The Digital Divide
Published on Dec 13, 2015
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The Digital divide
Amanda hensley
Presentation created by Amanda Hensley, Boise State University EdTech 501, Spring 2015
Photo by fox-orian
Untitled Slide
The internet has become such a prevalent part of our culture and daily lives that we often take the privilege of it for granted; most of us can relate to Rowling’s quote all too well - we can see the internet as both a blessing because it provides an immeasurable amount of data at our fingertips, and a curse because many young people are too plugged in. But it’s easy to forget that in many places, that same dilemma doesn’t exist because internet access simply isn’t an option.
Digital Divide
vs.
Digital Inequality
Though overall trends in the world show that more and more people are gaining access to the internet, there still exists significant discrepancies between people’s access to and ability to use the internet. These ideas are known as the digital divide and digital inequality. While similar, they are two very different concepts.
Photo by AMERICANVIRUS
Digital Divide
- The discrepancy between those who have access to computers and internet and those who do not.
- The "haves and the have-nots"
The digital divide is simply the discrepancy between those who have access to the internet and those who do not. It’s what’s often called the “haves and the have nots” and is easily measured and seen.
Photo by kjetikor
Untitled Slide
According to the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, “by end 2014, 44% of the world’s households will have Internet access at home. Close to one third (31%) of households in developing countries will be connected to the Internet, compared with 78% in developed countries.” The trend is promising overall, and shows continued upward growth in regards to homes with access to the internet worldwide.
Graph can be found at:
http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/facts/ICTFactsFigures2014-...
Graph can be found at:
http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/facts/ICTFactsFigures2014-...
Digital inequality
- Discrepancy in people's use of and ability to use available technology
- Inequality among internet users in the extent to which they're able to reap benefits from their use of technology
Digital Inequality, on the other hand, deals with much more than just who has access to the internet and who does not. Digital Inequality takes many more factors into consideration such as how many people are actually using the internet (not just who have access to it), people’s ability to use the internet. DiMaggio and Hargittai have identified five dimensions of digital inequality: equipment, autonomy of use, skill, social support, and the purposes for which the technology is employed. (2001)
*Equipment - the discrepancy in bandwidth, ability to stream media, access the latest browsers, etc.
*Autonomy of Use - Where people access the internet (home, school, work, etc.), and how much control they have over when and for what they can use it.
*Skill - A person’s knowledge about the way the Web operates and ability to effectively navigate and search the Web.
*Social Support - Availability of experienced users who can provide support, guidance, and technical assistance to newer users
*Purpose - The reasons for which people use the internet - job searching, consumer information, getting news, education, finding political information, social media, etc.
*Equipment - the discrepancy in bandwidth, ability to stream media, access the latest browsers, etc.
*Autonomy of Use - Where people access the internet (home, school, work, etc.), and how much control they have over when and for what they can use it.
*Skill - A person’s knowledge about the way the Web operates and ability to effectively navigate and search the Web.
*Social Support - Availability of experienced users who can provide support, guidance, and technical assistance to newer users
*Purpose - The reasons for which people use the internet - job searching, consumer information, getting news, education, finding political information, social media, etc.
Photo by kjetikor
Untitled Slide
This graph from the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau shows that almost 3 billion people - close to 40% of the world’s population - are using the internet.
Europe’s Internet penetration will be reaching 75% (or three out of four people) by end 2014, the highest worldwide. In the Americas, close to two out of three people will be using the Internet by end 2014, the second highest penetration rate after Europe. In Africa, almost 20% of the population will be online by end 2014, up from 10% in 2010.
This brings up the question, however, of how effectively are these people using the internet, and that is much more difficult to measure statistically.
Graph can be found at:
http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/facts/ICTFactsFigures2014-...
Europe’s Internet penetration will be reaching 75% (or three out of four people) by end 2014, the highest worldwide. In the Americas, close to two out of three people will be using the Internet by end 2014, the second highest penetration rate after Europe. In Africa, almost 20% of the population will be online by end 2014, up from 10% in 2010.
This brings up the question, however, of how effectively are these people using the internet, and that is much more difficult to measure statistically.
Graph can be found at:
http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/facts/ICTFactsFigures2014-...
What does this look like for today's
American students?
As opposed to the worldwide view, how does this look when narrowed down to focus on American students?
Untitled Slide
This data is from Zero to Eight: Children's Media Use in America 2013, a survey by Common Sense Media, that documented the environments and behaviors of kids ages 8 and under. These are interesting statistics and food for thought when considering the students (or the background of the students if they’re older) who come into our classrooms.
Infographic can be found at:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/zero-to-eight-2013-infographic
Infographic can be found at:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/zero-to-eight-2013-infographic
These issues are present
in my own classroom & school
As a teacher, I don't have to look far to see these effects in my very own school and classroom. We're in the midst of a significant transition into district-wide 1:1 Chromebooks and many issues of digital divide and inequality have become dramatically brought into focus for us.
