Research Topic Introduction- ED 6376
The Digital Divide
It is apparent that our modern-day society is technology driven in many ways. A wide range of factors in our lives rely on some form of technology. It is only natural that this has led to the strong presence of educational technology in schools. Technology access varies from school to school and person to person depending on accessibility. Unfortunately, not all people are created equal regarding digital access to different forms of technology, which creates a divide caused by inequality. But, before one examines the notion of a digital divide, we must first ask ourselves what is a digital divide. A digital divide is created when people from various demographics such as socioeconomic status, race, and educational achievements, lead to a significant separation between people's technological abilities and access to forms of technology. It then becomes a visible inequality between the people who have and those who do not. The issue is that it is actually creating a broader set of inequalities for people with various forms of backgrounds. But this conceptualization for the digital divide fails to capture the full picture of inequity and alienation recycled by these gaps and the resulting educational, social, cultural, and economic ramifications, particularly by those who are already alienated by exclusive curricula, school cultures, and most other dimensions of education(Gorski, 2005).
When it comes to the digital divide, English language learners experience inequality in the sense of their lack of digital resources, technologies, and access. They tend to have a varied learning experience when compared to those students who are monolingual English speakers. Experiences are not equal because of the difference in available like resources in English and their native language. The inequality for ELLs is evident because they do not have an equal amount and variety of educational resources available to them as do English students. This then leads them to have a less rich digital experience, in turn, feeding into the digital divide. Lack of elementary digital experience (“mental access”): This refers to the knowledge that users should have to understand the basic processes carried out by ICT in order to effectively implement them in the classroom (Lozano & Izquierdo, 2019). ICT refers to the use of Information and Communication Technologies. It is shown by research that ICT can lead to improved student learning and better teaching methods. So if all students are not receiving adequate and equal opportunities to utilize the same educational digital resources, then it becomes an injustice to the English language learner as they are set aside to use different materials and accessibilities as compared to their peers. This creates a wider gap in the digital divide as ELLs are at risk of not acquiring the same digital literacy skills as part of their educational journey.
Lack of Digital Resources and Technologies for ELLs
The native language of an English language learner can become a determinant in their ability to access some of the same resources and technologies as other English-speaking students. A majority of programs, digital materials, and even content on the Internet is predominantly provided in mainly the English language. Lack of significant usage opportunities (“usage access”): Users might have access to technology; however, the activities or tasks do not provide significant language input (Lozano & Izquierdo, 2019). The issue then arises that ELLs have a lack of digital resources and technologies available to them. Yes, there are some materials and resources that educators can utilize in the student's native language, but they will not always be the same and comparable to that of English speakers. The resources and technologies are not vast enough to provide ELLs with the same educational apporutinietes. This can then put them at risk of not being able to perform at the same rate as their peer and affect their learning experiences. ELLs should be provided with effective and efficient resources within a bilingual program where they will be supported and monitored in their English acquisition. One crucial feature of success is that adequate and comparable educational resources are provided in both languages for students in bilingual programs (Cooley, 2014). All students must be provided with the same access to technology and resources within a school setting because it is only just. If this issue continues, it will lead to a larger gap in the digital divide among English language learners.
Closing the Gap
When considering the above factors about the digital divide affects English language learners, there must be significant changes in the realm of bilingual education to address these issues. Language should not hinder their ability to have the same access, resources, and technologies available to them just like their English-speaking peers. Since language is so included in our lives, it is also an indispensable part of ICTs. The use of ICTs almost always requires a language system. On this point, the difference between the languages set in the electronic devices or sources and the language the addressees of these ICTs speak poses a problematic situation (Yaman, 2015). A student's native language should not be a predictor if they will be successful or not. If these issues are not addressed adequately, the digital divide among ELLs will only continue to grow and ultimately remain an injustice to these students. The effective use of materials is quite important in foreign language teaching. In order to raise the efficacy of the learning process, teachers can make use of the internet, computers, smart boards, and projectors in the classroom. This is especially important in terms of raising the authenticity of the learning (Yaman, 2015). All children need to be provided with equal access to education within their school settings so each one has the same fighting chance throughout their educational journey.
References
Cooley, Megan. (2014). The Effect of the Lack of Resources in Spanish for Students in Dual Language Bilingual Education Programs.
Gorski, P. (2005). Education equity and the digital divide. AACE Journal, 13(1), 3-45.
Izquierdo, J. & Lozano, A. (2019). The Use of Technology in Second Language Education: Some Considerations to Overcome the Digital Divide. Emerging Trends in Education Volume 2, Issue 3 December, 2019.
Yaman, I. (2014). Digital divide within the context of language and foreign language teaching. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 176 ( 2015 ) 766 – 771.
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