How could I be so Unaware to the Changes in the Digital Divide?
So, the digital divide has changed from simply just
the lack of computers in the home for some as compared to others - to now include
the lack of high speed internet access in the home for some as compared to
others as well. The digital divide also now further addresses the fact that some folks only
have a mobile device for connectivity making it difficult to complete certain
tasks. I know this isn’t a news flash
for everyone, but I’m sorry to say for me - most of it is…
In my current work, I often have conversations with
my international students regarding their access to technology and how “connected”
their households are in their home countries. It can tend to vary by country
(and by student) – and I’m not usually too terribly surprised by the answers
I get. I’m a little ashamed to admit though, that
particularly after this week’s readings and research, that I haven’t had more
of these discussions with my American students as well…which got me thinking about my students in general (especially those who I know have come from financially strapped backgrounds). As most of these students are from Indiana, I became more curious about this population.
So, I did a little digging…
According to the US Census Bureau’s American Community Surveys Report issued in November of 2014, Indiana places lower
than the national average in both categories of having a computer in the home
as well as access to high speed internet in the home. Only 13 and 12 states
respectively are behind Indiana.
I also found some good discussion on The Indiana Youth Institute website relating
to the digital divide in Indiana and, in particular how it relates to Indiana
youth. According to this site, the percentage of kids in Indiana who have a
home computer but with no internet access is 12.2 percent. To this point, and
even more to my detriment, I’m not sure I really thought too much about someone
having a home computer without being connected. What’s the point if you don’t
have the connection, right? Who knew students were hanging out on or near
school buses so they could be connected and properly complete homework
assignments? Certainly not me. (This too
I first discovered on the Indiana Youth website.) Though a little more aware, I
didn’t think as much as I probably should have regarding the difficulty of only
having a mobile device for connectivity. This certainly shows the world in
which I’ve been living…
A big takeaway for me personally, I will begin to
reevaluate the technology and connected access that my incoming freshman college
students have had outside the university. Though once enrolled in college
courses, they will have both computers to use and the connectivity they need on
campus – but will the lack of such connectivity in some of my students’ past –
play a role in how well they adjust to all of the routine technology usage they
will need to master in order to be successful?
I’m not sure, but at least I’ll certainly start to ask…
For more general statistics on the digital divide,
take a look at my Voice Thread: https://iu.voicethread.com/share/7984973/
Marilyn - thanks for your insight on the topic of the Digital Divide. Like you, I was blissfully unaware of the issue and its impact on not only my students but on the country at large. Thanks for sharing the link to the American Community Surveys Report. After what I read this week, I wasn't surprised to see the Kentucky is in even worse shape than Indiana for both computer ownership and in-home high-speed internet availability.
ReplyDeleteIn response to your comment about college students, while it seems intuitive that the issue will go away once they have access on the campus, I ran into problems with my own students who had long commutes each way and no internet access at home. So despite the fact we have computer labs on campus, this population of students remains challenged in the face of the Digital Divide. I found an interesting article on the internet that referenced the fact that 1 in 5 college students don't have access to a mobile device and that this population is made up primarily of lower-income, first generation college students:
http://www.universitybusiness.com/article/bridging-digital-divide
So despite the fact that our reading this week focused on K-12 students, this remains a problem when they go to college as well. Some of my students can barely afford to buy their expensive textbooks, not to mention a laptop or tablet.
You mention that this is a conversation that you have with your international students and that you're not surprised by the results. I'm curious, how does your students' access compare to that of those in the US? Are there any countries that are significantly different (better or worse) than us?
Debi, Thanks - you bring up a good point. I have been aware of students with transportation issues and, as a result, have had to leave campus at a certain time - causing problems with assignments due to lack of connectivity at home. It does seem to be a vicious cycle sometimes.
DeleteRegarding your question pertaining to my international students, most students are connected in some way - but what I find most interesting is what they are connected to (or allowed to be connected to) - for instance, students in China do not have easy access to Facebook. Also, many of my students, though connected in their home countries, tell me they are not used to turning in assignments or doing group projects using formats such as Canvas. It can be a big learning curve for them. As I said, I hope to begin a better dialogue with all of my students now - and put a bigger emphasis on using and learning technology in my syllabus.
I am not surprised that Indiana is low on technology. I was thinking that one of the major issues has to do with how many people live in a rural setting and the lack of internet out in the country. I know that is another group that has been hit hard with the digital divide.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah, I appreciate your feedback. If you have not done so already, be sure to check out the link that Dr. K sent. It provides a full picture of what schools in Indiana are doing:
Deletehttp://www.doe.in.gov/elearning/tech-plan-maps-2016
Marilyn,
ReplyDeleteI think you hit a question that MANY of us recognized. Our blinders get put on...in K12 and higher education also. For instance, we had a student recently disclose to us that she and her 4 children were living at a church that graciously said she could stay there for 2 years while completing her degree. She didn't have reliable Internet at the church, so she would have to take a bus to get to the library. She succeeded. But I certainly realized after learning this that I possibly made things difficult for her at times.
We assume that Internet simply 'is' . . . and what we as teachers must realize, is that in many cases, it is 'elsewhere'.
This YouTube video has some dated statistics...but I thought it hit home on higher education and some of the issues educators should be aware of.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0YPyOuXDYs
Marilyn,
ReplyDeleteThanks for a strong reflective post and for sharing additional resources--nice work. It is very easy to live in a bubble. I'm not sure how many of you live in a metropolitan area but I know living on the north side of Indianapolis and being connected my entire professional life creates this sense of inevitable access to the Internet that shapes my view of the world.
My wife and I recently dealt with a period of unreliable internet access in our house (for about 2 weeks). Wow! It felt like were were asked to do our laundry in the creek and carry our own drinking water.
Today, we drove from northern Indiana (Michigan City) to central Indiana (Zionsville) on the way back from some time on Lake Michigan. We drove through some pretty rural and apparently economically depressed areas on Route 421. I am wondering how much Internet access is different in some of the communities through which we were driving compared to our own.
Dr. K.