Resources

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**Further Reading **


 * Ahn, J. (2011). Digital divides and social network sites: Which students participate in social media? //Journal of Educational// //Computing Research//, 45(2), 147-163. doi: 10.2190/EC.45.2.b **

This study investigates whether demographic information (race, gender, age, education) is indicative of American teenagers use of social networking sites (SNS). 700 American teenagers were interviewed over the telephone in order to gauge their social participation on SNS's. As use of these SNS’s increase, research has begun on how these spaces can be utilized as learning platforms—and whether teens belonging to certain populations are unable to participate due to access (adding another dimension to the digital divide discussion). Interestingly, results indicated that computer access at home had no effect on the use of SNS, nor did race. However, gender (females participate at much higher rates) and age (older teens participate more) were the most telling indicators. Moreover, technical literacy acted as a prominent predicator of participation.


 * Meneses, J., & Mominó, J. (2010). Putting digital literacy in practice: How schools contribute to digital inclusion in the network society. Information Society, 26(3), 197-208. doi:10.1080/01972241003712231 **

Meneses and Mominó’s (2010) research study seeks to understand digital inequalities in children and young people. The researchers assess the diverse and socially mediated opportunities needed to learn basic digital skills from a representative sample of 6,602 primary and secondary students from 350 schools and high schools in Catalonia, Spain. The research shows that the school appears to be playing a secondary role, as compared with children and young people’s social practice in heterogenic contexts of everyday life, not only for Internet training but also for providing opportunities to develop and master basic digital skills.


 * Bessette, L.S. (2012). It’s about class: Interrogating the digital divide. //Hybrid pedagogy: A Digital Journal of Learning and Technology//. Retrieved from: http://www.hybridpedagogy.com/Journal/files/the_digital_divide.html **

In this article, educator Lee Skallerup Bessette discusses what she terms “the class divide.” By this, she means the discrepancies between (technological) resources (and therefore opportunities for students) between different academic departments and across post-secondary institutions. She argues that students (and teachers) need opportunities to “play” with technology, and not be afraid to “misuse it.” However, when funding is tight (in homes and schools), computers are conceptualized solely as “tools” and not as “toys”—a notion that Bessette believes contributes to the digital divide.


 * Donlan, R. (2010). From the editor: Wikipedia and the digital divide. //Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery & Electronic Reserves//, 20(5), 281-283. doi:10.1080/1072303X.2010.523669 **

The article discusses the use of wikipedia for librarians to resolve issues and problems particularly on the digital divide. It also highlights the use of Internet, as it is applied in journal editing, as a good source and example for libraries that has to do with information sharing, public access, and the educational standards of academic societies. The author is also particular on the role among librarians in the educational enterprise on the dissemination of information to the public.


 * Epstein, D., Nisbet, E. C., & Gillespie, T. (2011). Who's responsible for the digital divide? Public perceptions and policy implications. //Information Society//, 27(2), 92-104. **

Using a different approach to discussing the topic of the digital divide and its impact, this article focuses on exploring the term “digital divide” as they acknowledge its existence since the early beginnings of the internet age. The authors propose that the differences in defining this term also serve to influence policy and outcomes depending on who is viewed as “responsible” for this issue. After re-examing the term “digital divide”, different conceptual frameworks and representation of this topic are explored and discussed. They follow this by examining how public policy and communicative discourses flow from accountable sources and serve to influence policy and public understanding of this conceptual issue.


 * Gorski, P. C. (2002). Dismantling the digital divide: A multicultural education framework. //Multicultural Education//, 10(1), 28-30. **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This article analyzes inequities in access to computers by gender and race, discerning connections between the two, and how this impacts the use of a multicultural education approach to understanding and eliminating the digital divide. The author suggests that strategies used to resolve inequalities and eliminate the digital divide should involve critiquing technology-related inequities in the context of larger educational and social inequities, broadening the significance of access, and confronting capitalist propaganda.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Krebeck, A. (2010). Closing the 'DIGITAL DIVIDE'. //Computers in Libraries//, 30(8), 12-15. **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This article discusses a public computing center project which was initiated by the Charles County Public Library in Maryland to in an attempt to address issues brought on by the digital divide within the state. It also discusses broadband Internet access and public computer use as a popular service offered by public libraries, the challenges of expanding these services in a library system, and the assumptions and opportunities that have guided the project and would guide a potential project like this. The article is useful in detailing efforts to create public computing projects and would be helpful to any library or librarian to read and understand.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Modarres, A. (2011). Beyond the digital divide. //National Civic Review//, 100(3), 4-7. **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">In an effort to shed light and facilitate a conversation surrounding an emerging pattern characteristic of current technology users, the author discusses Digital Differentiation as a new trend observed by researchers. With the advent of mobile internet, it is being recorded that those with reduced socio-economic status are choosing to connect to the internet this way because of the increased affordability and accessibility options. The author argues that although this could be viewed as a transformation equalizing the ratio of have and have-nots, that this is phenomena is actually created a different divide. This concern stems from discussion regarding whether how one enters the digital world affects how to engage with it, thereby creating a new kind of divide inclusion.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Sun, J., & Metros, S. E. (2011). The Digital divide and its impact on academic performance. //US-China Education Review A//, (2a), 153-161. **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This article discusses the interrelation and competing factors that serve to influence the impact and influence of technology on student performance. The existence of the digital divide, issues of social equity and the impact on academic achievement are explored using Bennett’s (2001) societal equity framework. Research and findings in this area report that this is not a direct correlation and that many competing factors serve to influence academic performance as influenced by socio-economic status. Further discussion is proposed to confront issues surrounding policy implications in order to effect and improve future career opportunities for those identified as under served by the use and influence of technology.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Torenli, N. (2006). The ‘Other’ faces of digital exclusion: ICT gender divides in the broader community. //European Journal of Communication//,21(4), 435-455. doi: 10.1177/0267323106070010 **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The aim of this article is to evaluate digital exclusion from the perspective of women in disadvantaged areas of society. Inadequate personal professional qualifications combined with the costs of access to and use of ICTs, are having a growing adverse effect on the socioeconomic lives of women. The author argues that if the utilization of ICT opportunities in disadvantaged groups is left purely to time or ‘natural’ market processes, the process of digital exclusion will continue to increase rapidly.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">J Lang. (2012). The Proverbial Lone Wolf Librarian’s weblog. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from [] **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">In his blog, which he began in May 2008, John Robert Lang discusses a myriad of ideas that relate to the Digital Divide and Digital Libraries, amongst other technological related issues. He makes use of social media, infographics and video to create a fully interactive blog that addresses any technological issues that a librarian may encounter, and also often discusses in depth concerns of digital literacy and inclusion.