scholarly journals Equity and Digital Literacies: Issues of Access, Ethics and Engagement in a Youth Community Setting

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 67-72
Author(s):  
Colin Andrew Ford

This article reports on the issue of confidentiality faced by a community youth agency that provides access to digital technology for homeless or street-involved youth. Social media is the prevalent form of communication in displaced communities and presents certain ethical challenges as a result of creating and sharing media with potential unintended audiences. Ensuring ethical practices is a key aspect of the ongoing process of developing digital literacy that changes as technology evolves. It requires the facilitator’s focused attention to guide the youth in their ability to consider their digital footprint and potential unintended consequences of their practices.

Author(s):  
Ronald E. Rice ◽  
Simeon J. Yates ◽  
Jordana Blejmar

We conclude the Handbook of Digital Technology and Society by identifying topics that appear in multiple chapters, are more unique to some chapters, and that represent general themes across the material. Each of these is considered separately for the ESRC theme chapters and the non-ESRC chapters. In the ESRC theme chapters, cross-cutting research topics include digital divides and inequalities; data and digital literacy; governance, regulation, and legislation; and the roles and impacts of major platforms. Cross-cutting challenges include methods; theory development, testing, and evaluation; ethics; big data; and multi-platform/holistic studies. Gaps include policy implications, and digital culture. In the non-ESRC chapters, more cross-cutting themes include future research and methods; technology venues; relationships; content and creation; culture and everyday life; theory; and societal effects. More unique, these were digitization of self; managing digital experience; names for the digital/social era; ethics; user groups; civic issues; health, and positive effects. The chapter also shows how the non-ESRC chapters may be clustered together based on their shared themes and subthemes, identifying two general themes of more micro and more macro topics. The identification of both more and less common topics and themes can provide the basis for understanding the landscape of prior research, what areas need to be included in ongoing research, and what research areas might benefit from more attention. The chapter ends with some recommendations for such ongoing and future research in the rich, important, and challenging area of digital technology and society.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-170
Author(s):  
Hario Bismo Kuntarto ◽  
Amit Prakash

The use of digital devices by children is on the rise and a better understanding of their usage behaviour can be helpful in designing better ways of imparting education. As per data from the Indonesia Internet Service Provider Association (APJII), in 2018, almost 50% of elementary school children were using the internet. However, an introduction to digital technologies is not included under the topics covered in state elementary schools in Indonesia. Field work involving teachers and children in state and non-state elementary schools, officials in ministries, ICT vendors, parents were conducted through interviews, observations and workshops related to the use of digital technology to better understand the digital behaviour of children. It was found that elementary school children get exposed to digital technology at a very early age and while the duration of use varies according to parental involvement and awareness, the content consumed by children is, in most cases, not appropriate for their age. This study illustrates that monitoring digital use among children is currently a challenge for parents, and digital literacy, which includes introduction to both positive and negative effects of digital devices as well as appropriate digital use behaviour, should become an important part of the theme of learning in elementary schools in Indonesia to ensure digital technologies help in the shaping of children's attitudes and character, in a manner that is valued and beneficial to the society. Kata Kunci: literasi digital, pemanfaatan digital oleh anak sekolah dasar, pengenalan digital pada anak   Abstract – Use of digital devices by children is on the rise and a better understanding of their usage behaviour can be helpful in designing better ways of imparting education. As per data from the Indonesia Internet Service Provider Association (APJII), in 2018, almost 50% of elementary school children were using the internet. However, an introduction to digital technologies is not included under the topics covered in state elementary schools in Indonesia. Field work involving teachers and children in state and non-state elementary schools, officials in ministries, ICT vendors, parents were conducted over a six-month study period to better understand the digital behaviour of children. It was found that elementary school children get exposed to digital technology at a very early age and while the duration of use varies according to parental involvement and awareness, the content consumed by children is, in most cases, not appropriate for their age. This study illustrates that monitoring digital use among children is currently a challenge for parents, and digital literacy, which includes introduction to both positive and negative effects of digital devices as well as appropriate digital use behaviour, should become an important part of the theme of learning in elementary schools in Indonesia to ensure digital technologies help in the shaping of children's attitudes and character, in a manner that is valued and beneficial to the society.


