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Project: Empowering marginalized Students of Color through Inclusive digital Literacy
Education
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Abstract
The 2030 agenda introduced by the United Nations (UN) focuses on sustainability. This agenda
envisions a future of sustainable practices. It emphasized the importance of education as
mentioned in the UN’s sustainable development goals, goal 4. They acknowledge education as a
means of attaining all other goals. However, the gap between those receiving quality and easily
accessible digital literacy and those who do not continues to be a problem that deters equitable
and lifelong quality education. This paper examined why marginalized students of color and
minority groups face discrimination and difficulties in accessing equitable virtual education and
overcoming digital divide. It highlighted key factors contributing to the achievement gap in
education between privileged and underprivileged students. The educational disparities are
persistent and troubling issues that hinder the fourth sustainable development goal. Apart from
highlighting the factors contributing to these disparities such as digital divide, this research text
collected sufficient information to formulate reliable solutions that support equitable, inclusive
and lifelong quality education for all. It drew sufficient information from case studies, peer-
reviewed articles and journals, structured questionnaires, interviews and surveys that supported
the research topic.
Keywords: Sustainable Development, Equitable Education, Disparity, Achievement Gaps,
Digital Inclusion, Quality Education, Inequalities, Enrolment, The 2030 Agenda
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Introduction
Today’s technological integration provides diverse innovative strategies of accessing
information using smart devices such as computers, smartphones and televisions. In this light,
digital technologies and the COVID-19 pandemic brought several changes in how schools
operate. They promoted digital literacy in various fields including health, education, finance and
businesses. For these reasons, accessing digital literacy skills determines people’s success and
involvement in the society and social institutions. However, minority groups and marginalized
students of color often encounter significant barriers to accessing sufficient digital skills. The
inequalities in receiving quality education and accessing technology and digital resources yielded
a digital divide disadvantaging marginalized students of color, undermining the United Nation’s
fourth goal involving equitable and quality education for everyone.
According to Liu (2021), digital divide as a social gap that emerge due to unequal access
to information and communications technology. This disparity is common in the United States
with millions of marginalized communities lacking access to digital services such as the
broadband internet (Early & Hernandez, 2021). It is an understudied and ignored issue affecting
most individuals, especially students of color when accessing digital literacy skills and virtual
education. Early & Hernandez (2021) confirms that nearly 15% of homes with school-age
children in the United States lack internet connections. The inequalities in receiving high quality
digital literacy depend on a student’s gender, socioeconomic background, skin color and study
environment. According to Van De Werfhorst et al. (2022), marginalized students and individuals
from less developed economies and low-income families have limited access to online education,
challenging digital equality efforts.
Problem statement
The digitally interlinked environment, where social institutions such as schools
transformed their education curriculum from physical to online classes, ensured digital inclusion
is a pressing and essential endeavor. Neglecting digital inclusion widens the gap between those
who access digital literacy skills and those who lack access. Those lacking access to digital
technology are at significant disadvantage. Majority of such individuals are black students from
marginalized communities, minority groups and low-income families. It is wort noting that
digital literacy is not limited to career and academic success. It also impacts social integration.
In this light, black students from marginalized families who lack access to digital literacy skills
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due to financial constraints and inadequate infrastructure find themselves socially isolated from
those with easy access. This exclusion excarnates the achievement gap undermines the ability of
marginalized students of color to thrive academically.
It is impossible to achieve the UN’s goal 4 if the education curriculum does not support
inclusivity and equitable learning. According to William (2020) inequalities in accessing digital
literacy education and developing digital literacy skills remains a problem for student of color
due to racial prejudice, marginalization, low income and connectivity to digital technologies.
This social issue emerges from systematic disparities in education, technology access and
education. Students of color get limited quality education and access to technology, denying
them appropriate skills for academic success and job market competitiveness. Meanwhile, Sin et
al. (2021) established that advanced digital solutions broke the time and physical barriers of
accessing digital services. However, the design of these systems creates access and utilization
barriers for others. When students of color have limited access to education, they may find
complicated digital designs difficult to use.
This problem stagnates the efforts to promote the United Nation’s fourth goal. Ignoring
the digital divide's negative impact on black students' life experiences jeopardizes the United
Nations' educational goals of inclusion, equity, and diversity. The disparities in using and
accessing digital technologies promote systematic inequalities and hinder inclusive quality
education (Van De Werfhorst et al., 2022; Vassilakopoulou & Hustad, 2023). A significant step
toward reducing or alleviating digital and systemic inequalities requires identification of the
individual needs of each student (Price-Dennis & Sealey-Ruiz, 2021; Tirado-Morueta et al.,
2018). A part from accessing online education programs, digital exclusion hinder students from
underserved communities from participating in online banking and scheduling medical
appointments. The concept of quality education relies on the premise that learning purposes are
fulfilled and educational aims met with quality depending on who has access to digital tools and
skills. Therefore, this report identified these problems and provided insights into achieving
inclusive and universal digital literacy.
