EDUC 730 Digital Equity and Education Research Paper assign.pdf

Digital Equity and Education

Technology is the piece that keeps everyone connected and because of its rapid

advancements and its impact on society, it is imperative that everyone has access to it.

The problem is everyone does not have access to it, for reasons like illiteracy or

residing in low-income areas, which causes discrepancies and delays in various

environments, including the school environment or workplace. These same

discrepancies, that seem minimal to some, could potentially impact the future of both

students and their teachers.

Digital and Resource Divide

The revolt in technology has given the bulk of the people access to data, but it

systems typically lie in the inner-city areas, where resources are less attainable due to

the shortage of funding or regular household revenue being considerably lower than

that of the norm (Surian & Sciandra, 2019.)

The digital divide happens not only due to the lack of access to information, but it

is the larger variation in communities which has broadened the gap. Having access to

the internet was an issue in the early on, but progression with the internet has made

technology not as expensive and reasonably priced especially after the influx of

hotspots. (Aguilar, 2020.) With the lack of internet comes the lack of understanding in using the

technology to access that internet. Despite basic education being presented on this matter, a lot

of people are unable to fully grasp the concept of using both the technology and accessing the

access to an abundance of information and what we earn in life is what we learn in life

and if you do not have access to resources or technology, you are going to be left

behind in the digital dark ages.

Extending levels of education seem to amplify the digital divide; homes with

greater levels of education are gradually more likely to use computers and the internet

(Scheerder, 2019.) It has been noticed that those with college degrees or higher are

expected to have internet access at home as compared to those who obtain only a high

school education.

Addressing the Divide

The closure of the digital divide will not happen unless there is some type of plan

to close the gap. The covid-19 pandemic is a prime example of how serious the digital

divide is in the United States today and that it is still a serious matter that needs to be

dealt with. While a majority of elementary, middle, and high schools converted to virtual

in the divide, but also the existence of pervasive illiteracy among populations that

continue to be overlooked. Technical literacy cannot be supported if essential literacy

skills are lacking. Computers and other tools are simply not enough alone. Communities

and schools must train and maintain further, and more trained staff, along with new

technologies to encourage the best usage of resources. In addition to identifying the

new technologies, the team must be able to educate each other.

Altogether, much of society needs to alter its mindset regarding technology.

Rather than identifying computers and the internet as an unnecessary luxury, society

should view them as vital needs. The public should come to understand the power of

new technologies and support them as means for their future and the future of the

children instead of distractions because of what they know children like to occupy

themselves with.

Although bridging the gap to the digital divide will take some time, getting a start

on the process now will be beneficial to slowing down the delay that has already been

caused. Since schools have been able to provide not only the technology, but the

internet for students who were in need, it would be beneficial to provide these same

of the schooling knowing that the students have the proper resources to complete

assignments and continue to maintain their schedule for graduating on time.

An alternate approach could be to help students and teachers receive the proper

technology (i.e., computers or tablets) at the beginning of the school year. They would

then need to return it at the completion of the academic year. This would provide

students with the proper accommodations to succeed. By convincing students and their

parents how beneficial utilizing the technology would be and how it would benefit them,

this could introduce new business opportunities or hobbies in their lives that were not

As the usage of computers and the internet increases, so does the requirement

for accessing it. Community supporters and policy creators must acknowledge the

services and networks to rural and underserved neighborhoods so that all parties can

Community centers play a critical role for those families without access to

computers and the internet at school or work. Those earning lower incomes, minorities,

and those with lower educations are affected the most by the digital divide (Maksimova &

Kazan Federal University, 2018.) Community centers not only assist students with

accessing educational information and content for those purposes, but the same

resources allow for students and other individuals to access employment listings to

obtain better job opportunities.

Social Justice

Despite the slow or lack thereof progress to bridging the gap in the digital divide,

the issue remains critical. There are students who are unable to receive the same

collaborative efforts as they were in the classroom due to the lack of technological

resources or something as simple as the internet. Even with the ability to connect using

a smartphone or other smart mobile device, there is still the obstacle of dealing with

connections with no resources. Devices assist in connecting students with their peers

and with their instructors, but if students do not have those opportunities, then they will

miss out and those moments could potentially set them back academically.

Financial inequalities and anytime there is a need for access beyond school

hours or lack of such access - adds to the disparities in the type of learning students

can experience when they get individual devices and can freely access resources and

tools whenever they need them (Lebeničnik & Starčič, 2020.) Equity fears are not just

revolving around the access to technology devices and the internet, but access to

important information as well. This same digital equity gives families the opportunities

and advantages of bonding and learning together at home. It is not just about the

student receiving the resources and tools, but to also provide opportunities for

Biblical Worldview

Now more than ever is the time for everyone to help each other succeed. Train

up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it (King

Technology is not just the passageway for educational purposes, it is the pathway to life

as we know it. To be closer to God and to be closer to oneself involves obtaining

information that can only be found on the internet and utilizing resources to help along

the journey.

Technology has become an imperative aspect to teachers and their ability to

instruct and how students are able to learn inside and outside of the classroom. As

educational budgets increase, classrooms are becoming more advanced, which

requires that same access to technology in the home environment for students and

teachers to be successful. Without bridging the digital gap within the school systems,

students will not be able to live up to their full potential and this could impact their ability

to obtain a career. For the cycle to stop spinning, it is critical that all communities

receive the same resources and technical opportunities, or this pattern will continue for

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