As technology evolves, the possibilities for digital education multiply. And it’s easy to see why: bringing digital tools to the classroom can help make learning and assessment more engaging and equitable for students, and more efficient for educators. But the digital access divide—unequal access to high speed, effective internet, affordable hardware, and the right software—can make it difficult to implement educational technology on a wider scale.
What’s more, this gap can exacerbate existing inequalities. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds may fall further behind in academic achievement and key skills without full access to the benefits of technology. As an individual educator, it may be difficult to understand how you can make a difference.
All is not lost—educational institutions and tech providers around the world have been working on bridging the digital divide. In this article, we’ll give you practical tips and case studies for closing the gaps for your students, so everyone can benefit from the power of technology.
The digital divide, on a basic level, refers to the fact that not everyone has access to the high-speed internet connections necessary for using certain tools and services. Beyond this, the problem can be exacerbated by not having the devices to access them or the support to learn how to do so.
In the US, this divide is often found in communities that face other disadvantages. For example, a 2023 Pew Center report found that in households earning over $100,000, 95% of adults said they had a broadband internet connection. In households earning less than $30,000, that figure fell to 57%. When it comes to school students specifically, the Harvard Business Review reports that during the COVID-19 pandemic, 70% of schoolchildren in the Kansas City district did not have access to the internet at home.
This clear divide between those who can access high-speed internet and those who cannot is a serious issue when it comes to education. The problems are myriad, but can include:
Digital textbooks, online multimedia resources like video or audio, computerized assessments, and even AI software: it’s undeniable that technology is making a huge impact on the way we teach.
As digital tools and services become more integrated into the education system, however, the divide in access means that some students will not be able to use these resources outside school. This can be known as the “homework gap.”
For example, in the US in 2019, over 20 million households did not have a connection to high-speed broadband. Young people from these families may only be able to use digital resources at school—limiting the amount of time they have for studying. This can exacerbate attainment gaps, where wealthier students have constant access to information and support.
It’s not just about resources. Being able to use the internet and electronic devices builds crucial skills for the 21st century. It can also help build more basic reading, writing, and language comprehension skills by encouraging students to interact with a variety of topics.
The current divide leaves certain students vulnerable to being left behind by their more affluent peers. Around 80% of middle-skill jobs require some digital proficiency, and advanced-level digital skills can unlock higher salaries in STEM careers. Missing out on this can reinforce existing inequalities: Harvard Business Review points out that, in the US, “Seventy percent of Black and 60% of Hispanic respondents report being underprepared with digital skills, affecting their employability”.
This can lead to entrenched economic divides as digital literacy becomes even more essential in the workplace. 86% of jobs are projected to be out of reach for Hispanic and Black workers by 2045.
Students with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) and English language learners (ELLs) may be at a particular disadvantage when they don’t have access to high-speed internet and adequate digital resources. This is because technology can be a vital part of making education accessible for them. For example, speech recognition software can help those who can’t write due to physical impairment or dyslexia, or multimedia resources can be more accessible for ELLs with pictures and videos to supplement text.
Digital literacy is also important for educators to be able to make the most of new opportunities—and some may be affected by the same digital divide hitting their students. A 2020 study found that 10% of public school teachers in the US did not have adequate access to the internet, slowing down efforts to bring the benefits of technology into the classroom.
Digital divide solutions are a concern for governments across the world. The United States Government has taken significant action in recent years to address this issue. The Internet For All Initiative has promised to connect everyone in America to high-speed internet by 2030 and has already delivered to more than 2.4 million homes and businesses.
It also tackles existing inequalities by investing in connections for Tribal lands, distributing devices to students and community members from minority-serving institutions, and upgrading existing fiber networks. This effort to close the gap is likely to have a huge positive impact on students and their families.
Another interesting example of national-level intervention is Lithuania. During 2020, the Lithuanian National Agency for Education looked to move its testing online using TAO’s open-source platform but faced many questions related to digital access in the country. The government decided to conduct surveys to help them understand the issue, giving them the data they needed to improve digital access and enable remote testing in each home. Ultimately, 165,000 tests were delivered with TAO in 2020.
Within an education setting, you can also take action to make sure your students aren’t impacted by the problems of the digital divide. Here are some tips:
As in the Lithuanian case study, it can be important to understand exactly where the gaps lie in your school or district. Conducting surveys is one way to find out more about your community’s digital access and how you might work with local authorities or other institutions to improve this. This might even take the form of public-private collaboration: major tech companies like Microsoft and Google have already worked with districts to improve connectivity.
While 85% of Americans own a smartphone, around 15% are “smartphone-dependent,” meaning they don’t have another way to access the internet or digital resources. This is more likely among low-income households and Black or Hispanic youth. So investing in laptops, tablets, or electronic notebooks for your community could be a great way to address inequality.
You’ll get a better return on your investment if you make sure that digital education with these devices goes beyond passive learning. Introducing principles like Universal Design for Learning into your school can encourage multimedia learning experiences that are active and engaging—rather than simply having students scroll through a textbook on a screen instead of on paper.
When addressing the digital divide, it’s important to consider how the technology you employ can be adapted for all students, including ELLs and those with SEND. For example, the TAO Testing software allows you to implement custom question types and accessibility aids that can make digital assessments more equitable. Selecting a provider that adheres to accessibility standards can make a huge difference.
By choosing open-source platforms like TAO, institutions can reduce costs, avoid vendor lock-in, and promote long-term sustainability while ensuring all students have access to high-quality digital assessments.
Closing the digital divide also means making sure both students and staff feel supported in using new technology successfully. You could consider introducing focused digital literacy classes into both your curriculum and your professional development program for educators. It’s also useful to draw on the resources developed by your chosen EdTech providers, so selecting a company that offers training and resources is essential.
The digital divide continues to affect young people across the US and globally. Although technology can have a fantastic impact in the classroom, until all young people have equal access to high-speed internet, appropriate devices, digital resources, and the skills to use them, the outcomes remain inequitable.
National programs to close the gap can and will help. You can also make a difference in your school by making efforts to understand where your students need more support and working with other agencies and tech providers to address this.
For more on how to bridge the digital divide by addressing inequalities, read more on our blog.
What is the meaning of bridging the digital divide? Bridging the digital divide means reducing the number of people who don’t have access to high-speed internet or the right device to use it. This can be a way to reduce overall inequalities in education and employment.
How to overcome the digital divide? We can overcome the digital divide by extending access to high-speed internet, making sure people have suitable devices to use it, and making sure that people have sufficient digital skills to do so. This can take place on a national, regional, or institutional level.
How is the digital divide being fixed? Large-scale programs like Internet for All in the US aim to extend internet access with new and upgraded connections and distribution of devices.