Audio Summation
The following link will direct you to my audio summation on the week 4 topic Participation and the Digital Divide, created using Audacity. The script is provided in the video to help you follow along and also features below.
References are located at the bottom of this post.
Follow along with the script below:
At a glance, everyone seems to be constantly using technology. But the reality is that not everyone has equal access to the digital tools that many of us take for granted. With 86% of Australian households connected to the internet, access has increased (Howell, 2012), but there is a significant gap in skills between those who can and cannot afford these technologies (Sevron, 2008). This is known as the digital divide.
What is the Digital Divide?
In Australia and throughout the world, there is a lack of equal access to digital technology. Socio-economic factors are the main cause of the divide. Typically, lower income households struggle to afford digital devices and internet connection (Howell, 2012). As a result, they fall behind in the rapidly evolving digital world. Owners of the latest gadgets and those who are exposed to technology, are continually developing their I.T. (Information Technology) skills. So, the gap widens; those who can afford digital technologies become more competent than those who have limited access and I.T. experience.
Who is Missing Out?
According to the Australian Digital Inclusion Index of 2016 (Thomas, Barraket, Ewing, MacDonald, Mundell & Tucker), digital access is unevenly distributed across the country. People who are of lower socio-economic class, indigenous background, over the age of 65, living with a disability or residing in a rural or remote location tend to be less digitally included.
Skills and the Divide:
Over recent years, many devices have lowered in price (Wang, Myers & Sundaram, 2013). This has reduced the financial influence on the digital divide. Affordability has provided greater access to technology, but has failed to bridge the gap. This suggests that access alone does not create “digital fluency” (Howell, 2012), and so there is still disparity between the skill levels of individuals (van Dijk 2006, p. 225; Goode, 2010 p 499, as cited in Wang, Myers & Sundaram, 2013).
The Impact of the Digital Divide in the Classroom
Parents expect schools to provide technology and I.T. education that is unavailable to their children at home (Howell, 2012). However, teaching I.T. can be a difficult task for educators because of the different levels of skills and experience among their students. Children who come from one of the backgrounds listed as being disadvantaged may be “digitally illiterate” due to their lack of exposure to even the most basic programs. This can significantly affect learning, as children with insufficient computer skills generally have poorer academic outcomes at school (Zhao et al, 2010, as cited in Wang et al., 2013).
For more information, watch Brigitte Daniels’ TEDx Talk about the divide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3X4l3S-O70
References
Howell, J. (2012). Teaching With ICT: Digital Pedagogies for collaboration and creativity. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Reddit (2015) Children See iPad for First Time [image]. Retrieved from https://www.reddit.com/r/MadeMeSmile/comments/3fsu51/african_children_see_an_ipad_for_the_first_time/
Sevron, L.J. (2008). Bridging the Digital Divide: Technology, Community, and Public Policy. Retrieved from DOI: 10.1002/9780470773529
Thomas, J., Barraket, J., Ewing, S., MacDonald, T., Mundell, M. & Tucker, J. (2016). Measuring Australia’s Digital Divide: The Australian Digital Inclusion Index 2016. Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, for Telstra. Retrieved from DOI: http://www.dx.doi.org/10.4225/50/57A7D17127384
Wang, Qian (Emily), Myers, Michael D., Sundaram, David (2013). Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants: Towards a Model of Digital Fluency. Business & Information Systems Engineering; Berkeley 5.6 (Dec 2013): 409-419. Retrieved from DOI 10.1007/s12599-013-0296-y http://search.proquest.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/docview/1459530900?rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo
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