At Humphreys Central Elementary School here in South Korea, there are many facets of digital inequity that are associated with the imbalance of digital divide. Technology is fast moving, but the education sector is running behind on keeping up with the fast paced change. While technology is valuable in the way that it connects people, it isn’t always flawless, and more adjustments need to be made.
Infrastructure limitations, socioeconomic status, financial difficulty, and lack of technology fluency are the dividing factors that might be impacting students in making advancements in digital literacy. Low performance or outdated computers in many households also restricts students from having various educational opportunities.
Factors causing digital divide in surrounding areas of Camp Humphreys
Geographical isolation can be a dividing factor in digital exclusion. Very remote and rural areas lacking high speed broadband internet make digital learning inaccessible to students. The lack of infrastructure where students rely only on public wifi in urban spaces is also a problem for students who don’t have reliable internet to use at home.
Financial difficulty can also play a role in digital exclusion. Families who are unable to afford reliable internet service results in digital disparity and usage. At Humphreys Central, about half of the student population are on a free and reduced lunch program indicating economic disparity for many families.
Lack of technology fluency with older generations can cause a digital exclusion issue. Many older parents/guardians with lack of knowledge on technology may not be able to support their child’s learning digitally, therefore making them not digitally literate.
What was learned from the Covid 19 pandemic
The quick shift to remote learning intensified digital inequities for many families. This pandemic overwhelmed many households due to inaccessibility to the internet and low performing computers that were not able to handle the workload.
Connectivity issues restricted students trying to participate in virtual learning. Dropped zoom calls and lack of training on technology for veteran teachers were the challenges that occurred during the pandemic. Parents felt overwhelmed and stressed that their child could not access google classrooms and were not able to download the zoom application; especially for the primary age students from K-2.
Community partnerships with the school district played a key role, ensuring students would have access to the internet free of charge and loaning out computers to students who did not have a reliable computer.
Teaching strategies allowed teachers to collectively find a solution to enhance digital learning experience for all learners. This new innovative approach leads students to be fully immersed in virtual learning in ways that would not even be thought to be possible.
District leaders were faced with limitations on resources when juggling both in person, and virtual learning.
Ways to bridge the divide
Advocacy on digital equity in small communities and working with local governments to expand access in those areas that need it most is necessary.
An initiative on professional development equipping teachers with different technology usage and educational software apps is useful. Teacher training on technology usage is the district's primary goal in developing confidence to empower students' learning.
The district is equipping teachers with resources and tools to enhance digital literacy for all students. Teachers are equipped with newer technology and computers to better serve students.
Implementing policies and initiatives to reduce the divide through fully government funded programs, and expanding infrastructure to smaller rural and remote communities is helpful.
The work is never done. As we continue to understand the digital divide and work on strategies and interventions to provide low cost or free internet to people that really do need it, we will be able to work on closing the gap. I will advocate for digital inclusion to ensure student success through their digital journey.
It was very interesting to see that issues similar to the ones that I am facing are seen in other countries. My district struggles with students being able to complete work at home due to internet connection issues. I live in an area where several internet companies have a monopoly over the area, making it so they can price their services as high as they want to and people have no choice but to pay it if they want that service.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct technology is not flawless and on top of that the changes are so frequent in software and do to cost some people remain with the software they have or feel comfortable with. The pandemic did hit fast and hard, it turned the world upside down. In the beginning many suffered because they didn't have the technology or internet to support the needs of their education. The upside is we never gave up, we learned, and pushed through. I think the downside was people losing the ability to communicate and build relationships and the other is it took the breathe out of everyone, meaning people began to withdraw from society and losing there will to be apart of the world around us. Your work was great and I look forward to reading more. At this time my comment is just that a comment, hopefully in the future I can give feedback that assist you on your journey.
ReplyDeleteI admire your focus on actionable solutions, such as community partnerships, teacher professional development, and advocacy for government-funded initiatives—these are vital steps in addressing digital inequities.
ReplyDeleteYour Blog offers a detailed and comprehensive look of the digital divide, especially as it relates to the school and neighborhood. I like how you emphasized the particular difficulties like socioeconomic inequality and physical remoteness, and your focus on the COVID-19 pandemic's effects and how it extends the conversation. I like your emphasis on achievable solutions, which are so important for closing the gap, including community partnerships and teacher training. Nice work!
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