Before I begin talking to you about the digital divide here at QCC, I would first like introduce you to the concepts of the digital divide and digital inequality. Then I would like to talk about some of the consequences of digital inequality before moving on to discuss some of my observations.

Digital Divide describes WHO has access to technology and who does not. It is a TECHNOLOGY based FOCUS of the INEQUALITY in ACCESS of technology tools.

Limited access occurs when infrastructure systems are either not available or not accessible. The wealth of nations to build the infrastructure necessary to reach rural and urban areas as well as provide the foundational knowledge necessary to access the technology is very poor in the developing world.
The information society report in 2014 shows internet technology for developing countries is at 6% for fixed broadband and 21% for mobile broadband. There is a significant divide between Urban and Rural areas with the greatest access in the Urban sector. In contrast Massachusetts residents have 96.7% availability for broadband and are the 6th most connected state in the United States. Since 2010 Massachusetts has received over $83 Million in Federal Infrastructure Grants.

Digital Inequality - Describes INEQUALITIES among persons with access to the internet. It is a PEOPLE based FOCUS that identifies SOCIALLY STRUCTURED VARIATIONS of the PERSON with internet access. It looks at their ability to USE the internet to ENHANCE their ACCESS to valuable INFORMATION and RESOURCES. It also assesses the EASE, EFFECTIVENESS and QUALITY of that ACCESS.
Gender, Race, Age, Socioeconomic Status (income) and Level of Education are factors that affect a person's ability to access technology. A study published by the U.S. Department of Commerce examines who is at most risk. Those at risk for digital inequality are Women, Latinos, people over the age of 25 and lower income individuals. There is also a significant difference related to level of education. High school dropouts (15 percent), those who graduate high school(40 percent) and those who graduate college (80 percent).

At Quinsigamond, we have a student population that is representative of most community colleges. Our students travel to school, and many face financial challenges, they come from various educational and ethnic backgrounds.
The attainment of higher levels of education is connected to improved access to technologies and better opportunities for success. Individuals with higher levels of education tend earn higher incomes. And people who utilize technology have improved access to resources for further personal and professional growth. They can access jobs, learn new skills and better compete in the workforce.

Quinsigamond Community College represents a diverse student and faculty population. We have new and seasoned educators. Our student population is multicultural and encompasses students from all walks of life. We have young and old, a variety of students from different ethnic and educational backgrounds. We have Blackboard an internet based classroom platform which allows teachers to create online curriculum. This material may comprise the entire course or may augment classroom teaching. Recently QCC built a new Science and Technology Center downtown. A state of the art patient simulation center was constructed to allow the Nursing and allied health fields opportunities to practice their clinical skills in the lab. There has been strong advocacy for utilizing simulation to train medical professionals. Simulation improves patient safety allowing students to perform and refine newly learned skills before demonstrating them with patients in the clinical setting.

While researching the digital divide at Quinsigamond, I was able to identify several Concerns: There are divides in student's access to the internet. Teachers have varying degrees of competence with available technologies. Our limited resources are not being efficiently used because of a lack of capital and collaboration between departments.

First, a digital divide exists between students with respect to internet access. Several students dont have internet access at home. Instead, they rely on the school's computer lab or their local library. Some have smartphones but reported that the phones are not efficient for completing the required assignments, especially if typing text is necessary. Instead they seek campus resources or community library resources to access the internet.

Second, digital inequalities were identified among faculty. One of the two faculty for the Respiratory Care program is not familiar with the capabilities of the technology available to her on basic platforms like Blackboard and does not utilize this tool to augment classroom teaching. The faculty that does not utilize Blackboard is three years from retirement. Neither faculty is skilled in utilizing the simulation technology available to them, the Nursing department however, has a younger faculty who has experience with this technology.

The third concern was a combination of a digital divide and inequality. There is a lack of institutional resources available to each program for them to effectively utilize the new simulation lab. The respiratory department does not have the funds to purchase a Sim Man, which is an essential tool to be able to utilize the simulation center effectively. They do, however, have a Sim Baby and are able to perform pediatric simulations. The nursing department acquired a Sim Man through a grant but does not have a Sim Baby, so they are only able to utilize the Center to perform adult patient simulations. Neither program collaborates use of their equipment. Other resources are also inaccessible because of cost. Up to date, medical equipment that the students need to work with at the respective hospital affiliates has to be rented instead of purchased. One example is the is the need for modern ventilators which cost tens of thousands of dollars to purchase. The clinical affiliates use more than one type of ventilator. Instead the programs rent this expensive equipment. Some of the rentals can cost upwards of $1,000 per month. Because renting is still costly, appropriate equipment is usually only available for a month or two. These limitations significantly reduce the amount of time the students have access to appropriate technology to practice on and refine their skills with before attempting those skills on patients in the hospital setting.

