ERIC Number: EJ933166
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 26
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-8731
EISSN: N/A
New Literacies at the Digital Divide: American Indian Community Computing
Betts, J. David
Journal of American Indian Education, v48 n1 p37-62 2009
This study is about a community computing lab established by a U.S. Department of Commerce grant to bridge the Digital Divide in a rural Arizona American Indian community, a project called "Native Connection" (a pseudonym). This paper describes the process of integrating new literacies associated with a high-tech computer lab into the life of a small traditional community. Cultural Historical Activity Theory frames the dynamic interconnected elements of the lab: the participants, their purposes, the tools, and the community. Data were collected via questionnaires, interviews and participant observation over most of the year. Findings demonstrated a steady increase in attendance and acceptance of the lab as part of the neighborhood, growth in after school lab activities of youth, and the beginnings of new literacy learning by lab users.
Descriptors: Participant Observation, American Indians, Computer Literacy, Computer Assisted Instruction, Grants, Federal Programs, Rural Areas, American Indian Education, Questionnaires, Attendance, Interviews, After School Programs, Student Attitudes
Center for Indian Education. Arizona State University, College of Education, P.O. Box 871311, Tempe, AZ 95287-1311. Tel: 480-965-6292; Web site: http://jaie.asu.edu/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Arizona
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A