Chinese Students Encountering Firewall

Due to the recent pandemic, many students who would have traveled from China to study at Oregon State University are now attending classes remotely or online. Inside Higher Ed recently published an article Links to an external site. that provides a helpful overview of the access issues students in China may experience.

It is important for faculty to be aware that students may not be able to access certain websites or materials online, and that the ability to access materials can change depending on the day or time of day.

If your students are having trouble getting access to OSU Canvas or other critical resources based on where the students are located, please consider sharing with those specific students information on the OSU Virtual Private Networking (VPN). VPN gives the user a secure connection to the OSU network along with an on-campus IP address. Once the connection is established, the user will be connected to the OSU network through an encrypted tunnel. Passwords and other sensitive information will be securely transmitted over the Internet and into the campus network. Only traffic to and from OSU will be secure when using VPN.

See the Helpdocs website Links to an external site. for help setting up your VPN connection to OSU.

On September 18, 2020, the VPN connection will be changing to require the use of Duo two-factor identification. Use this webpage to access the new VPN.

OSU has a limited number of VPN connections so this service should only be used if a student is unable to access Canvas through normal steps.

The following can usually be accessed without the use of VPN:

  • Canvas, and materials uploaded to Canvas
  • Skype

The following are typically not accessible from China:

  • Google products such as Google Docs, YouTube, and G-Mail are not accessible
  • Links to any of the above from within Canvas are not accessible

Access to the following vary considerably:

  • Dropbox
  • Some LTI tools used within Canvas, such as links to publisher-provided homework systems

Recommendations for students

Students should let faculty know if they are working from China early, so faculty know in advance that they may need to prepare alternate materials that can be accessed.

Students may find it helpful to download content when they have access to fast internet connections for use when working offline.

Recommendations for faculty

Prior to term start

  • Provide a demo course for students to test out links, or ask students currently in China review a test demo course/links and provide feedback. INTO agents in China may be able to provide this feedback and testing – care should be taken to find testers in different areas – urban, rural, etc.
  • Remember the time zone differences – adjust due dates/times accordingly. Ask students to read & acknowledge that they understand the due dates/time zones and will account for the difference. Canvas settings can be used to help with this “translation.”

During the term

  • Make materials downloadable so that students can work offline. Students can access materials at high speed times and work off-line.
  • Do not require content that is accessible via Google Products, such as YouTube videos.
  • Use PDFs and make them accessible for use with screen reader technologies.
  • For required video content, provide transcripts.
  • Having low-tech alternatives to high-tech assignments can help.
  • Sometimes internet access can change day to day. Allowing extra time for students who may need to wait or travel somewhere else to access internet may be necessary.

Recommended tools and resources

  • WeChat Links to an external site. is a popular communication tool in China and may be useful for faculty in the US to use to help connect. WeChat may work better than email for some students.
  • Firewall checkers such as org Links to an external site. can help faculty be aware of student access to various sites in China. Place the URL you would like to test in their search field and get a report within seconds about whether that site is currently blocked.

Additional reading:

Cornell University Guidance for Faculty: Getting & Staying Connected with Int'l Students Links to an external site.

Inside Higher Ed’s China’s Limitations on Distance Education Links to an external site.