What are the solutions to the issues illustrated?

I will review the concerns related to access to each identified technology issue and discuss potential solutions.

First we will examine the concern of access then staff competence. I will discuss how not only the acquisition of appropriate funds is necessary, but I will dig deeper to evaluate current practice and advocate for cultural change in the way we educate.

As an educational technologist how do I address unequal internet access for my students? This issue represents Section 1 Principle 3 of the Code of Ethics, which addresses the commitment to the individual. Whereby, we shall guarantee to each the opportunity to participate in any appropriate program. Students of the college could not access or access equally the available online curriculum and resources. This limited access also restricts their ability to be able to choose online classes over traditional classroom-based courses. They also have limited access to resource information on the web and less autonomy with the access they do have. There are several options to consider to equalize access and improve its students autonomy. The college could provide loaner technology devices (computers, tablets, mobile) capable of communicating with the school’s technology platform (Blackboard and library). For students who did not have access to broadband connectivity at home, the college could consider extending library hours to allow 24/7 access to its resources.

How do we tackle the issue of faculty with varying degrees of technical competence? Certainly tenured faculty deserve the professional respect of the institution to be provided adequate training and resources.
There is a varying degree of technical knowledge among the Nursing and allied health programs. Their lack of technical expertise limits the student's access to resources that would otherwise be available to them.
Responsible solutions would include improved and accessible training for staff. Faculty should be allocated time for professional development prior to the full implementation of new technologies. The college could also hire technologists assigning them as "superusers" to assist faculty with technology as it becomes available. The college could provide monetary or recognition related incentives to encourage staff to utilize available technologies.

Let's examine the last issue, an identified lack of institutional resources, limiting exposure and training to real-life experiences necessary to effectively compete in the healthcare industry. Educational resources for medical technologies lag behind hospitals and medical center affiliated universities primarily due to cost of purchasing these tools.
QCC constructed the new simulation lab in an effort to narrow this gap. However, poor planning of capital in the construction of the lab excluded some of the necessary resources needed to make the new simulation center functional for all students. Additionally the programs did not share their resources further compounding the issue.
If the Section 1 Principle 7 to promote current and sound professional practices in the use of technology in education was considered. The design and selection of technology included in the simulation center would have been better thought out. The omission of essential equipment made the simulation technology a less effective tool that was not equally accessible to each of the health programs.
The college should raise monies through grants and fundraising to purchase additional needed supplies and provide dedicated staff to support the simulation center.
Colleges could negotiate for reduced rates on rentals for academic purposes. Legislation could incentivize industries to promote this effort encouraging free equipment rentals and reduced prices for technology purchased for educational purposes.

At the institutional level, the science and technology programs could combine their resources and expertise. The collaboration would improve the accessibility of technologies as well as improve the effectiveness of the simulations. The programs could also consider a multidisciplinary approach to simulations combining the programs and staff to create experiences that more closely represent those experienced in the workplace.

The internet and technology are driving forces in our economy. Growth of access has been occurring at warp speed. In 1995, only 3% of Americans were on the internet, today 84% of Americans access the internet.
Available research demonstrates that access to technology significantly impacts persons ability to survive and thrive in our economy. These disparities can be seen on a global perspective as well. Initiatives for equalizing access to technology are in place. It is important for our students to be skilled in the use of a variety of technologies. These skills will enable them to continue to learn, build social networks and compete in the current market.

Are inequalities a cause for concern? My answer to you is Yes, there are global and national initiatives focused on evaluating and remediating digital inequities. Entities such as the International Communications Union, who have done extensive global research assessing international technology developments, use, and performance. On a more local level, the U.S. Department of Education has done extensive research on efforts toward meeting goals for education reform. The department has created the National Education Technology Plan. This plan outlines how to utilize technology and transform the way we teach our students and the way in which they learn. This commitment to learning requires adequate infrastructure to be in place for people, processes and learning resources to be accessible.
Our ability to transform the current system and equalize student access to rapidly growing technologies requires we have a clear understand of the various barriers to access and put processes in place that resolve those conflicts. The way we communicate and do business has transformed dramatically and so must the way we educate if we are to compete globally in this digital age.
Thank you for your time. I would know like to open the forum for questions and comments.