Web-Based Distance Learning and the Second Digital Divide

2005 ◽  
pp. 3079-3084
Author(s):  
Sheryl Burgstahler
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Wrong Side ◽  
Digital Divides ◽  
Closing The Gap ◽  
Postal Mail

In no field have we witnessed a greater impact of emerging technologies than in that of distance learning. Correspondence courses using printed material and postal mail have been replaced by Web-based courses with the potential to make learning available to anyone, anywhere at anytime. This potential cannot be realized, however, unless two digital divides are eliminated. Some people are on the wrong side of the first “digital divide” between the technology “haves” and the technology “have-nots”. The benefits of technology are less available to those who are poor, who live in rural areas, who are members of minority racial or ethnic groups, and/or who have disabilities (Kaye, 2000; U.S. Department of Commerce, 1999). Lack of access to new technologies limits their options for taking and teaching technology-based courses. This is true for individuals with disabilities, even though the rapid development of assistive technology makes it possible for an individual with almost any type of disability to operate a computer (2003 Closing the Gap Resource Directory, 2003). Unfortunately, many people with disabilities still do not have access to these empowering tools, putting them on the “have not” side of the first digital divide.

Web-Based Distance Learning and the Second Digital Divide

2011 ◽  
pp. 1077-1083 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheryl Burgstahler
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Wrong Side ◽  
Digital Divides ◽  
Closing The Gap ◽  
Postal Mail

In no field have we witnessed a greater impact of emerging technologies than in that of distance learning. Correspondence courses using printed material and postal mail have been replaced by Web-based courses with the potential to make learning available to anyone, anywhere at anytime. This potential cannot be realized, however, unless two digital divides are eliminated. Some people are on the wrong side of the first “digital divide” between the technology “haves” and the technology “have-nots”. The benefits of technology are less available to those who are poor, who live in rural areas, who are members of minority racial or ethnic groups, and/or who have disabilities (Kaye, 2000; U.S. Department of Commerce, 1999). Lack of access to new technologies limits their options for taking and teaching technology-based courses. This is true for individuals with disabilities, even though the rapid development of assistive technology makes it possible for an individual with almost any type of disability to operate a computer (2003 Closing the Gap Resource Directory, 2003). Unfortunately, many people with disabilities still do not have access to these empowering tools, putting them on the “have not” side of the first digital divide.

Creating Opportunities and Barriers in Distance Learning Courses

2011 ◽  
pp. 475-480
Author(s):  
Sheryl Burgstahler
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Individuals With Disabilities ◽  
Course Offerings ◽  
Closing The Gap ◽  
Poor Communities

nternet-based distance learning courses have the potential to make learning opportunities available to anyone. People in rural areas, from poor communities, and who have disabilities are among those underrepresented in the group of people who benefit from new technological developments.This potential cannot be realized, however, unless everyone can truly access course offerings. The rapid development of assistive technology makes it possible for almost anyone to operate a computer (2003 Closing the Gap, 2003). Yet many individuals with disabilities do not have access to these empowering tools (Kay, 2000).

Universal Design of Distance and Online Learning

2011 ◽  
pp. 2195-2201
Author(s):  
Sheryl Burgstahler
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Text To Speech ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
Closing The Gap

Internet-based distance-learning courses have the potential to make learning opportunities available to anyone. This potential cannot be realized, however, unless everyone can truly access course offerings. People in rural areas and from poor communities are among those underrepresented in the group of people who benefit from new technological developments. The rapid development of assistive technology makes it possible for almost anyone to operate a computer (2006 Closing the Gap, 2006). Yet many individuals with disabilities do not have access to these empowering tools (Kay, 2000). Some people with disabilities who have access to computers, assistive technology, and the Internet, still cannot fully participate in distance-learning courses because of their inaccessible design. For example, people who are blind often use text-to-speech systems that locate text that appears on the screen and read it aloud to the user. Because this technology cannot “read” graphics, it does not verbalize information embedded within graphic images. Therefore, people who are blind cannot access this content unless it is provided in a text-only format as well.

