“Emancipatory Technology Enhanced Learning bridging whatever technology divides”

Dr. Maria Fragkaki Educator-Researcher CTI & Press- “Diophantus”

ICT in Schools and the Digital Divide

Alleviate, Sharpen or Hide?

For the Social Divide, Use ICT in schools!

• Political Advertisement?• Educational directive?• Pedagogical truth?

The divides

What is the “Digital Divide”?

The collective differences in society

(social classes, age groups, countries, ...)

that are related or due to Digital Technologies

What is the “Knowledge Divide” concerning ICT?

A gap beyond access and having the resources to connect to

ICT,to interpreting, understanding, reflecting and criticizing the

information presented once connected.

Technologies and Social Divides(in human history)

Dialectic effect:• New technological affordances broaden social schism between have’s and have-not’s

vs.• New technological affordances reach broader social segments

Example: Printing• More (printed) books implies wider potential difference between those who can and those who cannot read

vs.• More (printed) books allowed a far larger segment of the population to read

(Our) Claims

• The digital divide is a subtler social discrimination

• The type rather than the amount of ICT@E determines the resulting digital divide

• Simple use of ICT@E may well sharpen or hide the digital divide

• ICT@E has a ‘subjective’ social class effect

Beyond ownership and access

• Digital facilities are reaching the world population much faster (than: electricity, water, books, medicine, food, anything)

• But the digital divide is getting stronger

Examples:

• the ‘authority’ of the Webhttp://www.bigotry.org

http://www.everything.comhttp://www.truth.ac.edu

http://www.myownview.myowncountry

Examples:

•An actual case: ‘Hole-in-the-Wall’

•Vs. the Web as lab for critical thought

Integration of Emancipatory TEL (definition-principles)

•Critical consciousness in individuals and communities•Autonomy, responsibility, justice, equality and action for social change•Authentic & social concerning educational subjects •Learners as vehicles and not as instruments of change•educators as “critical friends” and advisors.•ICT as cognitive & emancipatory tools

Back to the basics?• Critical thinking (in the digital world)

• The politics of education (in the digital world)

• The role of the teacher (in the digital world)

• New directions through MOOCs & OER (in the digital world)

No! Forward to the basics!

Forward to the basics bridging whatever technology divides

Keep@dreaming.hope