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ERIC Number: ED593163
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Aug
Pages: 14
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Digital Divide and Educational Equity: A Look at Students with Very Limited Access to Electronic Devices at Home. Insights in Education and Work
Moore, Raeal; Vitale, Dan; Stawinoga, Nycole
ACT, Inc.
This paper is one of a series of reports on students' access to technology. Access to technology is essential to educational success as well as workforce and community development. However, geographical, income-based, and racial/ethnic disparities in technology access persist. This "digital divide"--the gap between people who have sufficient knowledge of and access to technology and those who do not--can perpetuate and even worsen socioeconomic and other disparities for already underserved groups. This brief takes a closer look at one particular group: students who have access to only one device at home, a group representing 14% of all survey respondents. Taking a deeper dive into the data on students with access to only one device is important because these students may face challenges not faced by students with access to two or more devices. ACT surveyed a random sample of students who took the ACT® test as part of a national administration in April 2017. Researchers asked the students numerous questions about their access to and use of technology specifically for educational activities, both at home and in school, including the number and kinds of devices they have access to, the kind and reliability of the internet connection(s) available to them, and how often they used electronic devices for school-related activities. Access to devices and internet appears to be somewhat uneven among the ACT-tested students surveyed. Policy recommendations are to expand device access and internet among those who lack them and ensure students can access materials needed for school related activities via mobile technology.
ACT, Inc. 500 ACT Drive, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, IA 52243-0168. Tel: 319-337-1270; Web site: http://www.act.org
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: ACT Center for Equity in Learning
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: ACT Assessment
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A