Helpful solutions to digital divide obstacles causing EdTech inaccessibility to the disadvantaged

The subject of the digital divide opens for a vast discourse that usually transforms into a political debate. The term refers to the gap between secluded parts of the world that are void of digital accessibility and the affluent cities that are inherently blessed with the phenomenon. The inability to avail digital infrastructure such as devices and connectivity due to poor networks in different locations and income inequality gives birth to the digital divide. The digital divide effects are commonly known or witnessed by many as the world paces up to shift almost every aspect of life over the digital space. Eventually, pandemic mandated remote education facilities are not extended to those who relied entirely on acquiring education through physical mode and yet not exposed to the world of mew media. Therefore, EdTech inaccessibility leads to poor job opportunities making the poor poorer even in the forthcoming days. Thus, implementing various programs or solutions to the digital divide can save these gifted students from being deprived of education. 

Technological Support

With the advanced level of internet technology ushering in after every interval such as Web 2.0, Web 3.0 and so and so forth, the ones who are just now being exposed to the digital world are hopelessly losing cool while finding it difficult to cope with. To increase digital competence among them campaigns and schemes must be launched where they can acquire skills in technological innovations and functions. This is the foundational solution to the digital divide that empowers students to pursue remote education. By attaining a certain level of understanding about how the web and devices work together, students will be able to operate on themselves and can also teach the people around them. 

Facilitating Affordability

According to recommendations filed by the UN, governments are immensely responsible for EdTech inaccessibility. One of the basic and initial steps towards solutions to the digital divide could be ensuring affordability. The price of digital devices, internet packs, electricity tariffs must be reduced to extend remote education to all the students irrespective of location and income level. Policymakers of education can collaborate with big corporations to make digital access easier for students and teachers. Besides curbing EdTech’s inaccessibility, this move will also pour in advantages for information technology to expand.

Inclusive Use Of Language 

When educational contents include indigenous languages or language translation features into them, it makes it easy for learners to follow them and learn from them. This gives the students a greater sense of confidence to enroll in the course. The use of only English over the web space has made it difficult for millions of people who are not well-versed with the language. Thus, by incorporating the attribute to translate in any language, it makes it look more personalized and everyone is likely to find the lesson interesting once they feel engaged with it.

Overcoming Gender Digital Divide

The number of female digital users is enormously less than the number of male users. This further facilitates EdTech inaccessibility to the women who could otherwise be an asset to the progress of the nation and the world. This is one of the most concerning digital divide effects that is intertwined with social injustice. Initiatives must be taken by governments and educational leaders to gauge the discrimination and adopt measures that can secure the genders apart from the male in the EdTech space. 

Expanding Digital Literacy 

While learning about how devices and internet functions are an integral part of bridging the digital divide, acquiring knowledge about security concerns over the web, rational use, privacy policies, spamming, etc. are also critical. Digital literacy programs can limit the ignorance concerning advanced web interventions in their life. This will ensure their safety while they focus on remote educational benefits. By obtaining appropriate maneuvers, students may also register feedback on where and how they are facing issues and the educational leaders can in turn take into consideration for their better experience. 

Considering Specially-Abled

Students who are verbally challenged or cannot communicate on their own are often excluded from the policies of digital space. Solutions to the digital divide are incomplete without including the specially-abled children who seek education but cannot comply due to their impairments. One of the alarming digital divide effects is ignoring the students with disabilities. Thus, by employing various AI-powered functions in the education content, we can allow these special children to access education. For example, captioned videos, screen readers, adaptive technology, voice to text and text to voice recognition technology, and magnifying applications can contribute to the cause. This will ensure their freedom to acquire education as they can operate on their own.