New Times, New Challenges: Strategies to Ensure Equal Access to Emergency Remote Education

Abstract: Introduction: After the implementation of remote teaching for the academic activities of the Medicine course at UNICAMP, due to the COVID Pandemic, a new strategy was required to identify the needs of students to allow them to keep up with the course in this new pedagogical modality. Objective: To demonstrate the strategies developed and solutions found to allow for equal access to remote education in the medical course at FCM-UNICAMP. Method: We present data from our institutional report based on questionnaires completed by medical students regarding the difficulties related to access to emergency remote education and the actions taken to solve the main difficulties encountered. Results: We identified that the initial years of the course had the highest proportion of students with difficulties, although all students reported some difficulty. The main problems identified were unstable internet and/or only access via mobile networks, and the most significant difficulty was in accessing the synchronous activities. Most students reported attending classes via computer and notebooks, but this device was often shared with other family members, most notably during the pandemic. Thirty-one students reported difficulties that prevented them from following the course adequately due to lack of devices or internet access. One solution was computers and cell phone chips and tablets being loaned out to students. Teachers were instructed to adapt the pedagogical tools used. Conclusion: Ensuring equal access is essential to support studies to continue following the transition from face-to-face classes to emergency remote study. Listening to students about the difficulties concerning remote teaching is an essential tool for the success of this pedagogical strategy. Guidance of the teaching staff in relation to the difficulties encountered by students was important for the adequacy of remote teaching. These actions helped students in the change of teaching imposed by social distancing.

摘要：
引言：受新冠疫情影响，巴西坎皮纳斯大学（University of Campinas, UNICAMP）医学课程的学术活动转为远程教学后，亟需制定新策略以明确学生需求，保障其能够适应这一新型教学模式并顺利跟进课程进度。
研究目的：阐明为保障坎皮纳斯大学医学院（Faculty of Medical Sciences, UNICAMP-FCM）学生公平获取远程教育资源而开发的策略与解决方案。
研究方法：本研究基于我校官方报告中的问卷数据，该问卷由医学生填写，旨在调研紧急远程教学的相关接入困难，并针对排查出的主要困难制定应对措施。
研究结果：调研显示，尽管所有学生均反馈存在不同程度的学习困难，但课程初始年级的困难学生占比最高。主要问题包括网络不稳定、仅能通过移动网络接入教学，其中最突出的困难为同步教学活动的参与障碍。多数学生表示通过电脑与笔记本电脑参与课程，但该类设备在疫情期间常被其他家庭成员共享，这一情况尤为普遍。共有31名学生因缺乏设备或网络接入条件，难以正常跟进课程学习。本次研究采用的解决方案包括向学生出借电脑、手机流量套餐与平板电脑，同时要求教师调整所用的教学工具。
研究结论：保障教育公平接入，是支持学生在从线下课堂转向紧急远程学习的过渡阶段顺利开展学业的关键。倾听学生反馈的远程教学困难，是保障该教学策略成功实施的核心手段。针对师生在远程教学中遇到的困难开展教学指导，对优化远程教学效果至关重要。上述举措切实帮助学生应对因社交疏离防疫政策被迫实施的教学模式变革。