Broke and Book-Bound

Education has been historically branded as a tool to transcend conditions that have aided and abetted systems of generational and societal inequities. During a global pandemic, there has been no greater challenge to this view than considering the impact of life-altering events and their implications on higher education, success, and thriving. Specifically, the COVID-19 crisis has put this health-based issue on an international stage, but more specifically, spotlighting how it has exacerbated issues such as poverty, hunger, homelessness, and educational attainment. This chapter will examine the existing literature around the issue of global pandemics on college attainment for college students who are resource and access-gapped and best practices to consider to support holistic success during a global pandemic.

Transitioning Courses During COVID-19

In this chapter, three Black faculty from two different predominantly white institutions (PWIs) reflect on how they were able to successfully transition their traditional face-to-face courses to online or remote courses in a short time frame. They briefly describe the two institutions followed by a discussion of the struggles with technological issues, the benefits and disadvantages of working from home, as well as the stress of coping with COVID-19-related issues. Next, the faculty describe the strategies implemented with college students to help the students navigate the transition and be successful in their courses when all schools, colleges, and universities were forced to make the switch from traditional face-to-face instruction to online or remote teaching due to the pandemic.

Towards a Mentoring Model That Enhances Academic, Social, and Cultural Capital in Turbulent Times

Academically at-risk students may doubt their ability to persist and succeed because of some or all of the following: socioeconomics, low self-esteem, identity crises, negative family histories, socio-emotional concerns, poor living situations, or negative messages about school and education. Currently, the aforementioned issues are further compounded by turbulent times, which include but are not limited to a pandemic that disproportionately affects people of color and the impoverished, along with continued civil unrest and demands for rapid societal change. Therefore, this population would benefit from the enhancement of its academic, social, and cultural capital. In order to accomplish those goals simultaneously, the authors propose a mentoring model that integrates aspects of advising, tutoring, mentoring, peer-to-peer interaction, metacognition, positive psychology, current events, and emotional wellness to support academically at-risk students in their pursuit of academic and personal excellence.

Don't Forget About Us

Through narratives, this chapter explores the perspectives of three higher education professionals who served diverse student bodies during a pandemic. Detailing their experiences, the authors address efforts made to support underrepresented students during a pandemic. The effects of COVID-19 were vast and even more impactful for underrepresented students. The challenges of taking classes during a pandemic, combined with the known social challenges of 2020, made for an unforgettable period of time. This chapter addresses lessons learned, best practices, and suggestions for supporting students during a pandemic. The authors define underrepresented students as first-generation, LGBT+, low-income, and ethnic/racial minority students.

Utilizing Online Academic Coaching as an Added Value for International Student Support

This chapter explores the utilization of academic coaching as a way to support international students in the online higher education environment. International students and online learners experience barriers to academic success which have been amplified by the COVID pandemic. Given the lack of a widely accepted definition of academic coaching in academia, the author describes what academic coaching is and why it is different from other academic services such as advising or tutoring. This chapter also offers an implementation guide for campuses and departments considering the implementation of such a program on their campus, especially given the budget constraints caused by the pandemic. This guide includes suggestions of who can serve as an academic coach, ideal training topics for coaches, and logistical considerations for the online environment. The chapter concludes with a recommendation for future research on the topic of academic coaching, especially as it relates to online learners and international students.

Strategies for Virtual Online Student Support in the First-Year Economics Unit During the Global COVID-19 Pandemic

Online internet-based education and virtual teaching and learning have been forced upon the world due to coronavirus global pandemic healthcare crisis. Various internet and communication technology-assisted virtual delivery platforms are used, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, Skype, etc., to conduct lectures, tutorials, workshops, and provide online support to students. The main objective of this chapter is to reflect and compare the teaching and learning strategies in normal situation in contrast with the practice during COVID-19 environment. The chapter formalises an analysis of the challenges faced by lecturers in teaching and delivering first-year economics unit to the students, at the two institutions, and its impact on their learning of the economics core unit offered at the undergraduate Bachelor of Business program.

Teaching and Re-Imagining the Role of Medical Sociology in South Africa During COVID-19

The outbreak of COVID-19 of the SARS-COV virus family took the world by storm beginning February 2020 and became an international health crisis. Due to its unknown origins and manner of transmission, the South African government implemented lockdown measures to curtail the spread of the virus in March. These measures led to the closure of businesses across the country and sectors, including schools. The closure of schools resulted in the migration to online learning for most institutions of higher learning in South Africa. It brings with it challenges, opportunities for innovation, and reimagining pedagogical approaches, particularly in low resource settings. This chapter reflects on the nature and extent of the author's engagement with students enrolled in a health and medical sociology course during the COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa. Here, they reflect on the challenges encountered while moving a course that was designed to be delivered in person (face-to-face) to an online environment.

Instruction-Expanded Virtual Education Model

The COVID-19 pandemic has propelled school districts into virtual instruction with little advanced planning or preparation. This chapter deconstructs the gaps in the virtual learning environment and provides pedagogical strategies for teachers to increase cognitive enrichment, engagement, and access. The shifts in pedagogy from in-person to virtual learning will be examined with concrete strategies to develop student-centered learning experiences in a virtual context. Emphasis will be placed on differentiation as a means to enrich and the art of questioning to engage students. Woven through enrichment and engagement, the student's cultural, familial, linguistic, and social capital are incorporated as assets, or cultural wealth, and used to facilitate equitable access. When combined, these three instructional strategies interrelate and reinforce rigorous cognitive instruction that is accessible for all students in the virtual classroom.

Learning Assistance Support in a Global Pandemic

The spring of 2020 brought with it an entirely new experience for learning assistance professionals, who now had revise services for the online college experience and prepare their student staff for implementation immediately. This chapter provides a “how to” guide for these professionals in considering their services with the COVID-19 pandemic in mind and preparing for future crises. The author provides tools, platforms, and techniques that their center utilized in successfully transitioning to an online environment. While it is important to reflect on and consider the technology and facility needs for one's center, this chapter also argues for the need to support the student staff in the learning assistance center, who are navigating the experience as an employee and a student. The author not only gives tips, but also reflects on their own experience during a global pandemic. The chapter concludes with a look at learning assistance work after COVID-19.

“Let's Hope for the Best!”

In this chapter, the author sets out to explore the best strategies for not only supporting peer tutoring during a pandemic, but also to better acknowledge the mental strain many students have experienced since COVID-19 emerged. Using a composition and rhetoric studies approach as well as psychological research, the author proposes that professionals in higher education need to actively find ways to incorporate “expressive space” for students to work through hurdles in their learning because students are now processing significant traumatic experiences and motivational challenges while pursuing their academic goals. Tutoring coordinators and educators are encouraged to give students opportunities to mindfully engage with internal and environmental obstacles in order to persist throughout their academic career and in the lives they lead after college.