2022 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 263
Author(s):  
Melati Nungsari ◽  
Chuah Hui Yin ◽  
Nicole Fong ◽  
Veena Pillai

Background: Globally, vulnerable populations have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent responses, such as lockdown measures and mass vaccinations. Numerous ethical challenges have arisen at different levels, be it at the policy-making level or on the ground. For example, policymakers have to contain a highly contagious disease with high morbidity using scarce resources, while minimizing the medium- to long-term social and economic impacts induced by containment measures. This study explores the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations in Malaysia by using an intersectional framework that accounts for overlapping forms of marginalization.   Methods: This study utilizes in-depth qualitative data obtained from 34 individuals and organizations to understand the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on vulnerable populations in Malaysia. We utilize four principles of ethics to guide our coding and interpretation of the data – namely beneficence, non-maleficence, justice and autonomy. We utilize a frequency analysis to roughly understand the types of ethical issues that emerged. Using hermeneutic content analysis (HCA), we then explore how the principles interact with each other. Results: Through the frequently analysis, we found that although beneficence was very prevalent in our dataset, so was a significant amount of harm – as perpetuated through injustice, the removal or lack of autonomy and maleficence. We also unearthed a worrying landscape of harm and deep systemic issues associated with a lack of support for vulnerable households – further exacerbated during the pandemic. Conclusions: Policy recommendations for aid organizations and society to mitigate these ethical problems are presented, such as long overdue institutional reforms and stronger ethical practices rooted in human rights principles, which government agencies and aid providers can then use in the provision of aid to vulnerable populations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 203-212
Author(s):  
Arachie Augustine Ebuka ◽  
◽  
Hope Ngozi Nzewi ◽  
Emejulu Gerald ◽  
Kekeocha Mary Ezinne ◽  
...  

Purpose: This study examined how small businesses in Africa can use technology to grow and sustain their businesses in a post-Covid-19 world. The paper looked at various digital skills needed by these businesses to navigate and profit from the digital space's massive opportunities. It also ascertained the challenges facing them from keying into the digital ecosystem. The place of technology in the fight against Covid-19 was also highlighted. Research methodology: This study is a qualitative review study. Results: The study concluded that possessing some form of digital skills by business owners and employees could be the difference between a competing and a non-competing organization. Limitations: The work did not use methodology as it is a qualitative review study that limited the study's generalizability. Contribution: This work represents a current work in digital technology and how it relates to pandemic situations and economic challenges, especially in Africa. Keywords: Digital, Technology, Covid-19, Small businesses, Management, Skills


Author(s):  
Antonio Cartelli ◽  
Angela Di Nuzzo

In this paper the behaviors and tendencies in the use of digital technologies by university students are analyzed. After a short discussion of former studies and the presentation of the model for digital literacy structure and assessment in students attending compulsory school, the investigation carried out by the authors is described and the results obtained from the analysis of the university students’ answers is reported. The survey was submitted to 331 students in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Cassino, Italy, and the students’ answers show a contradictory reality: on one side, digital technologies are mainly used to communicate in social networks or to play music and movies, on another side it is evident the students’ interest for the most recent aspects of the application of digital technology and for the improvement in the quality of their use.


2013 ◽  
pp. 1219-1239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wan Ng

The objective of this chapter is to discuss the relationships between the three literacies that are mentioned above: digital literacy, science literacy and multiple literacies. The chapter will define digital literacy and scientific literacy and argue that being digitally literate would enhance the development of scientific literacy. It will look at the similarities in skills required for the two literacies (i.e., skills derived from learning science and learning to use digital technology). These are skills at both the operational and conceptual levels. The chapter will draw on these similarities to discuss how being digitally literate could better support the independent and personalized learning of science in the development of individuals who are scientifically literate. The use of multiple literacies pedagogy, the multimodal means of learning and communicating, as bridging the two literacies will be made. Specific examples will be used to illustrate the objective of this chapter. The chapter will conclude with a conceptual framework for the development of digital literacy in empowering students to become scientifically literate.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. e039463
Author(s):  
Ramin Asgary ◽  
Katharine Lawrence

