We JHS and SHS students are involved with people affected by poor internet connection. This is what we are facing in the current situation, because sometimes the connection is full bar but there is no internet connection. We students are often affected especially when we take the online examination we suddenly find that the internet connection is lost, so often we can not pass on time and sometimes it is gone and the time of taking the examination thru online form is over for our academic performance quizzes and other about academic level studies. The effects of Poor Internet connection to JHS and SHS students is it can cause of headache, stress, irritation, and pressure in their academic performance.

Solution

Reboot Moderns and Routers 

It's a good idea to reset your modern or router to enjoy increased speed. These devices usually have a small reset button at the back that you press and release when required. After you have restarted the modern or router, check internet speeds on all computers on the network. https://www.citypassenger.com/en/solutions-to-speed-up-the-internet/

7 Ways to Stop a Poor Internet Connection Ruining your Online Lessons (by Gerardo Garciarios, 13th August 2020)

We often hear from teachers struggling with the same problem- a poor internet connection. An unreliable connection ruins the pace and delivery of your well-planned lessons, causing low-level behaviour that details the learning.

1: Boost your signal

Before you put up with a terrible connection, there are a few simple things you can do to make sure it's running as well as possible.

Try these simple ideas to boost what you already have:

• Go wired, not Wi-Fi: Use an Ethernet cable to connect directly to your router. This should should give you a more reliable and faster connection.
• Update your browser: Not only is the latest version more secure, it may also improve speed.
• Check your connection is private: Password protect your wi-fi to make sure no one nearby is using it without your knowledge.
• Avoid extension leads: If you must use one, make it as short as possible and keep the lead tangle-free.
• Be kind to your router: Put it on a table instead of the floor. Keep it switched on and away from other electronic devices such as baby monitors.
• Check your phone line: Microfilters let you split your phone and broadband signals. This stops them affecting each other.

Contact your internet service provider (ISP) to discuss if you have a problem with your connection. They can help you run simple diagnostic tests or see if you need an upgrade to boost your ssign

2: Use visuals to support speech

If you're stuck with a poor connection, your speech can become distorted and hard to follow. Using a range of visuals is helpful to keep students following the lesson, even if they can't hear you clearly.

Useful visuals include:

• Pictures
• Diagrams
• Sentence starters
• Process charts
• Vocabulary banks
• Subject specific equipment

Drawing visuals during your live lesson will be more successful than displaying static images on the screen. Students can easily follow the process if you draw and talk simultaneously. A pen tablet is great for writing during presentations.

Display questions for students to read. Don’t assume they’ll be able to hear you talk them through. Instead, use annotations to create worked examples. Write notes and comments as you go to help them keep track of any discussions.

3: Let them show responses

It’s not just you struggling with video calls. Many students are likely to suffer from a poor internet connection. When you ask questions, you’ll find a long delay or interference on the line. It’s frustrating for you and boring for your students to sit through. You quickly lose the pace you’d normally have in the classroom.

Instead, find ways for students to contribute without needing to speak. They could hold up answers to their screen or type responses in the chat bar. They might not need to talk during the lesson. Ask them to record ideas and submit them by email or on an online platform like Microsoft Teams.

4: Recording lessons

Recording live teaching provides a way for students with poor access to watch lessons in their own time. Upload each video to a shared area and explain how to find it. Not only is it inclusive for learners with limited access to devices, it’s useful when a student is unwell and needs to catch up.

Try using a central location, like Microsoft Stream, to provide students with a simple way to access previous lessons without needing to download. It’s great for setting revision or supporting those who are struggling. You can use these videos again for homework and distance teaching.

5: Make your lessons short

Don’t replicate a traditional hour in the classroom. Make virtual lessons short and pacey to keep students engaged. Break learning into small chunks with activities and games combined with modelling and discussion.

Experiment with flipped learning by setting students something to learn about before your lesson. They come to your video call prepared to talk about what they’ve learned. This lets everyone work at their own pace and dedicates live lesson time to practising skills rather than introducing new content.

6: Keep it familiar

Online lessons work well when there’s a familiar structure to follow. Not only does it reduce cognitive load but also supports students struggling to follow you because of a poor connection.

If your lessons always follow the same pattern, they’ll know what to expect. This reduces the need for them to hear every word you say. Be creative and make lessons exciting but keep the underlying lesson organisation the same.

7: Prepare for losing your internet connection

Prepare for the worst so you’re ready if your poor internet connection prevents a live lesson from taking place. Email students before teaching and share any resources they’ll need.

Teach them what to do if there’s a connection problem that stops the lesson from happening. They can use the resources you’ve sent to complete activities in their own time. Adjust your PowerPoint or record a quick video and upload it to a shared platform for them to watch instead.

