4 minute read
STAFF-ED: Zoom fatigue and ethics
With online school being the new reality of education, the legal rights and comfort of students must be taken into consideration
After seemingly endless nights of studying, students frantically rush to their computer in the morning to join their Zoom meeting on time. However, they are soon removed by their teacher because of one small issue: their camera is not on. Requiring them to do so — as mandated by Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) — violates their ethical and legal rights as a pupil.
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With the Zoom and Teams platform now being used on a daily basis, one would think that MDCPS would often allow students to have their cameras off during class. However, that is far from reality. Students are expected to have a camera watch them for more than seven hours a day, regardless of their living situation.
Although MDCPS stated in a release on Aug. 28, 2020 that students must have their cameras on when attending their virtual classes, as per the U.S. Department of Education, such regulation goes against the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which aims to protect students’ privacy in a physical and virtual classroom and applies to all schools that receive applicable funds from the U.S. Department of Education.
FERPA emphasizes acceptable practices for utilizing instructional video and audio recordings. Furthermore, when relating this to online school and Zoom, forcing students to have their cameras on goes against the security this law attempts to ensure in a classroom. Although simply showing one’s face during a Zoom meeting may seem completely harmless, the video or audio recordings that are documented can easily be released into the Sharon Florez/ highlights general media when lectures are posted, which is exactly what FERPA aims to prevent.
In addition to students turning off their camera because it is their right to do so, many individuals may be in an environment that would make them feel uncomfortable if their entire class saw via Zoom.
“Teachers forcing students to turn on their cameras during class can negatively affect the student’s learning,” freshman Elle Kardatzke said. “Many students may feel anxious while their cameras are on and it could distract them from paying attention to the lecture.”
Understanding the various reasons a student may turn their camera off during a virtual class is something that teachers frequently fail to do, especially when they are removed from a meeting that they are genuinely trying to learn from. However, this issue may not have stemmed from the teachers themselves, but the protocol they were given.
DID YOU KNOW? Nearly half of U.S. students are attending school virtually.
Source: USA Today
In a statement released by the district labeled “MDCPS Distance Learning Roles,” it is specified that it is the duty of students to “identify a comfortable and quiet space to learn and study,” which again, may not be a realistic standard for many of these learners. However, for teachers, the roles set for them only identify learning aspect of online school, instead of also addressing the different circumstances students may encounter.
Moreover, if this issue of understanding both the legal and ethical conditions of teaching virtually is addressed, it should be the duty of MDCPS to accurately portray the ways a teacher can navigate through this new era of learning. Although many administrators and teachers may not agree with students keeping their cameras off, federal law goes above all else, especially personal emotions and interests.
Even if it may seem reasonable to ask students to keep cameras on, such as during an online exam, this nonetheless violates the rights of students. If this problem is ever encountered, MDCPS should encourage teachers to directly contact their parents and guardians to ensure that they are comfortable with having their cameras on, rather than forcing them to comply.
In a regular teaching environment, if a teacher wishes to engage their students, they call on them and ask questions. To ensure both teachers and students are respected in virtual settings, MDCPS should give teachers more leeway as to how they wish to manage their classrooms. If not, then at least leave it up to the school to implement their own policies according to the input of those participating in online learning.
In order to have an efficient school year in the midst of a pandemic, it is important to realize that everyone is going through a different situation. Online schooling can be a difficult time for many students and by creating a fuss over something as small as leaving a camera off, MDCPS is failing to prioritize the wellbeing of students and their educations.
