Information and communication technologies are developing at a rapid rate. This idea has defined us for the past 20 years.

Predictably, the unequal distribution of technology access has accompanied rapid development. This is called the digital divide. Many articles have been written about the technological disparities that exist between certain demographics such as race, ethnicity, gender, and geographic location.

Another strong determiner of a person’s ability to access technology is age. In this presentation, I will focus on how technological progression disfavors older adult students returning to college.

When we think of digital progression we think of the Apple advertisements of the early 2000’s that featured the silhouettes of college aged youth dancing to their favorite tunes with gleaming white earbuds dangling from their ears connecting to their newly minted iPod. This iconic image has defined our new digital age. It exudes the cutting edge, vibrancy, energy, life, vitality. Etc.

The antithesis of this is the image of the old man, alone, sitting in a bench, hunched over feeding the pigeons, who has no clue that a technological Renaissance is happening without him.

According to the Pew research Center in 2014, more than half of older adults were Internet users.

However 41% do not use the internet at all. 53% do not have broadband access at home.

And only 18% of these owned a smartphone, tablet or e-book reader. 23% did not use cell phones at all.

77% indicate they would need help with using the Internet.

And for seniors earning less than $30,000 annually, 39% go online and 25% have broadband at home.

According to Januszewski & Molenda (2007), "new technologies may create opportunities for learning, but they also create ways to run afoul ethics". Potential violations of professional ethics occur when older students age 55 to 79 returns to college. As life expectancy goes up, and the number of retirees goes up, we find that more and more elderly people are coming back to school. According to the American Council on Education (2007), "With increased longevity and an unstable economic future, more adults 55 to 79 … are starting to return to college". College enrollment for older adult students at colleges and universities across America is up.

Unfortunately many older adult students are finding themselves in institutions that are different from the institutions they attended in the past. What was once defined with a pencil and a notepad is now defined with a stylus and an iPad.

One of the major benefits of mobile devices is the immediate access to information they can provide. Five to Ten years ago students did their research for their papers outside of the classroom and after class hours. Now, with mobile devices students can quickly access information real-time. As this trend continues, more and more students will be able to access information instantaneously in the classroom. Unfortunately if statistics remain consistent, older adult students will always be a few steps behind

Several barriers exist for older adult students:

1. Lack of media literacy. According to the Pew Report (2014) Only “ 18% of [seniors] would feel comfortable learning to use a new technology device such as a smartphone or tablet on their own, while 77% indicate they would need someone to help walk them through the process.” With this lack of media literacy, older adult students are unable to perform real-time research in the classroom.

Solution: Universities should provide older students with modified media literacy courses that show them how to use computers, mobile devices, school databases etc. Most universities and colleges offer computer literacy courses to the general student population. These general computer literacy courses can be modified to accommodate older adult students. For example, a one-day tutorial on database use can be extended to three days.

2. Lack of mobile devices and broadband. According to the Pew report only 18% of older adults have a smartphone. This can be due to a lack of interest.

However, another factor is income. According to Pew research Center (2014), “For seniors earning less than $30,000 annually…25% have broadband at home.”

Solution: Schools should offer Wi-Fi capable tablets or computers to older adult students. Several universities have a similar program for their incoming freshmen. Namely, Bethel University, Regis College, Seton Hill University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Georgia Fox University, Oklahoma Christian University, and Rochester College currently offer incoming freshmen tablets, or computers for free or at a low cost.

It is financially practical to offer something similar to older adult students since they make up a small minority of college and university populations. Broadband cable companies such as Time Warner cable, Verizon, and DirecTV should offer senior discounts for their broadband Internet packages. They should also offer additional discounts for seniors that are enrolled in school.

3. Physical limitations can also be a factor. Debilitating ailments like cataracts or arthritis are preventing older adult students from access. The use of smart phones and tablets require a certain level of tactile ability. With the onset of arthritis and other debilitating ailments, seniors cannot use mobile devices or computers at home or at school.

Solution: voice recognition software such as Dragon Naturally Speaking can be used to aid older adult students. In time, voice recognition software will be accurate enough to provide older adult students with hands-free Internet capabilities. Voice-recognition software has come a long way but still requires a lot of patience for most practitioners. There are still many issues with accuracy and reliability. In time however, I predict that voice-recognition software will be as easy as talking to a friend sitting next to you. Nuance’s, Dragon Naturally Speaking offers voice-recognition software for the PC and Mac products. Discounts are currently being offered to students. Voice-recognition software should also be installed on all computer consoles on college campuses.

Special monitors for older students with cataracts or poor vision should also be provided. Special monitors are already provided to the visually impaired on many college campuses.

A combination of these solutions can provide older adult students with the support needed for them to keep up with the technological progression occurring in education.

When we think of technological progression, we imagine the whole of society moving together as one unit. Unfortunately In a state of progress there will always be those that are left behind. The challenge is ensuring the equitable distribution of technological access. As it has been noted, a significant proportion of seniors is using mobile devices and the internet. As with anything else however, a large proportion resist the flow of trends. For example, my family was the last to get a DVD player, a flat Screen TV, a computer, etc. There will always be those who will resist the technological wave of progress. Many will say "to each his own", as even now younger people are choosing to opt out of technology. However, resistance to technology when one is going back to school puts that student at academic risk. Colleges and universities want to be inclusive of all demographics. As we've seen, students over the age of 70 are becoming more commonplace. To perform at the highest levels particular technological skills are required. Certain resources like mobile devices and fast computers are tools that have almost become indispensable to the modern student. So to avoid any gaps between students due to a lack of technological access, educators and administrators have to find a way to make technological access equitable to all.
The AECT code was created to ensure and protect the fair and just administration of technology in schools. The code, however, does not address specific demographics, particular age. Older adult students cannot conduct the independent learning that the code ensures. It does not protect their access to materials because many older adult students do not have access. The code does not guarantee older adult students’ participation, nor does it guarantee the resources (computers, mobile devices, etc.) needed to participate. Moreover, lastly the code does not promote diversity because older adult students are being left behind. The ACET code needs to reflect the current issues that the digital divide brings.