Final thoughts

Don’t let a poor internet connection ruin your lessons. If you must teach live online and can’t boost your signal, you must make it work for you and your students. Online learning is here to stay and likely to become a normal part of the teaching process.

Short, fast-paced lessons that don’t rely on students speaking work best. Offer different ways for them to contribute ideas to ensure they’re all fully engaged despite connectivity issues. Being flexible in your approach lets you deliver great virtual lessons even when your signal lets you down.                                  https://community.wacom.com/eu/europe/7-ways-to-stop-a-poor-internet-connection-ruining-your-online-lessons/

Action

Poor Internet connection leaves rural students behind

Slow Internet connections or limited access from homes in rural areas can contribute to students falling behind academically, according to a new report from Michigan State University’s Quello Center. The educational setbacks can have significant impacts on academic success, college admissions and career opportunities.

“We were surprised with how powerful the findings were,” said Keith Hampton, associate director for research at the Quello Center and a professor in MSU’s College of Communication Arts and Sciences. “Students without Internet access and those who depend on a cell phone for their only access are half a grade point below those with fast access. This gap has ripple effects that may last an entire life.” (https://youtu.be/h58XklArFcQ)

Conducted in partnership with Merit Network and 15 Michigan school districts, the first-of-its-kind report – “Broadband and Student Performance Gaps” – underscores the need for improved infrastructure in rural communities. The report is based on data collected from fifteen school districts covering Mecosta County, St. Clair County and the eastern region of the Upper Peninsula, spanning from the Tahquamenon area to St. Ignace and Sault Ste. Marie.

Other researchers from the Quello Center – including Laleah Fernandez, assistant director; Craig Robertson, doctoral student; and Johannes Bauer, professor and director – contributed to the report.

The researchers collected and analyzed three sets of data on student Internet access and academic performance that included in-class surveys in 21 schools, PSAT and SAT test scores and home Internet speed tests. Nearly 3,300 students in grades 8-11 – across 173 classrooms – were surveyed based on topics including online activities, grades, digital skills, homework completion and career interests.

Results showed that the most rural and socioeconomically disadvantaged students are least likely to have broadband Internet access at home. Only 47% of students who live in rural areas have high-speed Internet access at home compared to 77% of those in suburban areas. Of those who do not have home access, 36% live in a home with no computer and 58% live on a farm or other rural setting.

Students with no high-speed Internet access at home are also less likely to plan to attend a college or university. On the other hand, students with Internet access have substantially higher digital skills, which are a strong predictor of performance on standardized tests.

“Digital skills are related to proficiency in a range of domains beyond simple technology use, including language and computation. Better home Internet access contributes to diverse technology use and higher digital skills,” Hampton said.

The results show that students who rely on a cell phone only – or who have no home Internet access – had a skills gap similar to the gap in digital skill between 8th and 11th grade students.

“We found that students with even modestly lower digital skills perform a lot worse on the SAT test,” Hampton said. “We measured digital skills on a scale from 0 to 64. The average score was around a 30, but a student who performed modestly lower in digital skills scored about 7 percentiles lower nationally on the SAT. That is true for standardized test scores across all grades, not just the SAT.”

Gaps in student performance related to home Internet access exist regardless of differences in socioeconomic status, such as student race and ethnicity, family income or parental education, according to the findings.

“Much of the focus has been on attributing differences in student outcomes to sociodemographic factors, such as household income or parent education levels,” Bauer said. “Some argue that the same reasons explain why people do not have Internet access.

Hampton explained that the study is unique in that it captured data from students who came from both high- and low-income families who are without Internet access because it’s just not available to them.

“It turns out that deficiencies in student outcomes are tied to both Internet access and socioeconomic issues,” Hampton said.

In addition, students who could only get Internet access at home on their cell phone struggled to utilize the resources available on the Internet, whether due to slow connectivity or caps on data use from local service providers.

“It is wrong to assume that since most have a smartphone, students have sufficient access,” Bauer said. “It turns out that this is not the case. Those who have only cell phone access perform as poorly as those who have no Internet access at all.”

Digital skills serve a key role in many sectors of the economy and are necessary for careers across the workforce. In rural areas, gaps in broadband access could lead to economic impacts on entire communities.

“Those who have better broadband access at home also have higher digital skills overall,” Hampton said. “Those digital skills then position individuals better for lifelong careers. They are better positioned for post-secondary education and are more intent on entering STEM careers, which often pay higher salaries.”

Compared to communities with fast Internet access, those with poor broadband connectivity will experience fewer benefits from the digital transformation, Bauer explained.                

Media Contacts

Johannes Bauer & Caroline Brooks & Keith Hampton                                                                https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2020/poor-internet-connection-leaves-rural-students-behind