Aim Statement
The study examined, developed and supported inclusive digital literacy education
approaches aligning with the unique backgrounds and needs of marginalized students of color,
empowering them to be active participants in the digital environment.
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Objectives
i. To identify the primary barriers restricting marginalized students of color from accessing
digital literacy education.
ii. To investigate the contextual and cultural factors influencing the digital literacy
experiences of marginalized students of color.
iii. To assess the impact of non-inclusive digital literacy programs on the digital literacy
skills of the marginalized students of color.
iv. To formulate inclusive digital literacy curriculum that will promote equitable and more
inclusive quality education.
Research Questions
i. What primary barriers do marginalized students face in accessing and utilizing digital
literacy education?
ii. To what extent does the contextual and cultural factors influence the digital literacy
experiences of marginalized students of color?
iii. To what extent does non-inclusive digital literacy programs affect the digital literacy
skills of the marginalized students of color?
v. How effective is the proposed curriculum in promoting equitable and more inclusive
quality education?
Rationale of the Study
Today’s technological world requires individuals and social institutions to address and
reconsider the question of technological interactions and determinism between the society and
new technologies. The question of whether technology controls people and their activities is
central to this study. Meanwhile, migrating into digital literacy education made digital literacy a
fundamental skill for students to engage in lifelong learning. It is important for academic
success. William (2020) adds that digital inclusion influences outcomes and opportunities that
come alongside digital technology. However, the benefits of this transformation are unevenly
distributed across the population, particularly among marginalized students of color. These
group of students have limited access to digital tools and financial resources, hampering their
ability to complete online assignments and access educational resources. This study is valuable
in revealing the negative impact of inequalities experienced by marginalized students of color
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when seeking digital literacy education. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the technological
inequalities in utilizing online education and other virtual services.
This report bridges the gap between students of color and privileged students when
receiving digital literacy skills, promoting equitable access to economic and educational
opportunities. Additionally, the study objectives and research questions align with societal efforts
to alleviate systematic inequalities and ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education. This
research contributes to the broader discourse on inclusive and equitable quality education by
highlighting the positive impact of inclusive and equitable digital literacy. Most importantly, the
study’s findings establish the potential of equitable and diverse digital literacy education in
empowering back students from remote or marginalized areas. It offers actionable
recommendations for educators, policymakers and community leaders to embrace inclusive
digital literacy education. Nonetheless, the investigation and its findings contribute to policy and
strategy formulation aimed at achieving quality education goal outlined in the UN’s SDG 4.
Outline
The project report comprises of five sections. The first part has the introduction that
provides a background of the report. It has the problem statement, study purpose, research
questions and why they study is important. Second section explores existing literature while
incorporating insights from social learning theory, culturally relevant pedagogy and digital divide
theory to frame the project by exploring the disparities accessing and using digital technologies.
The social learning theory demonstrates how people, particularly students acquire knowledge
and new skills through interactions with others. On the contrary, the culturally relevant pedagogy
incorporates cultural experiences and values into school curricula. The gap between students
accessing digital technologies and those who lack access utilizes the digital divide theory. The
third section is the methodology, highlighting data collection and analysis methods. Also, study
findings and discussion and conclusions constitute the fourth and fifth sections respectively.
Literature Review
Background/Overview
In today’s era, digital literacy is a fundamental aspect in schools, hospitals, industries,
companies and other social platforms. The world is connected through digital technologies,
requiring people to have digital literacy skills. As such, schools offer digital literacy teachings
through their curricular. However, disparities in accessing quality education kills efforts to ensure
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inclusive digital literacy among students of color. This part analyzes the factors hindering
marginalized students of color from accessing, affording and utilizing digital technologies. It
draws evidence from past literatures to examine extent to which non-inclusive digital literacy
programs affect the digital literacy skills of the marginalized students of color. The review
identifies barriers to quality education and digital disparities among black students from
marginalized black communities. Three theoretical model, social learning, cultural relevant
pedagogy and digital divide theories, to determine why and how disparities in digital literacy
affects the academic achievement, educational outcomes and well-being of marginalized students
of color. Overall, through assessment of these studies, the review identifies research gaps for
which the project fills.
The Concept of Digital Literacy
Digital literacy, a common challenge of integrating technology in education, includes
skills and competencies required for navigating a complex and fragmented ecosystem (Tinmaz,
2022). It is the ability to access, understand, manage, incorporate and share information safely
through digital technologies for educational purposes, business and healthcare (William, 2020).
