{"id":255,"date":"2022-05-29T23:34:34","date_gmt":"2022-05-30T06:34:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0266\/?p=255"},"modified":"2022-09-11T19:33:27","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T02:33:27","slug":"poverty-and-the-digital-divide-impacts-of-the-covid-19-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0266\/poverty-and-the-digital-divide-impacts-of-the-covid-19-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"The Impacts of Digital Learning on Poverty and the Digital Divide: Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This post was informed by research, readings, and follow-up discussions with my MALAT counterpart, Darren Wilson<\/a>. <\/strong>We chose to explore the topic of \u201cPoverty and the Digital Divide\u201d, and how it has been impacted by digital learning. We decided to focus particularly on the increased challenges the COVID-19 pandemic presented and the resulting effects on vulnerable people, with a look ahead to post-pandemic impacts. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the Digital Divide? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The digital divide has, until most recently, been defined as the gap between those that have and do not have access to computers and the internet (Van Dijk, J., 2006). However, in the past two decades, more research and critical thinking has been conducted regarding what constitutes digital poverty (Learning Hive, 2020). The Internet Society states that the digital divide can better be described by the factors that impact digital access, such as, availability, affordability, quality of service, relevance, and additional divides in digital inequality (Muller, C. & de Vasconcelos Aguiar, J., 2022).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COVID-19: Increased Challenges for Disadvantaged People <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As stated by Stewart, B., et al. (2019), \u201cOpen does not mean inclusion\u201d, and the inequities in digital learning, particularly for disadvantaged populations, have existed since inception. The challenges that marginalized populations face have been exacerbated with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In her blog series, Digital Detox, Brenna Clarke Gray (2021) speaks to some of these challenges and specifically notes that students that were already struggling are now facing additional barriers caused by the shift to emergency online learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Access:<\/strong>  One of the hindrances that is not unique to, but has intensified as a result of COVID-19, is access to technology and the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many rural and Indigenous communities across Canada do not have access to a reliable internet connection. 53% of Canadians living in rural communities do not have access to high-speed internet (CRTC, 2022).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In more urban areas where reliable high-speed internet exists, the costs are often so prohibitive that many cannot afford it or, as described by Jack Graham, constitute the one third of Canadians that need to sacrifice other essentials like food or transportation in order to have internet access (Graham, 2020). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And for those where access was not an issue pre-pandemic, it became a challenge, especially for marginalized people who are often living in high-density, congregate, or multi-generational spaces, having multiple users trying to work and learn, creating unstable internet connections. A study by Katharine Kelly, Associate Professor at Carleton University, found that 57% of students had connection issues that affected their learning (Kelly, 2022).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even when individuals can access a reliable internet connection, it does not mean they have access to technology to function appropriately such as computers, microphones and headphones. A report from the Winnipeg School District found that 40% of students did not have access to a computer at home (Whitley et al., 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Learning Environments:<\/strong> When the pandemic hit, and physical spaces closed for in-person education, learners needed to shift to new environments that were not always conducive to effective learning. Shared, high-density, or congregate living spaces are often high-activity spaces which cause distractions and interfere with the ability to focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, home environments are not safe spaces for everyone. In the study by Kelly (2022) one student reported:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c…often distracted by the issues at home and I realized that although school is a learning organization, it can also be a place of escape. Being in class and focusing and learning keeps your attention from other things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lack of Supports: <\/strong>The shut down of in-person classes also meant the loss of the educational supports found on school campus that are vital for so many students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For English as a second language (ESL) students, it meant the loss of student services to help with language barriers. For students with special education needs, which are estimated to comprise 10%-20% of Canadian children (Whitley et al., 2021), it meant the loss of special education supports and accommodations to help them succeed academically. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Canada is the only G7 country without a national food program, there are many provincial or local food programs that exist for students. For low-income students, school closures meant the loss of any type of food program that may have existed for them to access. School food programs have been demonstrated to be one of the most successful drivers for improved health and education outcomes. An evaluation of a meal program in the Toronto District School Board showed that students who ate breakfast had at least a 10% increase in skills such as initiative, conflict resolution, class participation, and problem-solving (The Coalition for Healthy School Food, 2022).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Post Pandemic Future: Environmental Impacts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital learning has been on the rise for the past decade, and it is safe to say that it is not only here to stay, but will likely continue to increase exponentially post-pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that steady increase, it means there will be impacts to consider on our already fragile environment, which often disproportionately affect the world\u2019s most vulnerable populations. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Energy consumption patterns have been permanently altered. In areas where time-of-use metering is used, learning often takes place during peak or mid-peak hours. There was rate relief during the height of the pandemic, but it was only temporary, and rates have returned to regular time-of-use rates that are ever increasing with soaring energy prices. The climate-controlled data and server centres required to support cloud-based computing require vast amounts of energy to operate (Thylstrup, 2019, as cited in Selwyn, 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, energy consumption creates a staggering amount of carbon dioxide. In the UK it is estimated that 8% of total energy use is related to internet searching alone, with two internet searches equating to the same amount of energy use as boiling a kettle (Shalini & Prasanthi, 2013, as cited in Selwyn, 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There will also be an escalation in the production of the technology that is needed to support digital learning. Mining for metals and minerals, such as cobalt and lithium, that are required to manufacture computers often have dire consequences for the world\u2019s most disadvantaged people. The extraction usually takes place in regions of low economic development and the labour is often carried out by vulnerable people. Amnesty International found children in the Democratic Republic of Congo as young as seven mining for cobalt using the most basic tools and no protective equipment such as gloves, work clothes or facemasks (Amnesty International, 2016). The Atacama Indigenous people in South America are facing increased water shortages as the refining of lithium on their lands uses enormous amounts of water (Frankel & Whoriskey, 2016).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving forward in the space of EdTech as educational instructors or designers, it is crucial that those, like me, who are fortunate enough to not be as impacted by the challenges outlined above, do all that we can to mitigate the digital divide and digital learning’s impact on marginalized people. Strategies to help achieve this goal is a topic that I hope to dig into further for a future blog post, so please, stay tuned\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

REFERENCES<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amnesty International. (2016). \u201cThis is what we die for\u201d Human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo power the global trade in cobalt. <\/em>Amnesty International. extension:\/\/efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj\/https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/AFR6231832016ENGLISH.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). (2022, March 29). Broadband fund closing the digital divide in<\/em> Canada<\/em>. Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission https:\/\/crtc.gc.ca\/eng\/internet\/internet.htm<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clarke Gray, B. (2021, February 12). Digital detox #5: The harm was always there<\/em>. TRU Digital Detox. https:\/\/digitaldetox.trubox.ca\/digital-detox-5-the-harm-was-always-there\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frankel, T., & Whoriskey, P. (2016, December 2016). Tossed aside in the \u201cwhite gold\u201d rush. Indigenous people are left poor as tech world takes lithium from under their feet. The Washington Post<\/em>. https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/graphics\/business\/batteries\/tossed-aside-in-the-lithium-rush\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graham, J. (2020, April 16) COVID-19 is highlighting Canada\u2019s digital divide. What can we do about it? [blog post]. <\/em>Future of Good. https:\/\/futureofgood.co\/covid-19-is-highlighting-canadas-digital-divide-what-can-we-do-about-it\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelly, K. (2022). Building on students\u2019 perspectives on moving to online learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 13(1)<\/em>. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5206\/cjsotlrcacea.2022.1.10775<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning Hive. (2020). Digital poverty and its impact on education inequality<\/em>. Learning Hive. (2020).  https:\/\/www.learninghive.co.uk\/blog\/digital-poverty-and-education-inequality<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muller, C., &de Vasconcelos Aguiar, J. (2022, March 3). What Is the digital divide? <\/em>The Internet Society. What Is the Digital Divide? – Internet Society<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Selwyn, Neil (2021): Ed-Tech within Llmits: anticipating educational technology in times of environmental crisis<\/em>. [Journal contribution]. Monash University. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.26180\/14746032.v1<\/a>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stewart, B., Phipps, L., & Cormier, D. (2019, April 10). The Participatory Open: Can We Build a Pro-Social \/ Pro-Societal Web?<\/em> [Video]. YouTube. #OER19: The Participatory Open: Can We Build a Pro-Social \/ Pro-Societal Web? [O-127] – YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Coalition for Healthy School Food. (2022) Why it Matters.<\/em> The Coalition for Healthy School Food. <\/em>https:\/\/www.healthyschoolfood.ca\/why-it-matters<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Van Dijk, J. (2006). Digital divide research, achievements and shortcomings. Poetics<\/em>, 221-235, (4-5). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.poetic.2006.05.004<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whitley, J., Beauchamp, M.H., Brown, C. (2021, October 14) The impact of COVID-19 on the learning and achievement of vulnerable Canadian children and youth. FACETS. <\/em>https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1139\/facets-2021-009<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This post was informed by research, readings, and follow-up discussions with my MALAT counterpart, Darren Wilson. We chose to explore the topic of \u201cPoverty and the Digital Divide\u201d, and how it has been impacted by digital learning. We decided to… Continue Reading →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":276,"featured_media":252,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1],"tags":[18],"class_list":["post-255","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lrnt521","category-uncategorized","tag-lrnt-521"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0266\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0266\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0266\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0266\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/276"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0266\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=255"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0266\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":265,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0266\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255\/revisions\/265"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0266\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0266\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=255"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0266\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=255"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0266\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=255"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}