Digital access and educational equality examined

Digital access and educational equality examined

 

With computer use in schools the new norm, students increasingly rely on the Internet to complete school-related assignments at home. Unfortunately, home computers and connectivity are not affordable for all families. Recognizing the connection between digital access and educational equality, The Joan Ganz Cooney Center recently released a report, Opportunity for All? Technology and Learning in Low-Income Families, detailing the results of the first nationally representative phone survey about digital equality relative to socioeconomic status. A total of 1,191 parents of children ages 6-13, all of whom had household incomes below the national median for families with children, were interviewed about their home computer access and usage. The main findings included:
  • Although most low- to moderate-income families had Internet access of some kind, the quality was often poor and access limited.
  • One-third of the lowest-income families' main source of Internet access was a mobile device, meaning a smartphone or a tablet. There were problems with mobile devices such as intermittent connectivity, small screen size, and several people needing to use the Internet at the same time, with none getting sufficient time to do quality work.
  • Among those with Internet access, half stated that Internet access was too slow and one-fifth lost their Internet access because of not being able to pay for it.
  • Although the families who do not have a home computer state that the reason was financial, information about discounted Internet programs was not widely distributed.
The report also details how and how often children and parents use technology at home, and how families learn to use digital devices.
 
Researchers hope these findings inform public policy and the efforts of non-profit organizations who strive to provide quality Internet access for those who can't afford it.

Johns Hopkins University 

Research in Brief

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