As mentioned by Njenga (2018), digital literacy tools are major drivers of economic
competitiveness and globalization. These abilities became crucial during and after the COVID-
19 pandemic when social distancing requirements forced schools to hold online or distant
learning (William, 2020). Nearly 900 million learners from universities and middle school had to
attend online classes (Goudeau et al., 2021; Gonzalez Almanza, 2023). This shift affected
students from marginalized black communities because they had limited digital literacy skills
and experienced access barriers and financial challenges (Gonzalez Almanza, 2023).
Barriers to Quality Education
Digital disparities remain a primary concern in today’s societies. Marginalized groups
including low-income individuals, students of color, people with disabilities and immigrants are
vulnerable to discrimination and cannot access sufficient digital literacy services. The transition
of teaching from physical to online learning exacerbated the digital divide. For instance, students
with multiple computers or smartphones and internet connectivity have better educational
achievements than those homes sharing one device. As schools and school staff utilize more
technology in teaching, this divide shoots and continue to perpetuate socioeconomic inequalities
for marginalized students of color. Marginalized communities reside in remote areas with limited
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internet access that affect their learning activities such as attending online classes. Disparities in
digital literacy skills happen due to digital divide, inadequate teacher training, limited
representation, bias and stereotyping, linguistic and cultural barriers, digital device disparities
and limited cultural competencies.
Educational Disparities in Digital Literacy
The digital period has revolutionized how students communicate and learn. The COVID-
19 pandemic promoted online classes and working from home. Most schools in the United States
shifted from physical classes to virtual or distant learning. This transformation rendered students
of color on the wrong side, especially those from low-income families. William (2020) noted that
African American students from marginalized communities lack access to equitable and high-
quality digital literacy education. For instance, American students from Latino, Indigenous and
Black communities experience insufficient digital literacy and limited access to digital
technologies such as computers and internet connection (William, 2020). These communities
have low-income families struggling to catch up with technological innovations in education.
Therefore, marginalized students from such backgrounds have an academic disadvantage.
According to Brenner (2020), 43% of black families and 50% of students from low-income
families could not engage in digital learning.
The United Nation’s 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Human behavior is among the primary causes of most sustainability challenges. As such,
resolving these challenges requires changes in public behaviors, perceptions, attitudes and
values. The solutions require fundamental changes in how people think, communicate and
interact with other abiotic and biotic systems. In this context, education serves as a crucial tool in
reshaping values and worldviews and empower students to embrace sustainable practices. United
Nation’s 2030 agenda promotes sustainability through SDGs such as universal quality education.
It requires both genders to complete equitable, free and quality education. This goal emphasizes
the benefits of lifelong and inclusive learning, recognizing the requirements of a dynamic world.
it is a means of achieving other sustainable development goals. The 2030 agenda strives to
increase the number of adults and youths with relevant vocational and technical skills. These
skills determine the effective utilization of information and communications technology in
education. According to William (2020), quality education goal aims to bridge the disparities in
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accessing education. It expects students or scholars to have equal access to technical and
vocational training by 2030.
Theories and Models
The social learning theory, developed by Albert Bandura, suggests that people learn
social behaviors by observing and imitating others. It explains how students acquire and utilize
digital literacy skills through virtual and social interactions. Bandura emphasized that learning is
a cognitive process happening in a social context through direct instruction or observation
(William, 2020). Consequently, cultural relevant pedagogy emphasizes the importance of
aligning educational content and accessibility to diverse cultural needs. Employing this theory
creates culturally sensitive digital literacy programs that accommodate the unique needs of
marginalized students. Other important models are digital divide theories that examine disparities
in reaching and using digital technologies. The most relevant is the resources and appropriation
theory, which contends that there is a social and economic gap between access to technology and
a particular population. It was proposed by Van Dijk (William, 2020).
Social Learning Theory
Bandura claimed that individuals can learn through observation, a process he called
observational learning (William, 2020). The process involves people watching others and
replicating the observed behaviors. However, observing alone does not guarantee effective
learning. Attention and retention can contribute to effective learning. Any distractions such as
socioeconomic challenges and accessibility issues can hinder effective learning and achievement
outcomes. This framework emphasizes the role of self-efficacy in learning, mentioning that
students are more likely to engage in participate in learning activities if they believe they can get
and utilize digital literacy skills (William, 2020). It elaborates that peer engagement and
teamwork can enhance learning (William, 2020). These interactions can happen during physical
classrooms and virtual meetings through digital devices and social media platforms. Social
learning theory is a bridge or a link between cognitive and behavioral theories (William, 2020).
The Cultural Relevant Pedagogy
This theory, developed by Gloria Ladson-Billings, is an ideological lens for developing a
classroom curriculum (William, 2020). It focuses on how schools acknowledge cultural
differences among students from diverse backgrounds. The model is based on three propositions,
sociopolitical consciousness, cultural competency and academic success (William, 2020). Gloria
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Ladson-Billings wanted to capture the pedagogical achievement of those teaching students of
colors and challenge the deficit perspectives (William, 2020). It is a framework that not only
addresses student achievement but also recognizes and acknowledges diverse student cultures.
