June 1, 2020
The need to abruptly transition to virtual instruction due to the global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has shaken the US educational system to its core. Virtual instruction has become the most recent example of inequality underrepresented students face due to the digital divide, economic disparities, and increased mortality rates from COVID-19 in their communities. Recognizing personal struggles shared anecdotally along with the academic rigor and challenges traditionally associated with engineering, it is important to support these anecdotes with the development empirically informed policies.
Awarded with the RAPID grant by the Division of Engineering Education and Centers at the National Science Foundation, Dr. Racheida Lewis, along with collaborators Drs. Nicki Sochacka (UGA) and Trina Fletcher (Florida International University), is now investigating how the pandemic has impacted underrepresented engineering students. The research team will use an online data collection platform, called SenseMaker, to collect short stories from students nationwide that describe how they are experiencing the COVID-19 crisis and the transition to online learning. Data from this research will inform institutions of challenges faced by this particular population to highlight that diversity and inclusion efforts should not be limited to on-campus environments and activities.
Read UGA’s Reporting on Dr. Racheida and Her Project Here