IntroductionData regarding underpinning and implications of ethical challenges faced by humanitarian workers and their organisations in humanitarian operations are limited.MethodsWe conducted comprehensive, semistructured interviews with 44 experienced humanitarian aid workers, from the field to headquarters, to evaluate and describe ethical conditions in humanitarian situations.Results61% were female; average age was 41.8 years; 500 collective years of humanitarian experience (11.8 average) working with diverse major international non-governmental organisations. Important themes included; allocation schemes and integrity of the humanitarian industry, including resource allocation and fair access to and use of services; staff or organisational competencies and aid quality; humanitarian process and unintended consequences; corruption, diversion, complicity and competing interests, and intentions versus outcomes; professionalism and interpersonal and institutional responses; and exposure to extreme inequities and emotional and moral distress. Related concepts included broader industry context and allocations; decision-making, values, roles and sustainability; resource misuse at programme, government and international agency levels; aid effectiveness and utility versus futility, and negative consequences. Multiple contributing, confounding and contradictory factors were identified, including context complexity and multiple decision-making levels; limited input from beneficiaries of aid; different or competing social constructs, values or sociocultural differences; and shortcomings, impracticality, or competing philosophical theories or ethical frameworks.ConclusionsEthical situations are overarching and often present themselves outside the exclusive scope of moral reasoning, philosophical views, professional codes, ethical or legal frameworks, humanitarian principles or social constructivism. This study helped identify a common instinct to uphold fairness and justice as an underlying drive to maintain humanity through proximity, solidarity, transparency and accountability.


Author(s):  
R. Melville

Online research raises unique ethical concerns (Ess & AoIR, 2002), including the treatment and recruitment of participants, gaining consent, accessing electronic forms of data, privacy, and responsibility to the participants of online mediums (e.g., discussion lists and groups). Until the mid-1990s, very little attention was paid to ethical issues in online research for the following reasons: • This communication medium was a very recent phenomenon (Ess & AoIR, 2002; Mann & Steward, 2000) • Internet research posed different ethical challenges for researchers in comparison to conventional face-to-face settings • Existing ethical regulations and ethics review boards did not cover the new ethical issues raised by Internet research • It was too difficult to develop a uniform code of ethical conduct for Internet research given the diverse disciplines, countries, and cultural groups using the Internet (Ess & AoIR, 2002) • The complexity of Internet technology itself, which made adapting conventional ethical practices and processes problematic (Anders cited in Mann & Stewart, 2000; Mann & Stewart, 2000; Thomas, 1996; Whittaker, 2002)


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 80
Author(s):  
Dede Hadiansah ◽  
Wawan Setiawardani ◽  
Muhammad Sholeh

Students at the age of primary education are faced with a challenge in using digital technology, namely (a) the ability to sort information that is suitable for use and follow; (b) addiction to digital technology and the internet; and (c) changes in behavior and character. The purpose of this study is to identify: (a) obtaining information from digital media by elementary school students; (b) the use of information from digital media by elementary school students using; (c) the challenges faced by elementary school students in obtaining information using digital media; (d) the expectations of elementary school students regarding learning using digital media. The research method used is the phenomenological research method. The results of the research, some students use digital literacy only to find information. Meanwhile, a few elementary students have carried out the learning process in the form of products from the use of digital literacy. Digital literacy can be a suitable learning medium in the era of the industrial revolution 4.0, but its use must be monitored and limited.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-59
Author(s):  
Enny Dwi Oktaviyani ◽  
Ariesta Lestari ◽  
Licantik Licantik

Digital literacy is defined as the ability to understand and use information in various forms from various sources accessed through computer devices. Digital literacy will create a society with a critical-creative mindset and views. Provocative issues will not easily consume it, become victims of hoax information, or victims of digital-based fraud. Residents of Hurung Village, Banama Tingang District, Pulang Pisau Regency are partners in this community service activity who are active users of digital technology via mobile phones to access the internet and interact with other people. However, in digital technology, partners have not been able to distinguish true or false information and forward information obtained from social media or unclear sources. Likewise, in the search for information, still using sources or references that are not valid. So that the information obtained cannot be justified. In this service activity, the service team created digital media using a village profile website to support digital literacy for Hurung village. The activity was carried out in three stages, namely material presentation, mentoring, and training on the use of village profile websites. With this activity, it is hoped that it can be helpful to add insight, knowledge and build Hurung village to become a pioneer village of digital literacy


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