Brown students learning internationally may face unique barriers in the context of hybrid and online instruction due to sociopolitical environments that may make some topics sensitive and legal requirements that may restrict technology access in their learning environments. While Brown students living internationally have extremely diverse learning environments, some challenges and circumstances may include lack of access to some of Brown’s course tools such as Google’s GSuite, YouTube, or Dropbox due to in-country restrictions and internet bandwidth and connectivity issues making it difficult to access course materials or join synchronous class sessions.
Students may also have concerns about online privacy or feel the need to self-censure given local laws around free speech. This raises many questions for Brown’s instructors. Below we focus on frequently asked questions that provide information on Brown data privacy and security practices and offer considerations for faculty supporting learners in these challenging environments.