Educ 5353 Blog 2: Digital Divide Call to Action Focus

Ever since COVID-19, there has been an awareness that all students need access to devices and internet. This awareness has caused action, and now, the gap is much more narrow. In my school district, all students are provided with a Chromebook and a mifi device, so we have virtually eliminated the issue of not having access to the materials needed to be digitally connected. However, one thing the pandemic caused a spotlight on was another huge gap: digital literacy inequity. While most students now have computers and the internet, there is a wide divide in how families and teachers utilize the tools. This is a discrepancy that is often overlooked but still strongly impacts student outcomes. It will require varied strategies to work on closing the gap.

The digital divide isn’t just about devices and internet access, though they are required in today's world. It also involves skills and knowledge that are necessary to engage with these digital technologies. These include many things that we think of: online research, creating things digitally, and completing tasks online. However, these also can include simple tasks that everyone assumes people already know, like checking and responding to emails and troubleshooting tech issues. Digital literacy inequity shows up when there are differing skills between groups, and many times that is between teachers and their students’ families. 

There are several factors that can contribute to these inequities within a school, and my district is no different. Here are just a few:

• Socioeconomic Status: Families with lower incomes may not have access to strong internet, might have outdated devices (or none at all), or struggle to afford technology-related expenses. This can significantly impact a child's ability to engage with online learning platforms and complete assignments effectively (Gallardo, 2022).

• Age of the parents/guardians: Older family members may not have much experience with newer technologies, if any at all, and struggle to help their children with online learning activities. This can create frustration and slow a child's progress (van de Werfhorst et al., 2022).

• Lack of Training: Many parents and caregivers do not have the necessary digital skills to really support their children's online learning. This includes basic computer literacy, online safety practices, and using educational platforms that host the required work (such as Canvas).

The pandemic made the gap in technology access even more apparent. When schools suddenly moved to online teaching and learning, it showed that many families didn’t have reliable internet, the right devices, or the digital skills they needed (Brown, 2020). As a result, many families had a hard time helping their kids with school, which caused students to fall behind and feel more stressed. While these things are true, there are things we can do to combat these issues. Here are a few ideas:

• Digital Skills Training for Families

• Digital Skills Teacher Training

• Partnering with the Community and other School Districts

Digital literacy inequity needs to be addressed. As educators, we know better than to assume that there is an understanding of things that we consider simple in the ever-changing landscape of technology.

References

Brown, W. (2020, August 28). The Digital Divide. Open.library.okstate.edu; Oklahoma State University Libraries. https://open.library.okstate.edu/learninginthedigitalage/chapter/the-digital-divide/

Gallardo, R. (2022, August 17). The State of the Digital Divide in the United States – Purdue Center for Regional Development. Purdue Center for Regional Development – Purdue Center for Regional Development. https://pcrd.purdue.edu/the-state-of-the-digital-divide-in-the-united-states/

van de Werfhorst, H. G., Kessenich, E., & Geven, S. (2022). The digital divide in online education: Inequality in digital readiness of students and schools. Computers and Education Open, 3(3), 100100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2022.100100