Bridging the Digital Divide: Telephone Tutoring at the Center

Abstract

As many academic support centers transitioned from in-person to online from March 2020 onward, center professionals were looking for technology that would assist them to do the job right. In one Midwest, private, comprehensive university, students had already self-selected the phone as their answer to seeking writing assistance before the pandemic arrived. This essay will share findings from that study in the writing center as well as theorize why phone conversations make good sense in academic support centers. Writing centers and communication centers should adopt phone tutoring with online formats as a means to fully and justly connect with students, ensuring that diverse voices are heard and included and to enable all students to have an equitable experience amidst the digital divide.