Article 1: Strategies For Overcoming The Digital Divide

From Digital Culture & Society

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	==Context==		==Context==
		+	This article alerts about a widened digital divide, which could no longer be ignored as COVID-19 forced higher education onto virtual platforms. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the educational landscape witnessed a rapid and substantial shift towards online learning modalities, exposing underlying disparities in digital access and technological readiness among higher education institutions. The researchers of this study set out to not only observe these strategies but also to delve into the myriad experiences and challenges encountered by faculty and administrators in navigating this technological transformation. Guided by three focal research questions, the study probed into the nuanced descriptions of digital divide experiences and challenges faced by educators and administrators during the pandemic, as well as the innovative strategies devised to surmount these obstacles within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Employing a qualitative research design, interviews involving teaching faculty and from diverse public and private universities in Ghana. Through a meticulous thematic analysis, the researchers identified crucial categories that underpinned the strategies employed, including affordable Internet connectivity provisions, utilization of digital tools for hybrid and remote courses, establishment of information communication and technology platforms, and facilitation of professional development workshops aimed at enhancing digital skills and knowledge. Furthermore, the study contextualized its findings within a three-level model of the digital divide, elucidating challenges encompassing technological infrastructure within educational settings, educator proficiency in utilizing technology, and the potential for technology to empower students. By rigorously analyzing the experiences of Ghanaian universities, this study significantly contributes to the broader discourse on the digital divide prevalent in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering invaluable insights and paving the way for informed interventions to address these disparities.
	==Overview==		==Overview==

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Revision as of 19:50, 7 December 2023

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Contents 1 Context 2 Overview 3 Strengths and Weaknesses 4 Assessment

Context

This article alerts about a widened digital divide, which could no longer be ignored as COVID-19 forced higher education onto virtual platforms. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the educational landscape witnessed a rapid and substantial shift towards online learning modalities, exposing underlying disparities in digital access and technological readiness among higher education institutions. The researchers of this study set out to not only observe these strategies but also to delve into the myriad experiences and challenges encountered by faculty and administrators in navigating this technological transformation. Guided by three focal research questions, the study probed into the nuanced descriptions of digital divide experiences and challenges faced by educators and administrators during the pandemic, as well as the innovative strategies devised to surmount these obstacles within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Employing a qualitative research design, interviews involving teaching faculty and from diverse public and private universities in Ghana. Through a meticulous thematic analysis, the researchers identified crucial categories that underpinned the strategies employed, including affordable Internet connectivity provisions, utilization of digital tools for hybrid and remote courses, establishment of information communication and technology platforms, and facilitation of professional development workshops aimed at enhancing digital skills and knowledge. Furthermore, the study contextualized its findings within a three-level model of the digital divide, elucidating challenges encompassing technological infrastructure within educational settings, educator proficiency in utilizing technology, and the potential for technology to empower students. By rigorously analyzing the experiences of Ghanaian universities, this study significantly contributes to the broader discourse on the digital divide prevalent in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering invaluable insights and paving the way for informed interventions to address these disparities.

Overview

Strengths and Weaknesses

Assessment

Jw21mx 22:30, 7 December 2023 (UTC)