and retain publishing rights without restrictions
