EdTech
K–12 Schools Implement Connectivity Solutions to Narrow the Homework Gap
More than two and half years into a global pandemic, school districts continue to struggle with high-speed Wi-Fi and the inequities that result when students and families can’t get consistent and reliable access to essential learning.
Understanding the Digital Equity Gap and Bridging the Digital Divide in Higher Ed
Despite the prevalence of online, hybrid and HyFlex classes in higher education, course accessibility is far from equal across student bodies. Even at larger, wealthier institutions like Indiana University Bloomington and The Ohio State University, a significant number of students lack the technological access necessary to fully participate. With a third of low-income students and 25 percent of all students battling unreliable internet access, evidence of this trend can be seen throughout the country. Access to campus computer labs isn’t always possible, especially for off-campus students.
When Students Can’t Get Broadband, Career Success Proves Elusive
For many university students, high-speed internet access on campus is as expected as sidewalks and electricity. With a large number of college curriculums and tools dependent on these digital connections, what happens for students who don’t have regular access to high-speed internet? According to new research from the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) presented to the Higher Education Coordinating Council (HECC), the lack of widely available broadband internet access in Florida is correlated to a smaller percentage of citizens with college degrees or certificates.
Districts Work to Close the Homework Gap
The village of Watkins Glen (NY) may be small but it is a tourism and digital powerhouse. Boasting a NASCAR racetrack and an impressive collection of wineries, festivals and natural attractions, the village has the kind of robust broadband connectivity necessary to accommodate the tens of thousands of tourists who come here each year — not to mention the digital education needs of the 1,150 students who attend the local Watkins Glen Elementary and Watkins Glen High schools. Unfortunately, though, “you go three miles outside of town, and all of that is gone,” says Tom Phillips, superintendent of Watkins Glen Central School District. “Then you are in rural, upstate New York, and there’s not much in the way of Internet infrastructure.” About 15 percent of the district’s students live in these areas. And as the district began ramping up its own technology capabilities several years ago, the gap between the Internet “haves” and “have-nots” within the student body became painfully visible.
The district’s two campuses already are outfitted with a Cisco wireless network and learning management system, and high school students are allowed to bring their own devices to school to access Office 365 and other cloud-based applications. Teachers post their class notes, assignments and recorded lectures online and consult with students via e-mail. Increasingly, students need access to these resources to complete homework assignments. So district officials took steps to bring the school network just a little closer to home: They outfitted the school’s fleet of 18 buses with Wi-Fi.