By Brian Spiegel
Boise State University
EdTech 501

This is commonly defined as people with Internet access or without. Although, as shown in the recent first annual Internet Society Global Internet Report, there is also a class of people that can have access, but choose not to for various reasons.

Digital inequality refers to the ability to use given technology under different circumstances. The presence of access does not insure the quality of usage. Having computers and internet in the classroom is not enough. In education, proper training, usage rules, supervision and assessment all are keys to reducing digital inequality.

This figure (for mobile broadband penetration) is for all of Thailand, of which a vast majority of the country is rural. For Bangkok, where my school is located, estimates range from 70 to 90 percent for mobile broadband penetration. Fixed line penetration for the country is estimated around 25 percent.

Image Source: http://www.internetsociety.org/map/global-internet-report/

This is a photo of morning assembly at my school. There are two distinct programs at my school: The English Program for Talented Students (EPTS) and the regular program. In the next two slides you will see the disparity in class size and access to technology between the two. There exists both a divide and inequality in this separation of the classes.

In a survey of teachers at my school with Google Forms, I received 17 responses. Ten were from the EPTS and the rest from regular program teachers. This chart refers to an request to rank four ways to improve the use of technology in the classroom. Clearly, the regular program teachers prioritized more access to technology while EPTS teachers chose training for the students. This is a direct reflection of the digital divide that exists between the two programs. Teachers from both programs listed "more training for the teacher" as their 2nd priority.

Despite the discrepancies in class size, there are some ways to share between the programs. There are ways that access can be increased for some regular program students. The EPTS has an IT room that goes unused most of the day. Also, internet enabled EPTS classrooms are also free during parts of the day. An increase in investment in the regular program's facilities is also required. I cannot discuss financing at the school, but can safely say that there are funds available if some priorities are shifted. The key would be to get the administration to focus on some longer term goals.

The second problem is displayed in two graphs. As seen in the previous chart as well as this one, there is simply not enough formal tech training going on at the school. EPTS teachers, who have plenty of access, are not being trained properly to use the technology at hand. Regular program teachers are receiving 66 percent less training than their counterparts. For these teachers, the lack of tech in their classrooms demotivates them to educate themselves as well.

.......And MORE TRAINING.

The solution to this problem is simple. There must be more training in the use of educational technology. It could come from within the school or from outside professionals. Teachers with more technology experience could hold training sessions. Whether in-house or from outside, the staff requires more practice with and exposure to available technology.

From the survey responses, the most frequent obstacle to using available technology was a lack of IT support. I think this is a good example of the difference between the divide and inequality. In this case, the technology is there, but it does not work as expected (or at all in some instances). This problem exists school wide. As a result, some teachers that may have been reluctant users of tech in the classroom have abandoned it all together.

There needs to be a school wide reporting system for any problems with computers, projectors, etc. Currently, the system is to send an email to IT, or try to find one of the few IT support staff somewhere in the school, and then cross ones fingers. There has to be better communication between the IT department, students, and teachers to coordinate repairs, updates, and replacements. Each classroom (students have their own rooms, not teachers) needs a representative responsible for noting and reporting any problems immediately.

There are solutions to the many facets of the digital divide and inequality. To make progress, people need to be made aware of these specific issues. In doing a short evaluation of my school, this project has helped me focus on some problems that have existed for awhile and can be remedied. There is no reason why this process cannot take place elsewhere in order to balance the scales in other environments.