Digital disruption created challenges for students and instructors

Daelynn Jones | Writer

Lehigh Carbon Community College computer room located in Academics Building on the second floor containing no one and with the lights off.

When the digital grid at Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC) lost contact on March 2 and officially opened back up on March 10, students and faculty found themselves trapped in a weird flashback to the isolation of the 2020 pandemic.

Adiel Vasquez, a dual enrollment student, initially thought the shutdown might offer a nice break. However, by the fourth day, the novelty wore off.

"It wasn't a vacation," Vasquez said.  

He went on to say that he had issues accessing  email, which meant he had limited contact with professors and was confused on whether deadlines would be pushed back. The disruption revealed the extent to which the modern college experience relies on a digital foundation. For Vasquez, the silence was the most difficult part to navigate. He couldn’t access the student portal, and it was only through brief emails that he was able to figure out what was happening. Not being able to check event calendars or deadlines while the campus was closed caused his academic and social life on campus to halt.

When servers were restored, the atmosphere shifted. Though some students are figuring out how to tackle missed lectures, labs, and exams.

"Every professor handles it differently," Vasquez said. "One of my teachers pushed everything back two weeks. Another is just cramming two chapters into one lecture."

Faculty members faced similar hurdles. David Hartranft, an instructor whose curriculum focuses on computer arts, found himself locked out of the very tools required to teach. Though his lessons did not get pushed back and he was able to keep up with grades, the inability to communicate was his primary concern.

Hantranft said that because he was signed out of the system when the disruption happened, he was not able to access his LCCC email. He resorted to using a personal email account to send updates, though he had no way of knowing if the messages reached his students or if they could access Zoom. His main concern was the integrity of the curriculum, fearing that a rushed schedule might compromise the program’s completion.

As students head back to rescheduled labs and lectures, the disruption shows how much of an impact it’s had on the spring semester. Luckily, most LCCC students were able to continue on with their education. A stark reminder: when technology fails, education stops.