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Addressing the Digital Divide

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SL

Susan Lawton

Transcript

Suggestions from the NC Board of Education

Addressing the Digital Divide

Recommendations

Top Initiatives to Implement:

# 5 Subsidized Internet for low SES households:

  • This initiative would provide access for the homes most traditionally lacking internet access.
  • It is much more cost effective than providing internet to all state residents who may not need the help.
  • Helps to increase autonomy in internet use by putting it in the home.

#6 Information Literacy Courses:

  • Addresses Digital Inequality rather than just the lack of access. Many individuals with access to the internet are not utilizing it to its full potential
  • Could be combined with the above initiate as a prerequisite for subsidized internet.

Weak Initiatives to Eliminate:

#3: Computers for "Disadvantaged" - while there is a need to increase access to hardware there is little evidence that simply providing computers is a cost effecive solution. Also, the initiative is very vague in terms of who would receive computers.

#4: Provide internet for all residents - Given that approximately 71% of homes already have internet access, the costs of such an initiative for outweigh the potential need. A targeted approach would be more effective

4. Provide high speed internet and mobile access for all state residents

3. Provide individuals in disadvantaged communities with computers.

Pros:

  • All citizens will have access high-speed internet and mobile access
  • Citizens might not need to go to a public library or school to gain access to the internet.

Cons:

  • What if citizens do not have a computer or a mobile device?
  • What about citizens who already have high-speed internet?
  • How will the state provide this high-speed internet and mobile access?
  • Will it be available in personal homes? if so, there will need to be installation of adapters and wiring of homes

Things to think about:

  • What classifies individuals as “disadvantaged”?
  • How will computers be accounted for and distributed?
  • Where will these individuals be able to access these computers?
  • What about individuals who are unable to leave their home?
  • Will each person have their own computer? If not, how many people per computer?

Suggestions:

1. Identify which communities (counties/cites) have a high percentage of disadvantaged citizens who do not have access to a computer or internet.

2. Provide computers to public libraries and state supported care facilities in those communities.

3. Goal is to have one computer per every 25 identified disadvantaged citizens per community.

5. Subsidize Internet Service Providers to provide low-cost Internet to all state residents.

Pros:

  • Provides high speed internet services to the population most likely to lack access and opens up opportunities
  • More targeted to the highest needs populations
  • Similar government programs have been successful for phone service

Cons:

  • Does not address any hardware issues & lack of infrastructure
  • Costs may be passed on to tax payers or other customers of the internet service provider
  • There will need to be installation of adapters and wiring of homes

6. Provide information literacy courses to enhance computer skills and enable knowledgeable use of digital technologies.

Pros:

  • Address skill inequalities and broadens the range of purpose for internet usage
  • More substantial impact than simply providing internet or computers

Cons:

  • Depends on time commitment and willingness of participants
  • Assumes that participants already have access to internet at home or in a library, etc.

7. Develop free online educational content, giving first priority to content most relevant to lower socio-economic groups before content that is relevant to the rest of the public.

1. Install computers in all public libraries in the state and expand the hours when the computers are available.

Pros:

  • Increases access to more productive uses of internet technology in schools, homes and the workplace
  • Targeted initiative for those most in need
  • Adds to the overall available educational content on the internet

Cons:

  • Availability of content does not guarantee effective usage by targeted populations
  • How to determine what content is most needed and useful?

Pros:

  • Every library system in NC already has computers available for public use
  • Computers for public use are already available during library operating hours

Cons:

  • Libraries would have to expand their current operating hours to allow computer access.
  • If operating hours are extended into late nights, safety for library staff and patrons could become a concern
  • Could be very costly to increase library and staff hours
  • Cost of increased utilities (electricity, heating/AC, plumbing, etc.)

2. Expand staffing and other resources so that public schools can be open to the public after normal school hours, on weekends, and during the summer months.

Possible Alternatives:

Pros:

  • Schools already have computers and internet access available
  • Could eliminate the need to increase computers at public libraries

Cons:

  • If operating hours are extended into late nights, safety for school staff and patrons could become a concern
  • Security of school could be compromised- many activities for students are held after school and during the summer.
  • Could be very costly to increase hours:
  • Cost of increased utilities (electricity, heating/AC, plumbing, etc.) & Cost of increased staff hours

Utilize Smartphone Technology and Tablets to increase hardware availability in a more cost effective way

Offer incentives to employers who provide or subsidize technology and internet courses for employees.

Eliminate cable/internet monopolies (Time Warner Cable) that charge very high fees and make it hard for citizens to afford high-speed internet.

Allow schools to be open only on weekends to address student safety, but also increase community access to computers

The Digital Divide:

Defined as: “The gap between individuals that have and do not have access to modern information technology, such as the cell phone, television, or the Internet” (Sayparn, 2011)

Trends in the Divide

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, in 2009, 97 percent of teachers had one or more computers located in the classroom every day and Internet access was available for 93 percent of the computers located in the classroom.

At home, the situation is not as bright, particularly for low income households. According to the US Census Bureau (2010):

  • 71% of US households have internet access at home, another 9% have access at work or a library leaving 20% without ready access to the internet
  • 99% of households with an income over $150,000 have internet access while only 57% of households with an income below $15,000 do.

Yet, overall the digital divide defined purely by access alone is decreasing in the USA.

Digital Divide vs. Digital Inequality

References

Digital Inequality:

Five Forms of Digital Inequality (DiMaggio & Hargittai, 2001)

DiMaggio, P. & Hargittai, E. (2001). From the ‘digital divide’ to ‘digital inequality’:

Studying internet use as penetration increases. Working Paper #15. Center for Arts and Cultural Policy Studies. Retrieved from http://www.princeton.edu/~artspol/workpap15.html

Doud, F. (2011). Digital divide versus digial inequality. [Weblog Comment]. Retrieved from

http://forrestdoud.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/digital-divide-versus-digital-inequality/

Sayparn, M. (2011). Digital divide vs. digital inequality. [Weblog Comment]. Retrieved

from http://maysayparn.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/digital-divide-versus-digital-inequality-2-2/

State Library of NC (2012). Statistical report of North Carolina public libraries. Retrieved from http://

statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/ld/aboutlibraries/plstats/1112/1112rpt.htm

US Census Bureau. (2010). Table 1155. Household internet usage in and outside of the

home by selected characteristics: 2010. Retrieved from

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s1155.pdf

  • Technical Means: Hardware and types of connection used
  • Autonomy: Ability to use the internet unmonitored and without waiting for others for time
  • Skill: ability and familiarity with the internet
  • Social Support: access to more experienced users to provide assistance
  • Purposes: different reasons individuals utilize the technology

Digital Inequality refers to a broader idea of the benefits that people can receive from using the internet and other technology. Access alone does not eliminate the issues associated with the digital divide, and reductions in the divide may inadvertently be increasing digital inequality.

According to DiMaggio and Hargittai (2001), these differences “shape significantly the experience that users have on-line, the uses to which they can put the Internet and the satisfactions they draw from it, and their returns to Internet use in the form of such outcomes as human capital, social capital, earnings or political efficacy.”