scholarly journals Implementation of Learning Management System: A Way Ahead on the Digital Journey in Distance Learning

Open Praxis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 329
Author(s):  
Sidra Noreen
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Management System ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Learning Management System ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Learning Management

Over a number of years, the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has encouraged and supported moves to Learning Management System (LMS) replacing aspects of paper-based and face-to-face teaching and learning including, assignments, workshops and examination. The views of learners and academics were explored to consider the advantages of the system as well as potential challenges. Twenty-two participants were involved in qualitative data gathering by means of focus group discussion and semi-structured interviews, which were comprised of 12 M.Phil students and 10 academics from the Faculty of Education. Thematic analysis was carried out by applying themes and codes. Numerous advantages were identified with the use of Learning Management System. However, it was found that the approach did face some challenges. Learners often lacked easy Internet access and the necessary skills to use new technologies efficiently. Academic staff required considerable time for the development of online materials. Major training needs arising from the findings and it was recommended that the university must consider setting up small campuses in rural areas as well as provided mandatory training and support for learners, especially those from rural areas. There is also a need for formal training for academic staff and the sharing of ways by which the new technologies can be used effectively and efficiently in enhancing all aspects of distance learning.

Web-Based Distance Learning and the Second Digital Divide

2011 ◽  
pp. 83-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheryl Burghstahler
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
Individuals With Disabilities ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
Learning Options

Web-based distance learning programs promise learning options anywhere, anytime, to anyone. However, some individuals with disabilities are locked out of these opportunities when courses are designed in such a way that they are inaccessible to individuals using assistive technology. This chapter provides an overview of access challenges for people with disabilities; suggestions for course developers on creating accessible courses; and suggestions for administrators on developing accessiblity policies, guidelines, and procedures.

Business Process Reengineering for the Use of Distance Learning at Bell Canada

1999 ◽  
pp. 186-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tammy Whalen ◽  
David Wright
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Business Process ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Business Process Reengineering ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Radical Change ◽  
Process Reengineering ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Project Objectives

The Bell Online Institute (BOLI) represents a radical change to the way Bell Canada provides internal training to its 27,000 employees. BOLI specializes in Web-based training, one type of technology enabled (distance) learning. Web-based training is a significant departure from the more traditional classroom-based practices at the Bell Institute for Professional Development, which is the organization that oversees all employee training at Bell Canada. This case study examines the use of Web-based training at Bell Canada in the context of business process reengineering. We present a theoretical context and a practical guide to how technology enabled learning changes the business processes in an organization. The study defines the processes that are required to deliver Web-based training, the value to the internal and external business practices of the organization, and the costs for each process. The wider applications of this case study are identified and will be of interest to those in other organizations that are moving from classroom delivered training to distance delivery. This case study describes changes in the organization that result from reengineering, including the impact Web-based learning has on training plans, student needs assessments, the ability to provide specialized curricula, training students and instructors in using new technologies, and establishing a principle of continuous improvement. Alternative ways of achieving project objectives are presented, along with organizational impact, technology alternatives, and cost-benefits.

Digital Divides

Education ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maggie Hartnett
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Digital Inclusion ◽  
Wrong Side ◽  
Digital Divides ◽  
Urban Rural

