Student Survey Confirms that LfA Systematically Disadvantages the Most Health-Vulnerable Students; Far from Being a Method to "Meet Students Where they Are," It is a Post-Hoc Justification for a Decision Made Solely on Financial Grounds
A new student survey has confirmed the argument I made at the start of the semester: that the Learn from Anywhere (LfA) system is socially unjust because it systematically disadvantages students based on health vulnerability. While the LfA approach was touted as being a new, innovative educational approach designed specifically to improve education and "meet students where they are" in terms of how they learn best, I argued back in late August that the primary factor that would determine whether students came into the classroom or attended virtually was their health vulnerability -- that is, either how susceptible they are to severe manifestations of COVID-19 or how scared they are about becoming infected. A new student survey released yesterday revealed that my initial impression was correct and that the propaganda surrounding LfA was wrong. Students who chose the remote option were asked the reasons why they did so. The results? Only 9% of respondents reported that they cho