Portfolio Section A: Chapter 1. Understanding
Development:
Bridging the digital divide.
The digital divide focuses on the disparity in access to information communication
technologies, faced by people due to many factors. This time around I will only be focusing
on three of the five topics previously covered.
1. Education:
Now more than ever the importance of ICT’s is being felt, and the stringent measures put in
place to reduce spread of the virus, students across the world are being asked to adapt by
utilising online resources in order to gain knowledge. According to Brown (2020) “This
Digital Divide is one manifestation of inequity in education and describes the gap between
students who have sufficient access to and knowledge of technology to succeed
academically, and those who do not.” With traditional means of getting an education
seemingly obscure of late, pre-pandemic much of a student’s worry was simply getting into
a classroom irrespective of where they are from, they’d at least be afforded a chance to gain
knowledge in class by physically being there, now the challenge is assisting students who
don’t have the same level of opportunity an equal chance at succeeding outside of school
grounds.
Solution;
By imploring telecom companies to offer a hand in the distribution of free data for
educational purposes, and tasking local manufacturing companies to design cheap and
affordable tablets for students, this would go a long way in alleviating some of the problems
faced.
2. Geography and Infrastructure:
Broadband accessibility is indispensable for advanced internet services, the geographical
landscape can add certain challenges in bridging the digital divide. Countries with a less
developed economy lack the technology and infrastructure to set up a high speed
connection, which brings in my point of how poverty and inequality feed of this new form of
disparity, that is, digital inequality. According to Steele (2021) “In-country geographical
restrictions also widen the digital divide.” Now urban regions are more likely to have access
to 5G or fibre optic internet than rural or mountainous zones.
Solution;
High income countries could help low income countries by donating equipment and
teaching how to run infrastructure, non-profit organisations could be implored to do the
same, organisations such as, Linux4Africa and the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation have
been pioneering change across the world with the hopes of assisting third world economies
bridge the disparity in opportunities through ICT’s for development. “Amazing things
happen when you give people the resources they need,” said Bruce Brooks(2000),
Microsoft’s director of Community Affairs.
Development:
Bridging the digital divide.
The digital divide focuses on the disparity in access to information communication
technologies, faced by people due to many factors. This time around I will only be focusing
on three of the five topics previously covered.
1. Education:
Now more than ever the importance of ICT’s is being felt, and the stringent measures put in
place to reduce spread of the virus, students across the world are being asked to adapt by
utilising online resources in order to gain knowledge. According to Brown (2020) “This
Digital Divide is one manifestation of inequity in education and describes the gap between
students who have sufficient access to and knowledge of technology to succeed
academically, and those who do not.” With traditional means of getting an education
seemingly obscure of late, pre-pandemic much of a student’s worry was simply getting into
a classroom irrespective of where they are from, they’d at least be afforded a chance to gain
knowledge in class by physically being there, now the challenge is assisting students who
don’t have the same level of opportunity an equal chance at succeeding outside of school
grounds.
Solution;
By imploring telecom companies to offer a hand in the distribution of free data for
educational purposes, and tasking local manufacturing companies to design cheap and
affordable tablets for students, this would go a long way in alleviating some of the problems
faced.
2. Geography and Infrastructure:
Broadband accessibility is indispensable for advanced internet services, the geographical
landscape can add certain challenges in bridging the digital divide. Countries with a less
developed economy lack the technology and infrastructure to set up a high speed
connection, which brings in my point of how poverty and inequality feed of this new form of
disparity, that is, digital inequality. According to Steele (2021) “In-country geographical
restrictions also widen the digital divide.” Now urban regions are more likely to have access
to 5G or fibre optic internet than rural or mountainous zones.
Solution;
High income countries could help low income countries by donating equipment and
teaching how to run infrastructure, non-profit organisations could be implored to do the
same, organisations such as, Linux4Africa and the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation have
been pioneering change across the world with the hopes of assisting third world economies
bridge the disparity in opportunities through ICT’s for development. “Amazing things
happen when you give people the resources they need,” said Bruce Brooks(2000),
Microsoft’s director of Community Affairs.
