Digital Divided: Literature Review

One social inequality issue in education today is the digital divide. The digital divide is an unfortunate reality in schools today, and it describes the gap between those who have access to technology and the internet and those who do not. This gap has a particular effect on students since there are implications regarding student opportunity and achievement. With technology being a permanent part of society that will continue to grow, the digital divide is an area of concern that will also likely grow. Therefore, this issue must be a priority to teachers, the community, and the world. In my research, I review articles that present research and discourse on the topic of the digital divide. Korupp and Szydlik (2005) argue that human capital, social capital, and family context play a role in what causes the division between technology access. Further, the digital divide may have a particular effect on students from low socioeconomic status families. These effects include less exposure to learning opportunities and critical thinking, lower levels of social and academic achievement, and a lack of digital literacy skills (Rowsell et al., 2017). In this presentation, I will present research and the findings of discourses on the digital divide. More specifically, the focus will be on how the digital divide evolved and why it is an issue. Additionally, recommendations for teachers and school leaders to bridge the digital divide gap will also be discussed in my presentation.https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/urs2021tch/1001/thumbnail.jp

The correlates of computer use and academic achievement among college students from low income backgrounds

The following is a mixed method research study that explores the correlates between computer use and academic achievement among low-income college students at James Madison University. A sample of 42 sophomore, junior and senior students served as participants in this study. All participants were members of the university’s Centennial Scholars Program, an initiative created by the university in 2004 to give high school students from low-income backgrounds the opportunity to go to college on full-tuition scholarship. Using a theoretical framework that incorporated situated cognition theory (Brown, Duguid & Collins, 1989), communities of practice (Wenger, 1998) and the digital divide (Attewell, 2001) the research conducted explored how students from low-income backgrounds engaged with computers for academic and non-academic purposes and how this engagement relates to academic achievement (GPA). Quantitative research returned evidence that a correlation exists between academic achievement and social networking for academic purposes among this population, while qualitative research further explored how this population engaged with computer for academic and non-academic purposes

Testing the Digital Divide: Does Access to High-QUality Use of Technology in Schools Affect Student Achievement?

This study investigates the relationship between access, use of technology and student achievement in public middle schools in Maryland. The objective of this study was to determine whether a digital divide (differences in access and utilization of technology based on student characteristics of race, socioeconomic status, and gender) exists among schools, and whether those differences relate to mathematics and reading achievement. More specifically, the study uses school data on technology access, students' instructional uses of technology, and teacher technology proficiency from the 2007 Maryland Technology Inventory. This study analyzes student demographic data and assessment results from the 2007 Maryland School Assessments in reading and mathematics obtained from the Maryland State Department of Education. The data analyses use descriptive and multivariate statistics to determine the existence of digital divides and their effects on reading and mathematics achievement. Analysis of these data described patterns of technology access and use in order to determine whether differences in access and use resulted in a digital divide. Differences in access and use were then examined to determine their impact on reading and mathematics achievement levels. The research design relied on descriptive and multivariate statistics to analyze access and use and their relationship to academic achievement. Findings indicated that digital divides exist in the student-to-computer ratio and the number of teachers with classroom computers, and digital access was positively associated with eighth-grade mathematics and reading proficiency scores. However, student classroom computer ratios were negatively associated with achievement, controlling for other factors. Digital divides in students' use of technology for publishing text, organizing information, and communicating information were identified, with access to technology for these tasks/skills and positively associated with mathematics and reading scores, but connecting language to words had a negative impact. Teachers' use of technology for creating instructional materials had a positive impact on reading scores but a negative impact on mathematics achievement, when the researcher controlled for other factors. Findings suggest that differences exist in several areas of technology access and use when considering student characteristics of race, socioeconomic status, and gender. This study contributes to existing research on the effects of technology on instruction and informs state and local policy on instructional technology implementation and practice

Gardening and Watering 21st Century Soil: Culturally Responsive and Technology Enhanced Instructional Design in K12 Schools