She developed critical views to challenge the inequalities that social institutions perpetuate
(Mensah, 2021). According to the theory’s facets, cultural relevant instruction is the surest way
to empower students emotionally, intellectually, politically and socially using cultural referents
(Mensah, 2021). This teaching strategy incorporates
Resources and Appropriation Theory
This model was proposed by Van Dijk to explain the outcome of social exclusion and
impact on the gap between those having digital literacy skills and accessing digital technologies
against those lacking access and such skills. It reveals how students or individuals use, access
and benefit from digital technologies and infrastructures. Although technology is a great
equalizer, some underserved and less privileged communities lack sufficient digital literacy skills
to navigate through digital literacy curriculum. Van Dijk argues that categorical biases or
disparities result in unequal resource distribution. Consequently, unequal resource allocation
particularly digital infrastructure leads to dualities in accessing internet connections and ICT
services. According to William (2020), motivation of engaging in virtual or distant learning using
computers and internet connection has grown significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic. This
theory emphasizes that digital inequalities are not about access but affordability and meaningful
use of digital infrastructure.
Recommended Approaches
The study seeks to improve digital literacy among marginalized students of color through
several approaches. For instance, this proposal recommends implementation of culturally tailored
digital literacy program, mentorship programs for marginalized students of color, funding for
underserved students of color, professional development opportunities for teachers and
community engagement forums. Past and existing literature give theoretical insights into the
immediate impact of digital literacy education neglecting its long-term impact on marginalized
students of color. Additionally, there is limited research o the reliability and effectiveness of
culturally tailored digital literacy programs. Most studies lack sufficient research and
consideration of the unique needs of students of color from marginalized communities. Also,
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existing literacy focuses on the efficiency of digital technologies in education yet overlooking the
negative impact of the digital divide on students of color.
Research Gaps
Methodology
The research will borrow methodology alternatives from Bloomfield & Fisher (2019) to
collect data and analyze findings. It seeks to understand the individual challenges that hinder
students of color from developing sufficient digital literacy skills. Apart from understanding the
barriers, the proposal will identify strategies to empower marginalized students of color and
promote quality education as one of the United Nation’s sustainable goals.
Research Philosophy and Approach
The proposal will employ a constructivist research philosophy which mentions that
knowledge construction is through interactions and experiences. This philosophy aligns with the
idea of co-constructing diverse and inclusive knowledge. At the same time, the paper will opt for
qualitative and quantitative research methods.
Research Design
The study will target diverse students of color from different backgrounds and families to
ensure representation. It will collect data through surveys, observations, focus groups, and peer-
reviewed articles and journals. The journals and articles will be retrieved from Science Direct,
PubMed and Google Scholar.
Research Strategy
The search for relevant published articles and journals will use the following criteria.
Irrelevant Papers Relevant Papers
Papers written in languages other than
English
Papers published before 2018
Articles that do not focus on digital
technologies and literacy
Duplicated work
Non-peer reviewed papers
Papers published in English
Papers published from 2018 onwards
Articles that focus on digital technologies
and literacy
Original research papers
Peer-reviewed papers
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Additionally, the study will administer surveys to gather information from students of color and
minority groups from different families. In this case, the survey questions will include
quantitative data such as Linkert Scale responses. This research paper will adopt content analysis
method.
Data Collection Methods
Data gathering will rely on interviews, structured questionnaires, interviews, textbooks,
peer reviewed journals and articles, content analysis and case studies. The search for textbooks
and published studies on digital databases will use keywords such as sustainable development,
equitable education, disparity, achievement gaps, digital inclusion, quality education,
inequalities, enrolment, the 2030 agenda, students of color, computer literacy program, online
education, distance learning skills, disparities and dependency on technology.
Data Analysis Methods
The data collected from interviews, surveys, questionnaires and past literature will be
analyzed through qualitative content and correlation analysis. Content analysis will involve
analyzing qualitative data from interviews and surveys. This assessment entails identifying
recurring themes and quantifying the impact of non-inclusive digital literacy programs on
students’ academic engagement, digital literacy skills and academic performance. It will reveal
the differences in the experiences of white students and students of color from different
socioeconomic backgrounds.
Research Ethics
The study will observe ethical rules such as integrity and credibility. It will acknowledge
information borrowed from past literature and intellectual property rights by acknowledging
others’ works (Dar & Shairgojri, 2022). Additionally, the proposal will protect participant
privacy, obtain participants’ informed consent and seek necessary approvals or permissions. It
will disclose any conflicts of interest and protect confidential information.
Conclusion
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