9.2- Digital Divides

2) What difference to all this might the 'digital divide' make? a) To socioeconomically related access issues within a society? b) To global access issues across countries and regions?

I think that the assumption is that the digital divide, certain people being able to afford to have the means to access the Internet and other new technologies, in terms of Prensky’s ideas, will result in digital natives having a better understanding of the things they are taught than those who do not have access to such technologies. As Prensky suggests that natives speaking a new language should be taught through this new language of technology.

However, one commentator on this topic, Henry Jenkins, in his blog writes about the way in which the term digital native is all encompassing and does not allow any room for variations. He states that his research suggests that whilst lots of the children he has worked with do use technology, there were variations in the way in which it affected their lives. For example, although lots of the children did not have Internet access or a computer at home, they were still able to use technology to express themselves, for example through computer games or DVD collections.

Therefore, the digital divide, according to Jenkins, will not necessarily mean that those with Internet access will not benefit from learning by using technology, as those without it still have the means by which to experience many of the same benefits, such as expressing themselves, finding information, and communicating with friends.

The result of this, in terms of global issues across countries and regions, will mean that those with access to the technologies will not be any better equipped or learn the content in an easier way, because, as Jenkins suggests, those who do not necessarily have Internet access at home, still do have a means of expressing themselves through technology as it is so ingrained in modern day life.

W8. Task 1. Who cares about Digital Immigration?

Who cares about it?

One of the main things which have resulted from this difference between two generations is that it has changed the way in which people process information.

The term ‘Digital Immigrant’ was first coined by Marc Prency in an article written in 2001 about the effects of this change upon the teaching and learning processes which can be assessed here.

Within this article he makes the point that if digital natives are being taught through digital immigrant methods, they aren’t going to learn as effectively as if they were being taught in a language they are more likely to relate to, the language of digital natives.

For example, he states that,

“…there is no reason that a generation that can memorize over 100 Pokémon characters with all their characteristics, history and evolution can’t learn the names, populations, capitals and relationships of all the 101 nations in the world. It just depends on how it is presented.”(p. 5)

This raises the issue of the effects of the digital divide. If those who are digital natives have a different way of processing information to those who do not have regular access to the Internet, does this mean that different methods of teaching will be needed for different classes of people as lower class families are less likely to have a family P.C. on which to access the Internet?