I have been conscious of the digital divide and digital inequality since I started my e-educational business officially back in 2012. I have prepared my business plan based on countries in the Middle East who have widespread access to internet and found out the huge gap between neighboring Arabic countries. The reason for this gap can’t be summarized in few lines, but the obvious reasons for any observer that this gap is due to difference in economic situations, culture, stability and wise management.
In my startup I realized the huge gap between the digital skills of the instructors I worked with, but didn’t knew that all what I have dealt with back then refer to the soul definition of digital inequality. Digital inequality is not the reason of digital divide if you think that they are the same, digital inequality is explained as the inequality among Internet users in regards to the amount of benefit they actually receive from their use of Internet technology (DiMaggio et al, 2004).
Though the issues of digital divide and digital inequality are completely separate problems they have a push-pull relationship with each other. As an entrepreneur and now educational technology learner I feel that solving digital inequality issues become more critical than digital divide, everyone is concerned about increasing access to internet, especially to developing countries and I’m afraid that while we work to narrow the digital divide we will inadvertently be widening the threat of digital inequality.
I decided to continue my master degree in educational technology not only to improve my personal skills and knowledge, but also to polish my project with the information I’m introduced to. Digital inequality is one of the main issues I had in the past with the instructors I worked with. and we should work on bridging this inequality, the use of technology will enable instructors to promote the development and appreciation of critical thinking . In the near future when I complete my degree I intend to create another digital project for instructors who wishes to go online, the purpose of this project is to offer support and information on how to:
• Create quality content
• Merge technology in their daily life to improve their productivity in work/life
• Transfer their knowledge and practices to others
digital divide and digital inequality sketch – click on the image to view full size
This is my digital divide & digital inequality presentation created using voice thread , YouTube and Google document, creating a presentation in these two programs helps you to brain storm ideas on what to include: text, images and narrate. The process of creating such presentation require a lot of planning on what to include, especially in designing your narrate script, because you want to engage all your audience senses with your presentation without the um um. I’m not English native so the process is more complicated for me, I don’t consider it as an excuse, but a motive for me to improve my skills in expressing myself in another language
I think this assignment would be more interesting if we were asked or have time to dig more on major EdTech initiatives in the developing countries that helped bridging digital divide and/or digital inequalities, it would be great to know how can simple individuals or entrepreneurs make a change in this world. For the time being I hope you enjoy my presentation and I will be more than happy to hear your comments or
suggestions.
Noura Sa'd: EDTECH Learning Log 