The term “digital divide” emerged in the 1990s in the United States to describe observed inequalities of access, initially, to computers and later to the Internet, information, and other digital technologies. Originally defined as the gap between those who have physical access to technology and those who do not, over time a more nuanced picture of the digital divide has emerged. Other factors such as motivation to use and technology skills, intention to use, and social support available vary among populations and are collectively referred to as the second-level divide. Recently, a third-level divide related to outcomes of using the Internet has emerged. A variety of sociodemographic factors have been identified across a multitude of national and cross-national studies that determine which groups are more likely to be on the wrong side of the access, use, and outcomes divides. These sociodemographic factors include: age, income, education, employment status, and geographical location (i.e., urban/rural). Other terms such as digital inclusion/exclusion and digital capital are increasingly used to highlight how sociodemographic factors related to digitally disadvantaged groups tend to reflect existing societal inequities. Over the two decades in which research about the digital divide has been undertaken, studies have shown that the divide is narrowing in terms of access but deepening, when considering use and outcomes of use, in countries where availability of digital technologies is near ubiquitous. Research in the last decade or so has identified various user groups whose characteristics sit on a spectrum from non-use to expert use. Digital divide theories are also emerging and large datasets across multiple countries are now being used to test such theories. It is also evident from recent research that the digital divide is not a static entity but is changing as a result of increasing use of digital devices, complexities of use, and socio-contextual factors. Research focused on initiatives that attempt to address digital divide issues demonstrates that there is no “one size fits all” solution and governments, in particular, play a central role in ensuring that technology infrastructure investment and development occurs to ensure the benefits of technological use are spread throughout society.

Digital divides impede 'edtech' in developing world

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
School Closures ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Digital Divides

Significance While access to schools has expanded in low- and middle-income countries in recent decades, learning outcomes have not seen a corresponding improvement. The onset of school closures during the pandemic created an unprecedented opportunity to deploy edtech solutions for distance learning. Impacts Infrastructure limitations are matched by lack of familiarity of both learners and teachers on how to make the best use of edtech content. A major push for online teaching amid the pandemic risks widening educational gaps between those with and without access. Further investment in expanding digital access is critical for taking edtech tools to remote and rural areas in developing countries.

scholarly journals Web Based Distance Learning at Faculty of Medicine of Sarajevo University

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-75
Author(s):  
Izet Mašić ◽  
Ahmed Novo ◽  
Mensura Kudumović ◽  
Admir Rama ◽  
Almir Džananović ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Medical Informatics ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Medical Curriculum ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Medical Faculty ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Science And Education

The time in which we live is defined by the significant influence of the information technologies on our lives, changes and development of society and the efficacy of all the organization systems. Increase and development of distance learning (DL) technologies over the past decade has exposed the potential and the efficiency of new technologies. Number of events has organized by teaching staff from Cathedrae for Medical Informatics in order to promote distance learning and web based education are very extensive: professional-scientific events, workshops and congresses, first tele-exam at the Medical Faculty, Introducing of Distance learning in curriculum at biomedical faculties, etc. At the University in Sarajevo in year 2003 was opened the e-learning center for the support to the faculties the distance studies by use of the information technology. At Medical Faculty of University of Sarajevo at Cathedrae for Medical Informatics since 2002 is in progress realization of the project named: "Possibilities of introducing distance learning in medical curriculum", approved by the Federal and the Cantonal ministry of science and education. Pilot project was realized during three past school years, theoretical and practical education of subject Medical informatics are adapted to the new concepts of education using world trends of education from the distance. One group of students was included in the project finalized by electronic exam registration and electronic exam on 20 June 2005, publicly, in the Physiology amphitheatre of the Medical Faculty in Sarajevo.

scholarly journals Teaching mathematical concepts using web-based collaborative enviroments. An eTwinning case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Λαμπρινή (Labrini) Νικόλαος Αλεξίου (Alexiou)
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
European Identity ◽  
Mathematical Concepts ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Learning Mathematics ◽  
European Program

eTwinning is an innovative European program that strengthens lifelong learning and the main purpose of which is the networking of schools with the help of new technologies. It is an initiative of the European Commission to strengthen the collaborative distance learning and the implementation of new innovative instructional methods. Through literature review, this article explores the contribution of the eTwinning project to the cultivation of basic skills, which the European Parliament identifies as keys to an individual's lifelong learning. Mathematics are included in these skills. It is an attempt to show the schools' potential to cultivate the students' European identity and European skills, such as cooperation and respect for the perceptions and culture of other people. It is also a case study aimed at exploring the cognitive, creative, cooperative and technological dimensions of an eTwinning action, as well as the attitude of 18 students towards the distance learning action, which they participated in. Τhe subject of the eTwinning practice combines mathematical concepts applied in real context. 

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