DIGITAL DIVIDE

Introduction

• Digital divide – Gap in access to digital and IT

• Can be global or local

• Two facets

a. Gap in physical access

b. Gap in IT resources and skill

• Digital divide in different areas – social, education, and political

Digital divide in social areas

• ICT has impacted on social life

a. Social interaction

b. Social development

• Increased digital divide = increased social gap

• Digital divide results from social gap

Digital divide in Educational areas

• ICT in education

a. e-learning

b. virtual classroom

c. e-libraries

• Digital divide – imbalance in education

• E-Rate Rich schools vs. poor school – computer and internet access

Political digital divide

• ICT in e-governance

• Politics – depends on access to information on governance

• Political digital divide

a. Little civic engagement

b. Information poverty

Conclusion

• Digital divide – Gap in access to digital and IT

• Digital divide leads to social gap

• Digital divide leads to imbalance in use of ICT tools in education

• In politics digital divide leads to low level of civic engagement

End