DIGITAL

DIVIDE
Alexe Miles
Technology in Curricula
 What is Digital Divide?
The use of computers has become a crucial part of living in the 21st century
(The Digital Divide).

Having access to the internet has become increasingly important in order to

thrive in America (The Digital Divide).

The digital divide refers to the idea of the growing gap between the
underprivileged society members not having access while the wealthy middle class
has internet access (The Digital Divide).
 Factors
1. Age: Older Americans typically do not use the internet as much as a younger person.
Overall, adults ages 65 and older account for almost half (49%) of non-internet users by
age group (Caumont, 2013).
2. Income and educational attainment: People who have obtained a college degree or
live in a high income household typically use the internet more than others (Caumont,
2013).
3. Community type: People who live in rural areas (with limited broadband access) are less
likely to use the internet than people who live in urban or suburban areas (Caumont, 2013).
4. Disability: People who are disabled are less likely to use the internet (Caumont, 2013).
5. Spanish-speaking preference: People of non-English speaking origin are less likely to
use the internet (Caumont, 2013).
 Strategies for Improvement
Harvey gives some strategies to help ensure students have more opportunities to
use the internet in the school setting:
1. Bring Your Own Device: Allow students to bring in their own device from
home to help ensure more students in the classroom have a device to use. If
necessary, have students share devices for those who still do not have a device
(Harvey, 2014).
2. Leasing program: Allow students to lease devices from the school to take
home and use. Have students and parents sign a contract to ensure the device is
taken care of (Harvey, 2014).
3. Computer Labs: Utilize any computer labs within the school to ensure all
students have access to a computer. Because computer lab time is usually limited,
try to utilize every minute by pre-planning on what is expected of students before
going (Harvey, 2014).
 References
Caumont, A. (2013, November 8). Whos not online? 5 Factors Tied to the Digital
Divide. Retrieved August 3, 2017, from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-
tank/2013/11/08/whos-not-online-5-factors-tied-to-the-digital-divide/

Harvey, B. (2014, July 14). Bridging the Digital Divide in Classrooms. Retrieved
August 3, 2017, from http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/07/02/ctq-
harvey-digital.html

The Digital Divide. (n.d.). Retrieved August 3, 2017, from

http://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs201/projects/digital-divide/start.html