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Is the Digital Divide in Education a Crack or a Chasm?

  • JM
  • Apr 23, 2024
  • 6 min read

The Digital Divide in education is as real as it is invisible. It's a gap that's very much out there… and growing bigger by the day. But, it's easy to have an "out of sight, out of mind" mentality, because when we have access to technology, we rarely fathom (until it's too late) what would happen without it.




Crack in the Foundation

It would take extraordinary circumstances to bring this to light, but that's what the pandemic helped spotlight. It caused both the world to come to a grinding halt and the education of our youth.


The district schools in our parish didn't implement distance learning. Not only were they unprepared for teaching remotely, but they also didn't want to further disadvantage students who didn't have internet access. Without saying it, they said, "If we can't accommodate everyone, then we won't accommodate anyone."  And in the end, all it did was force everyone to fall behind.


Our charter school was fortunate because it was established less than a decade before, and much of the infrastructure was in place for a near seamless transition to remote learning. Yes, we were only one school (not a district). And yes, we were in a city that most of the population had some form of access to the internet or technology. From its inception, our school laid the groundwork for integrating technology. We were able to transition into remote learning almost as if we had been doing it already. In time, there was a noticeable difference between our pandemic students and those that came to us from the surrounding districts. Even though not everyone was as fortunate, seeing the benefit of this accessibility shows why we should work towards digital equity for everyone.


Closing the Chasm


The best way to close the gap is to utilize technology, but in a way that can adapt to nearly any situation. But how can we leverage technology to meet the needs of those that have limited or no way to get that technology? It's a paradox in a digital box.




Ironically, one of the best ways to help promote digital equity in education is to focus on the ways non-digital or offline support can bridge that gap for those in need. To do that, let's look at these five core components as it would relate to remote learning:




Connections

When roughly 25% of the population lacks reliable broadband internet access, that can be a big issue. As cloud services are on the rise, high-speed internet access is not always a luxury but a necessity. Living in a rural area, I know the pains that come with limited internet access, including the chore of relying on an intermittent hotspot that may or may not want to connect a device on any given day. For those in a situation like this, or worse, there should be alternatives for families.


  • Schools should consider purchasing mobile hotspots to loan to families.

  • In lieu of adding costs to a likely non-existent budget, they could partner with community-based resources for internet access (e.g. the local library, coffee shops, etc.).

  • For those with limited internet, taking into consideration files size, video lengths, and download times are crucial in removing the barriers for those students.


Computers

The 21st century classroom is changing by the day. By default, the computer will most likely be the most effective tool for education remotely. Yes, mobile devices are fantastic for on-the-go learning and quick snippets of tech-based tasks, but it's not a one size fits all device. Then again, any device is better than no device.


From the school's standpoint, we've got to take consideration how our learning can be accessed on a variety of different devices (compatibility) and screen sizes (details/layout). It's much like designing a website. You'll design for two main platforms - a mobile device and a desktop device. But the overall structure must always function on both.


But even if a family doesn't even have a device, what can we do to help?


  • Again, consider purchasing spare devices to loan out for those families, even if it's the older technology that will soon-to-be phased out.

  • If not to loan out, offer times for families to come in an use school devices.

  • And again… likely no budget, so what next? Return to those the community resources. The library is a fantastic place because they have internet access and devices.

  • Partner with businesses or non-profits to donate working devices.

  • If it's higher education, offer ways that devices can be included in tuition.


Curriculum

This isn't just uploading the lessons to the cloud. It's customizing learning for the way it's being delivered. This was one of the ways many of missed the mark during the pandemic. Grant it, this forced us to switch gears and adopt remote learning overnight, so we didn't have time to think (or change) the way our learning was being delivered.


Many resorted to teaching (and recording) live lessons during synchronous digital learning. With it, we saw that student engagement certainly suffered. We tried nearly the same things from the classroom, but on video chat, it doesn't yield the same results. Live lessons can have their place, but by far, that belongs in the next category.


Even with quality curriculum, there can be limits due to internet access.


  • Merge online and offline learning. It lessens screen time and eye strain, it keeps the brain working on a novel task, and alleviates the need for 24/7 access to the internet.

  • This can be done through old-fashioned printables or even hands-on tasks that take them away from the device.

What about if it's the worst-case scenario? Say some families have no tech or internet access, and they don't even have consistent transportation to get to community resources.


  • You could print packets and deliver them or supply them at drop-off points (if you have multiple families in an area).

  • Preload curriculum/media on USB drives or portable storage devices to send home.

This also makes it necessary to think how your digital instruction can transfer back to hard copies. While it's not ideal, it's no different than if your tech or internet goes out in the classroom. When they are doing roadwork and cut the lines, it might be down for days. We've got to be flexible and ready for those situations because… They. Will. Come.


Collaboration

Without meaningful interaction, you'll lose student's interest if they're not already driven and self-motivated. This is where the "live" component comes to play in its fullest.


  • Consider having online office hours or hold Q&A.

  • Hold a live session, but break them into groups to discuss, brainstorm, etc.

  • For younger learners, this may take the form of live mini lessons.


These ideas can still be recorded and shared as supplemental materials with the lesson. And even beyond the lesson, there should be opportunities for teacher and student interaction. If that's within the confines of the live segments, that's awesome. If not, there should be ways to cultivate those interactions, whether in text (forums, posts, etc.) or video (recorded or live) formats.


What about those with limited or no access?


  • LMS, forums or message boards can really shine in this case. These are simple and low-bandwidth options.


But again, what if there's no connectivity? Leverage community resources yet again.


  • Working/Tutoring sessions at a centralized community place, at a consistent day and time.

  • Support sessions, for tech support or to deliver devices (if available).


Continuous Cycle

This is the "Achilles Heel" of technology. With traditional offline learning, major revisions were not frequent. But with technology, there is a never-ending cycle of updates and compatibility issues. After daily wear and tear, devices need updates or replacements.


This is further compounded by the problems of limited or non-existent internet access. How can we best service families with those situations when apps need updates at various, unplanned times? Or what if they have current technology (or connections) now, but will they have that in the coming months, or years? What if their only device breaks? What if they can no longer afford their internet? If you planned for the prior points, then you've already worked on addressing this.


Closing Thoughts

Bridging the digital divide should be a priority for any sector of work because our world is interconnected and technology driven. But that doesn't mean we disregard what has worked prior to the digital age. We adapt to it, and understand that technology is a tool to utilize, but we can't become so dependent on it that we can't function without it.


In education that means we do what we know has always worked but implement it for the purpose of what we need. We must also do it within the confines of proper ethics, understanding the benefits and limitations of our learning so that we are legally sharing and distributing what we are allowed to do. Taking this into account, we can backwards design what we need so that it's tailored to deliver effectively while accommodating for as many as possible.


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