socio-economics of the digital divide & the adult learner

SOCIO-ECONOMICS OF THE DIGITAL DIVIDE & THE ADULT LEARNERDorea M. Hardy

Valdosta State UniversityACED 9410July 26, 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction Socio-Economics and the Digital

Divide Effects on the Adult Learner Implications for Educators Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

Advent of the Personal Computer

INTRODUCTIONDigital

Divide

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

“widened along several key dimensions (like income and urban-rural divide)” (Talukdar & Gauri, 2011)

Definition of “Digital Divide” must be broadened

INTRODUCTION

“the gap between individuals, households, businesses and geographic areas at different socio-economic levels with regard both to their opportunities to access information and communication technologies (ICTs) and to their use of the internet for a wide variety of activities”

(OECD, 2001, p. 5)

SOCIO-ECONOMICS AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

$75,000 +$50,000 - $74,999$25,000 - $49,999$15,000 - $24,999Less than $15,000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 1613

1510

42

Percent of Households Online in Jan., 2000

Point Change Since Jan., 1999

Percent

Annual Household

Income

SOCIO-ECONOMICS AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

Telecommunications Infrastructure

Rural Communities

According to the Federal Communications Commission, in 2013: 14 million people in the US lived in 7 million housing units with no access to terrestrial broadband infrastructure.

Image Source: http://www.broadbandmap.gov/speed

SOCIO-ECONOMICS AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

“ISPs generally seek to avoid low income or rural areas and ‘cherry pick’ relatively affluent, densely populated urban ones” (Warf, 2013 p. 14)

SOCIO-ECONOMICS AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

Rural population must:1. See the benefits & recognize a need to use

broadband2. Must be able to afford it

SOCIO-ECONOMICS AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

Consortia“issues related to broadband access & adoption in the state”

Non-Profit

Private

Public

SOCIO-ECONOMICS AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

Findings

Lowest Broadband Adoption

Rates

Other Inequities• Health Care

• Quality Education

• Healthy Food

EFFECTS ON THE ADULT LEARNER

Loss of employment

Technology Skills

Frustration

EFFECTS ON THE ADULT LEARNER

Course Work Preparation: Own a Computer

Processing Speed Storage Space Operating System & Software

Internet Connection Affordability Sufficient Bandwidth

EFFECTS ON THE ADULT LEARNER

Additional Hurdle Digital Literacy Skill Level

Skills & abilities for access Understanding:

Terminology, Hardware & Software Anyone at any time

IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATORS

Awareness of the minimum technical requirements

Alternatives for large files Bonus: Compliance with Accessibility Laws

Outline Technical Expectations Define Technical Terms

IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATORS

What help is available at your institution? Do your adult learners know about those services? Are those services available during “off” times? How is this information relayed to the learners? Can you include this information in class

handouts?

IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATORS

Did you know…?Located at: http://personal.srs.usg.edu/

CONCLUSION

Technological trends advance at a rapid pace The digital divide is harder to overcome when

there are socio-economic setbacks Educators & institutions must be cognizant of the

issues

REFERENCES

Access to Telecommunications Technology: Bridging the Digital Divide in the United States. (2013). Congressional Digest, 92(4), 2-5.

Crockett, R. O. (2000). How to Bridge America's Digital Divide. BusinessWeek, (3680), 56.

Foroohar, R. (2014). The Real Threat to Economic Growth Is the Digital Divide. Time.com, 1-1.

Gabe, T. M., & Abel, J. R. (2002). The New Rural Economy: Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications Infrastructure in Rural America: Measuring the Digital Divide. American Journal of Agricultural Economics , 84(5), 1246-1252.

REFERENCES

Haffner, J. H. (2013). Public, Private, and Non-profit Interventions in California's Digital Divide: A Case for Thoughtful Action. The International Journal of Technology, Knowledge, and Society, 9(4), 175-185.

Kenner, C., & Weinerman, J. (2011). Adult Learing Theory: Applications to Non-Traditional College Students. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 41(2), 87-96.

OECD. (2001). Understanding the Digital Divide. Retrieved July 9, 2014, from http://www.oecd.org/sti/1888451.pdf

Rao Hill, S., Troshani, I., & Burgan, B. (2014). Broadband Adoption in Regional and Urban Households. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 54(3), 57-66.

REFERENCES

Real, B., Bertot, J. C., & Jaeger, P. T. (2014). Rural Public Libraries and Digital Inclusion: Issues and Challenges. Information Technology & Libraries , 33(1), 6-24.

Talukdar, D., & Gauri, D. K. (2011). Home Internet Access and Usage in the USA: Trends in the Socio-Economic Digital Divide. Communications of the Association for Information Systems , 28, 85-98.

Warf, B. (2013). Contemporary Digital Divides in the United States. Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie (Journal of Economic & Social Geography) , 104(1), 1-17. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9663.2012.00720.x