Envisioning the Rural Virtual College Classroom

This chapter addresses intersecting challenges faced by rural college students as online learning becomes more widespread. The chapter begins by discussing the ways in which geography—specifically access to campuses and broadband—can impact rural student inclusivity. It then discusses the multifaceted challenges of rural students, whose disproportionate rates of class disparity and mental health issues can amount to personal crises during the semester. Because the boundaries between personal and academic life are less clear when taking classes from home, students may find that online learning is more difficult than traditional face-to-face classes. Therefore, the chapter offers some suggestions for professors related to simplicity and transparency. It then describes creative, flexible, and empathetic ways of approaching course construction in synchronous online courses. Finally, it offers broader suggestions for decision makers in order to maximize equity and inclusivity moving forward, as synchronous online learning becomes more normalized.