The emergence and saturation of the mobile phone market has helped to close the digital divide by giving less developed countries access to the internet. The closing of the digital divide doesn’t seem to have a similar effect on digital inequality. Actually quite the opposite. Even with the saturation of mobile internet across the world digital inequality still grows. It is important that we not only provide access to technology for lower income households and less developed countries but that we also provide training as well as encouragement for these groups to continue to learn and embrace technology.

The digital divide refers to the people or countries that do have access to the internet and the ones that don’t. Over recent years the rise of the mobile web has made it easier and cheaper for less developed countries to get internet access. Since the mobile web is wireless it negates the need to build an infrastructure, thus making internet access more affordable.

Digital Inequality focuses more on how the internet is used within different demographics and classes. Age plays an important factor in this as well as education. Most people in the United States with lower household incomes and education are accessing the internet more by mobile phone and tablet. The type of internet activities demonstrated by this demographic lean more towards entertainment rather than education or self-improvement. The households with a higher income and higher education tend to use the internet more for educational purposes. This demographic is also more likely to learn and adopt new technology first. Thus, the richer get smarter.

The following slides illustrate the digital inequality and digital divide issues we face at our institution.

Our instructor led online classes are generally different from other online classes that are out there. We have live lectures 1-2 times per week that are structured like a traditional classroom. The instructor presents material and the students ask questions. This format is pretty demanding on the instructors since they are required to teach 7.5 hours per week. Our instructors also have full time jobs in the field they teach, this leaves them little time to prepare. Many of our instructors have taught online at other schools, but those schools focused more on forum type discussions and email correspondence between their students. Our format is much more intense and involving than what they are used to. Many instructors complain of not having enough material to teach for 3.5 hours per session. Also, some instructors simply lecture the students without creating a collaborative environment. Students need to feel like they are getting more out of lectures than just being lectured to.

ABTU needs to implement the flipped classroom method into our curriculum delivery. There have been talks of this before without much action. Implementing flipped classroom methodology could significantly reduce the live lecture time. This would give instructors more time to prepare as well as create a more collaborative learning environment for the students. The student will also have to spend less time in lecture. This means they will have more time for completing homework and tests before class and using the class time as an opportunity to collaborate with students. Instructors need to be better trained in creating collaborative environments with students.

Often times our instructors fail to take advantage of the instructor materials that are provided by the publisher. Improved Professional Development would prepare instructors for the online world of teaching.

The average age of our students is 35, with the age range of our students being between 18-65 years old. Many of our students only have a basic understanding of computers and the internet. Also, many have never taken an online class before. The number one tech support issue at ABTU is students having viruses on their computers. These viruses prevent them from attending class, uploading assignments and even completing their homework. Our tech support staff spends many hours cleaning hard drives and installing anti-virus software. Another issue is these students have never taken an online course before. Online courses are very different from traditional ones. In an online course a student has to typically do all of their homework in a word processor or some other software that they may not be completely familiar with. Many students not used to online classes have never used an online Learning Management Software. This creates a steep learning curve for the student and adds additional stress to the idea of going back to school.

• At my school all students must attend an introductory computer course as their first class. This class covers basic information about our LMS such as how to upload assignments and take tests. However, this course could greatly be improved. The course needs to be revamped to include more information about how to use a computer and the internet. If we teach our students how to keep their computer virus free then it will save our tech staff time and resources. Also, many of our students are new to the online learning environment, we should include more information about how to be a successful online student including study habits and tips. In an online learning environment, training is everything. Many schools that offer online courses do not offer much in terms of online support. My school prides itself in its customer service but there is always room for improvement. Our instructors should also serve as our support staff. The instructors spend more time with our students than any of our staff, so it is important for them to reach out to our students as well as our tech support staff when needed. This also will create a last connection with the student and strengthen their bond with us.

• Infrastructure is key to success for most businesses in this day and age. When I say infrastructure I specifically mean the processes and policies, the means of communication, and the collaboration of staff, administration and students. Currently our school is in somewhat of a chaotic state. With multiple overlapping projects and subprojects involving implementation of new educational technology initiatives. With new initiatives comes the need for effective communication. Oftentimes the administration fails to inform the staff and students of a new initiative in time for them to be properly trained and prepared for it. This results in added stress to the students and staff, which results in complaints from both.

• A new system/infrastructure needs to be put into place in order for our school to run effectively. Policies and procedures need to be analyzed and, if need be, redone. Also, company initiatives need to be communicated from the administration to the staff. The staff should be able to check on the status of these initiatives at their leisure. Timelines need to be created and presented to all staff. Departments need to implement new methods of organization and communication between other departments at pivotal moments. My solution is to go from department to department and outline all of the most important processes. Then, create a file repository for each department to store these processes. That way everyone can take a look at them when they need to. Also I would like to incorporate project management between departments. For example, I could create a website with a list of tasks assigned to different members of a given department, these tasks are based on a recurring process within the department. Once a staff member completes their task, another staff member of the same or different department can see that it has been completed. This prompts them to complete their task. I can't tell you how many times a lack of communication has caused a staff member to drop the ball with a student, a simple system like this would help dramatically. The next step is to train the staff on these new methods and on the new software that will be used to support these methods.

This age of information that we live in is a blessing and a curse. We have access to more information and knowledge than ever before. The problem this presents is the fear of becoming obsolete. The world has changed significantly just in the past 10 years. This change has created digital inequality for the people that cannot keep up with the change.

For these reasons we need to incorporate new technology into the very foundation of our society, education. By keeping our knowledge up to date in the education industry we can prepare today’s learners for tomorrow’s future.