Application of scientific knowledge about human learning to the practical tasks of teaching and learning (Newby, Stepich, Lehman, & Russell, 2000).
Published in Chapter:
Digital Inequity: Understanding the Divide as it Relates to Culture and Disability
Monica R. Brown (New Mexico State University, USA) and Michael Fitzpatrick (New Mexico State University, USA)
Copyright: © 2010
|Pages: 14
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61520-817-3.ch026
Abstract
A major challenge in education is to ensure that ALL students are prepared for the technological advances of the 21st century and beyond. This means that ALL students must have access and use of information/educational technologies (I/ET), including assistive technologies for students with disabilities, in their schools. Unfortunately, there is evidence that indicates that I/ET is not equitably distributed in schools and across all types of students (i.e., students with disabilities and students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds) (Brown, 2004; Brown, Higgins, & Hartley, 2001; Fitzpatrick & Brown, 2008). This chapter will: (a) discuss what access and use looks like for certain at-risk populations (i.e., students with disabilities and CLD students), (b) discuss some of the factors that account for the inequitable access and use of I/ET for those groups, and (c) offer solutions for increasing I/ET access and use for students with disabilities and CLD students.