Technology Gap

Objectives Develop a deeper understanding of technology gaps in relation to IDT Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of e-resources as a medium of instruction Examine strategies for locating, assessing, and using e-resources

Goals Develop a deeper understanding of the divide its relation to multicultural education Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the Internet as an educational medium Develop strategies for locating, assessing, and using contributive Internet resources Locate intersections between the Internet and multicultural teaching philosophies

Technology Gap Inequities in access to technology (physical and pedagogical) Divide across race, class, language, disability, sex/gender, region etc E-divide between have’s and have-not’s

Digital Divide Increasing access gap between those who have and those who do not have: access to ICT access to content that benefits socially and economically skills to take advantage of ICT services ability to afford to pay for digital services.

Pertinent Issues Access to ICT Ability to use ICT Actual use of ICT Impact of using ICT

Strands Access to technology hardware and software: Home Classroom Access to progressive pedagogy Access to cultural capital

Factors in Digital Divide Affordability: Is technology access affordable for people to use? Capacity: Do people understand how to use technology and its potential uses? Relevant content: Is there locally relevant content, especially language? Integration: Does technology further burden people's lives or does it integrate into daily routines?

Factors in Digital Divide Socio-cultural factors: Are user limited by innate factors (gender, race, and socio-cultural factors)? Trust: Do people have confidence in and understand implications of technology they use (privacy, security) Political will: Is there political will in governance to do what is needed to enable the integration of technology throughout society? Legal and regulatory framework: How do laws and regulations affect technology use and what changes are needed to create an environment that fosters its use?

Debate on priority of ICT-Nay ICT a waste of money Funding should be directed to more important areas of impact and real need Risk of disillusionment ICT does not provide benefits and may infact open people up to new forms of harm

Debate on priority of ICT-Yea Divide will become wider if ICT is not promoted ICT can support other social and economic goals to improve peoples lives Access to ICTs and participation in ‘information society’ will have far reaching benefits

The Debate Although the costs of new information infrastructure are high, the future costs of not doing so are much higher ICT is a priority for development but requires national level strategies and support ICT should be development focused A best practice formula is not possible because of developing countries diversity

ICT Education Goals ICTs as a subject: Information literacy, programming and other related skills. eLearning and distance education Access to learning communities Access to increased and up-to-date information

Issues to Contend with Universal service Consumer advocacy Pricing policies Interconnection agreements Efficient use of resources Licensing for internet service provider

3 Strands of the Divide 1. Access to technology 2. Access to pedagogy 3. Access to cultural capital

Scope Class Region Education level Race Gender Disabilities Language

Digital Divide Solutions: Some Ideas Rethink the implications of the heavy reliance on computer technology in education University/Public School partnerships Intensive teacher training Put money into training and up-keep instead of more and more equipment Team teachers with technology experts to bridge some lack of knowledge in both groups

e-Resources: Educational medium- Opportunities Global compendium Expansion of resource base Intercultural interaction Facilitation of dialogue and social action

e-Resources: Educational medium- Challenges Learning curve Instability Fading educational/commercial lines Diminishing face-to-face interaction Limited “inclusion”

Assessment to Educational Web Sites Do all learners have equitable access to necessary technology? Does the resource encourage critical thinking? Will using the Internet contribute to the learning process in relation to the given topic?