I attended a workshop on using BigBlueButton last week. It is very interesting until it dawns to me that I have a large group of students for my UG courses. But the facilitators assured me that since all of the students will log in at different places, unlike the computer lab, there won’t be any internet glitch.
Suddenly, I remember the student that I had last semester who didn’t own a smartphone. It makes me to start thinking further “Does this student has a laptop that can be connected to internet/wifi?” or “What if there is a student like that this semester?”
So I decided to conduct a simple survey to explore this issue especially with regards to the ownership of a smartphone and a laptop/computer which is crucial if I want to use BigBlueButton later on. It is like I am asking students to write using a pen whereas the students do not have any pen. We cannot simply assume that students can afford to have smartphone or computer.
On top of that, since BigBlueButton is like Skype, you need a headphone (at least with or without the microphone). You cannot get a headphone for RM5 to RM10. Based on my observation on the Free Meal/Market, there was time when 50 pens were taken by students. It means that 50 students need a pen that to us might cost pittance. If they cannot afford to buy a pen, what more something like a headphone, smartphone or computer, right?
I met Hadi on my way back to my room. He also just finished his class. We talked about this possibility. He said that he is aware about this too because back in the days when he was the student leader, he knows some students who would give all of their PTPTN loan to the family. They would do odd jobs to survive at UTM. Similar scenario is still happening now.
As an instructor, is it fair to conduct an online class where your students do not have the tool to get connected to you? Anyway, I am still waiting for the students to respond to the survey. So, until then, I will keep waiting before deciding on the next course of action.