cs 324 cce across the digital divide

CS 324 CCE across the Digital Divide

David Laverell

Keith Vander Linden

© Keith Vander Linden, 2005

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Overview

● The Coursehttp://cs.calvin.edu/curriculum/cs/324/

● The Digital Divide

● Logistics


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The Digital Divide

● This term was first popularized by Larry Irving in the mid-1990s.

● It refers to differences between social and racial groups with respect Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

● This issue has broad social, economic, political and religious ramifications.


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Dimensions of the Digital Divide● The digital divide has several dimensions.● It can distinguish groups based on:

– access to computers and/or the internet– level of ICT literacy

● The groups it distinguishes include:– Economic groups– Geographic groups– Racial groups– Gender groups– Age groups


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Who really cares?

● How bad is the digital divide really?

● Do we really need to bridge it?

● What good can we do anyway?


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ICT Hardware for the Masses

● Moore’s “law” has tended to bring more power, but not necessarily lower prices.

● There are some efforts to address this:– OLPC’s XO-1 laptop project

– Intel’s World Ahead project

● Most organizations are looking into this.


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ICT Literacy for the Masses

● ICT fluency is fundamental.● Connect students will learn the concepts,

skills and issues required to:– Set up and administer a personal computer– Connect to the Internet– Use the web and electronic mail – Protect the integrity of their machine

● Helpdesk service is also important.


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Cross-Cultural “Literacy”

● Cross-cultural fluency is also fundamental.● CS 324 should enable Calvin students to:

– Understand the nature of the digital divide and what effect it has on underprivileged groups

– Articulate how to help bridge the digital divide – Develop a limited but personal relationship

with members of an underprivileged group – Gain a better understanding of themselves

and their own culture


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Hidden Rules Among ClassesPOVERTY MIDDLE CLASS WEALTH

POSSESSIONS People. Things. One-of -a-kind objects, legacies, pedigrees.

MONEY To be used, spent. To be managed. To be conserved, invested.PERSONALITY Is for entertainment. Sense of humor

is highly valued. Is for acquisition and stability. Achievement is highly valued.

Is for connections. Financial, political, social connections are highly valued.

SOCIAL EMPHASIS Social inclusion of people he/she likes.

Emphasis is on self-governance and self-sufficiency.

Emphasis is on social exclusion.

FOOD Key question: Did you have enough? Quantity important.

Key question: Did you like it?Quality Important.

Key question: Was it presented well? Presentation important.

CLOTHING Clothing valued for individual style and expression of personality.

Clothing valued for its quality and acceptance into norm of middle class. Label important.

Clothing valued for its artistic sense and expression. Designer important.

TIME Present most important. Decisions made for moment based on feelings or survival.

Future most important. Decisions made against future ramifications;

Traditions and history, most important. Decisions mode partially on basis of tradition and decorum.

EDUCATION Valued and revered as abstract but not as reality.

Crucial for climbing success ladder and making money.

Necessary tradition for making and maintaining connections.

DESTINY Believes in fate. Cannot do much to mitigate chance.

Believes in choice. Can change future with good choices now.

Noblesse oblige.

LANGUAGE Casual register. Language is about survival.

Formal register. Language is about negotiation.

Formal register. Language is about networking.

FAMILY STRUCTURE Tends to be matriarchal. Tends to be patriarchal. Depends on who has money. WORLD VIEW Sees world in terms of local setting Sees world in terms of notional

setting.Sees world in terms of international view.

LOVE Love and acceptance conditional based upon whether individual is liked.

Love and acceptance conditional and based largely upon achievement.

Love and acceptance conditional and related to social standing and connections.

DRIVING FORCES Survival, relationships, entertainment. Work, achievement. Financial, political, social connections.

HUMOR About people and sex. About situations. About social faux pas.

Source: Ruby Payne, A Framework for Understanding Poverty. Highlands, TX: aha! Process, Inc., 1996, pp. 42 - 43


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Project Connect Demographics

YearTota

l WhiteAfrican-

American Hispanic Asian

total % total % total % total %

2007 28 3 10.7% 15 53.6% 6 21.4% 4 14.3%

2006 31 3 9.7% 14 45.2% 11 35.5% 3 9.7%

2005 22 5 22.7% 11 50.0% 6 27.3% 0 0.0%

2004* 25 6 24.0% 13 52.0% 6 24.0% 0 0.0%

2003* 24 5 20.8% 9 37.5% 9 37.5% 0 0.0%

2002* 12 4 33.3% 4 33.3% 4 33.3% 0 0

*These are rough estimates.

cs 324 cce across the digital divide

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