Educational Technology Issue

Running head: EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY ISSUE

Educational Technology Issue: Digital Divide

Brandie Day-Medlin
EDU 352: Foundations of Educational Technology
Ashford University

Educational Technology Issue

Abstract
This paper is a brief overview of the issue facing education known as the digital divide. A
description of the issue along with three resources for further reading will be included.

Educational Technology Issue

Educational Technology Issue: The Digital Divide

Being from a rural area and teaching in a rural Title I level public school, the digital divide is a
very relevant issue for my district and students as well as my own child. This issue is equally
important to the field of education in general. With the implementation of the Common Core
State Standards or CCSS, which rely heavily on technology, students who do not have access to
technology fall even further behind in their learning and in meeting the rigorous standards set forth
by the CCSS.
In case you are wondering what exactly is the digital divide, I have composed a brief summary of
the issue for your review.
The digital divide is a term that refers to the gap between demographics and regions that have
access to modern information and communications technology, and those that don't or have
restricted access (Rouse, 2014). The digital divide typically exists between those in cities and
those in rural areas; between the educated and the uneducated; between socioeconomic groups;
and, globally, between the more and less industrially developed nations. Even among populations
with some access to technology, the digital divide can be evident in the form of lowerperformance computers, lower-speed wireless connections, lower-priced connections such as dialup, and limited access to subscription-based content (Rouse, 2014). It is important to note that
the digital divide does not just divide the country into two distinct groups, it divides it into many
groups. As a matter of fact, researchers report that disadvantage can take such forms as lowerperformance computers, lower-quality or high price connections (i.e. narrowband or dialup
connection), difficulty of obtaining technical assistance, and lower access to subscription-based
contents (Internet World Stats, 2015). So it is understandable that the divide is a large one made
up of many different sub groups. There really are no sides to the digital divide issue, it is a

Educational Technology Issue

relevant issue facing education and the world and technology is trying to catch up but as we have
learned technology, much like education, is ever evolving, making that task a difficult one. The
digital divide seems to hit the groups who need it most the hardest like those who are disabled or
disadvantaged or suffering from learning disabilities and need special accommodations in order to
achieve their best learning. Schools in rural or poverty stricken areas also suffer from lack of high
speed internet connections, technologically based gadgets, computers, and tools needed to help
make them technologically literate and aid them in meeting the rigors set forth by the CCSS.
Technology costs money and money is very limited in the world of education, grants, donations,
and local school budgets can only help so much and even when they are enough to equip schools
with the necessary technology, many students have no access to these same items at home, make
practice or implementation of anything learned in the classroom not possible outside of the
classroom.
The digital divide is a hot topic facing education and business today and there was tons of
information to study the topic further online. Here are three additional sources for anyone who
would like to know more:
http://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs201/projects/digital-divide/start.html
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/digital-divide-technology-internet-access-mary-beth-hertz
http://mashable.com/2013/08/18/digital-divide/

References

Educational Technology Issue

InternetWorldStats.(2015,January25).TheDigitalDivide,ICTandthe50x15
Initiative.RetrievedfromInternetWorldStats:
http://www.internetworldstats.com/links10.htm
Rouse,M.(2014,June).DigitalDivide.Retrievedfrom
WhatIs.com:http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/digitaldivide