Photo by zugaldia
Problem #1: Digital Homework
The first issue we've encountered is how to deal with the issue of digital homework. This is a clear digital divide issue - students either have access to the internet at home to do their work or they don't. In a survey of the four elementary schools in my district, the following statistics were reported:
School A - 65% of students have access to the internet and can complete digital homework at home.
School B - 84% of students have access to the internet and can complete digital homework at home.
School C - 93% of students have access to the internet and can complete digital homework at home.
School D - 86% of students have access to the internet and can complete digital homework at home.
So not only is there a digital divide among the percentage of students who have internet access at home among the school sites, but you can see that there is also a digital divide within each classroom.
School A - 65% of students have access to the internet and can complete digital homework at home.
School B - 84% of students have access to the internet and can complete digital homework at home.
School C - 93% of students have access to the internet and can complete digital homework at home.
School D - 86% of students have access to the internet and can complete digital homework at home.
So not only is there a digital divide among the percentage of students who have internet access at home among the school sites, but you can see that there is also a digital divide within each classroom.
Photo by EricMagnuson
Possible solutions:
- Have study halls/open classrooms available for students to do work online.
- Allow extra time in class for students to complete homework.
- Work with city library to provide access to computers.
Our district doesn't have a formal plan to address this divide, but some solutions that teachers are currently using include opening up classrooms before and after school to allow students to use computers to complete their homework, and also not penalizing students who are unable to complete digital homework outside of class.
In addition, in the future, the district is hoping to work with the city library to expand hours and the number of available computers to create another option for students who do not have access to the internet at home.
In addition, in the future, the district is hoping to work with the city library to expand hours and the number of available computers to create another option for students who do not have access to the internet at home.
Problem #2: Parent Access to Grades & Student Work
A second problem we're facing is that along with the introduction of Chromebooks and digital work , there's been a decrease in the amount of paper assignments that get sent home for parents to see. Gradebooks are now on the internet and are available for parents to access to check on their children's progress. The obvious issue here, of course, is again one of digital divide - if you don't have access to the internet, how can you stay aware of what and how your child is doing in school?
Possible solutions:
- Print grade reports for parents
- Invite parents into class to use computers to check grades
- Students keep log of online quiz & assignment grades
During this transition time, in order to recognize this issue and minimize feelings of exclusion, teachers should continue to print paper grade reports and send them home on a regular basis. Parents should also be welcomed into classrooms and made aware that they are invited to use computers. Some teachers are also putting the responsibility onto older students who know their parents don't have internet access to keep a written log of their grades and assignments to share with their parents.
Problem #3: Parents don't know how to use the software & technology their children use
The third issue that we're seeing deals more with digital inequality than digital divide. Our students are digital natives who easily develop an understanding of software, apps, and hardware used in school. They learn rapidly and are able to competently navigate through their available digital tools. Their parents, however, are frequently not as comfortable with or aware of the way current technology-based education looks and operates, thus creating some feelings of disconnectedness for parents from their children's educational experiences, not to mention the fact that they often are unable to help students with work.
Photo by fd
Possible solutions:
- Hold Open Houses for parents to come see what's being used.
- Monthly informational parent nights; students teach their parents!
As educators, we're responsible not only for educating children, but we have a responsibility to include parents and the community in that process. Education is changing dramatically right now, and it's important to make sure we are holding information nights and open houses to expose people to what is happening inside our classrooms, and to even show and teach them how things work. This should help parents feel more connected and perhaps even excited and proud of their children and all they are able to do. It's empowering for students to be able to teach (and impress) their parents with what they can do.
In my personal experience, I had a student bring her mom in to show her a digital workspace she created for a project and her mother was truly blown away that her child had the skill and digital knowledge to create such a thing and the child left the room beaming!
In my personal experience, I had a student bring her mom in to show her a digital workspace she created for a project and her mother was truly blown away that her child had the skill and digital knowledge to create such a thing and the child left the room beaming!
Untitled Slide
The issues of digital divide and digital inequality exist in a worldwide capacity and also in classrooms in our own daily experiences. The world is moving at a rapid pace and is becoming more and more technology based every day, yet it will be a long time before these issues cease to exist, if ever. In the meantime, we as educators need to always be mindful of the gap and remain flexible and forward thinking in how we deal with it.
References
- http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/facts/ICTFactsFigures2014-...
- https://www.commonsensemedia.org/zero-to-eight-2013-infographic
- DiMaggio, P., Hargittai, E., Celeste, C., & Shafer, S. (2004). From unequal access to differentiated use: A literature review and agenda for research on digital inequality. Social Inequality, 355-400. Retrieved from http://www.eszter.com/research/pubs/dimaggio-etal-digitalinequality.pdf
