Students Reveal Their Perspectives on Rural Education Challenges/Solutions
By Sara Carrier, Camila Garcia, Isabella Lopez, Marc Tsuno, Jing Yin and Lingxiao Zhong
Students from the School of Information, University of Michigan, partnered with NTCA to investigate rural broadband access as part of a classroom assignment. Over 14 weeks, we explored broadband access challenges in rural Michigan schools. We interviewed NTCA members, including Norvado, Highline and KanOkla Networks, as well as local stakeholders such as teachers and administrators. Through their expertise, these stakeholders revealed how broadband infrastructure impacted education in their rural communities and spoke about current engagement initiatives between their companies and local schools.
Our research exposed three key themes about rural education: broadband infrastructure needs, device access issues in education and greater awareness concerning broadband internet. The lack of broadband infrastructure in rural communities affects access to educational opportunities. Moreover, expanding broadband networks remains challenging due to funding and regulatory issues. Additionally, many rural students do not have access to adequate devices outside of the classroom. They use inadequate devices (like smartphones) that are less effective or unusable on e-learning platforms, affecting their learning outcomes. Finally, many stakeholder groups lack knowledge about the importance of broadband and its potential positive impact on learning. Furthermore, they are unaware of how to advocate for greater broadband access and how to receive funding.
Additionally, our findings uncovered an opportunity for community engagement and information sharing between broadband providers and local stakeholders. By providing resources to local education stakeholders, NTCA can facilitate stronger connections, which will help promote broadband awareness and expansion.
While the root issue of broadband accessibility can only be supported by investment in infrastructure construction, we believe there is still a way to support educators and help NTCA conduct outreach about the importance of internet access to a stakeholder group that is often wary of external solicitation. Our primary recommendation is that NTCA develop a toolkit for educators through an application or a physical outreach deliverable such as a pamphlet. This project could provide information on internet-accessible education tools, facilitate peer-to-peer communication about emerging e-learning solutions, list broadband funding opportunities and establish a direct communication channel between NTCA and educators. As a result of our research and the advice of NTCA members, we believe that following this recommendation will further NTCA’s mission to expand broadband throughout rural America and support the growth of its members.
Sara, Camila, Isabella, Marc, Jing and Lingxiao are students at the University of Michigan, where NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield and Vice President of Policy and Industry Innovation Josh Seidemann recently spoke about rural broadband issues. Read more about their trip here.