Decades of research have documented the positive impact of culturally responsive teaching on academic outcomes for African American and LatinX students. However, as the field of education has become increasingly embedded with technology as a powerful tool of instruction, more attention is needed to understand how culturally responsive teachers use technology to close achievement gaps. Although national public policy over the last twenty-years has documented the negative impact of the digital divide on low SES, African American and LatinX students, large-scale efforts to close the divide have focused primarily on access to devices only. More recently, the second digital “use” divide has brought attention to examining teachers’ instructional practices after the physical technology infrastructure is in place. This qualitative case study explored how, why, and in what ways culturally responsive teachers used technology. Data from this study revealed that teachers’ pedagogical beliefs, their personal schooling experiences, training, disposition, mentorship, and expectations from school administrators influenced the ways in which they integrated technology with culturally responsive intentionality. This study provides insights for school leaders [post-COVID] tasked with the imperative to provide both access to technology and support for the uses of technology towards closing persistent achievement gaps. This information can also prove valuable for teachers seeking to improve technology-enhanced instructional practices toward providing equitable school experiences and long-term positive outcomes for an increasingly culturally diverse public-school population across the United States

An evidence-based case for quality online initial teacher education

The rapid expansion of fully online delivery of initial teacher education (ITE) seen in the past decade has generated some concerns about impact on teacher quality. This is set within broader, sustained concerns about ITE generally. Much of the criticism of online ITE has been made without sufficient evidence to support the claims, largely due to the still-nascent evidence base. The data presented here contributes to that evidence base by providing demographic and academic achievement insights for cohorts of graduate teachers (N = 2008) across the years 2012 to 2018 who have engaged in fully online ITE at an Australian university. The literature has recognised the traditional barriers to accessing higher education for many of these students, including women, the mature-aged, and those with family and work responsibilities. Performance data for online ITE students within their programs demonstrates that they are breaking through these barriers associated with the digital divide. Analysis of who these people are, where they come from, and how they are performing provides valuable insights into online ITE, at a time when the value of broadening access to education and digital equity are being widely acknowledged. Implications for practice or policy:•The educational community should consider the achievement of online ITE students and contributions they can make to education and schools.•The educational community should consider the contributions online ITE can make to broadening access to higher education and digital equity

Afterschool in Action: Innovative Afterschool Programs Supporting Middle School Youth

This report, released by Afterschool Alliance in partnership with MetLife Foundation, highlights the work of quality afterschool programs that support children, families and communities across the nation.This compendium is a compilation of four issue briefs examining critical issues facing middle school youth and the vital role afterschool programs play in addressing these issues. This series explores afterschool and: arts enrichment, parent engagement, school improvement and digital learning. The compendium also includes in-depth profiles of the 2012 Afterschool Innovator Award winners, as well as highlights from 2008-2011 award winners.The 2012 MetLife Foundation Afterschool Award winners are:The Wooden Floor, Santa Ana, CALatino Arts Strings & Mariachi Juvenil, Milwaukee, WIKid Power Inc., The VeggieTime Project, Washington, D.C.Parma Learning Center, Parma, IDGreen Energy Technologies in the City, Lansing, M

Scaling the Digital Divide: Home Computer Technology and Student Achievement

Assesses the effect of access to home computers and broadband Internet on students' math and reading test scores and its potential to close the achievement gap for the disadvantaged. Considers the role of parental monitoring

E-Learning in Postsecondary Education

Over the past decade postsecondary education has been moving increasingly from the class room to online. During the fall 2010 term 31 percent of U.S. college students took at least one online course. The primary reasons for the growth of e-learning in the nation\u27s colleges and universities include the desire of those institutions to generate new revenue streams, improve access, and offer students greater scheduling flexibility. Yet the growth of e-learning has been accompanied by a continuing debate about its effectiveness and by the recognition that a number of barriers impede its widespread adoption in higher education

Learning and digital inclusion: the ELAMP project

The Electronic Learning and Mobility Project (ELAMP) was a nationally funded project by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, which ran from 2004 to 2010. The main aim of ELAMP was to improve the education of Traveller children, particularly highly mobile learners. ELAMP focussed upon the use of mobile technology and distance learning to support, enhance and extend young Travellers’ educational and vocational opportunities. This article will reflect upon the learning and technological experiences and opportunities that the ELAMP project provided for Traveller children, young people and their families. In doing so it will critically consider the value of information technology in working with Traveller communities and advancing their educational opportunities. Reviewing ELAMP work will also demonstrate how the use of mobile technology can improve educational outcomes and Traveller families’ digital inclusion. Now that the project has ended, this article will question why we are not using what we learnt from ELAMP to move forward

Immigrant Youth and Digital Disparty in California

This study addresses three key research questions regarding immigrant youth and the digital divide:What are the patterns of home technology use among native-born and immigrant families and youth?What are the causes and consequences of the digital divide for immigrant families and youth?How does technology at CTCs in California benefit immigrant families and youth