Presentation of my full paper from SITE 2010; Prezi version at http://prezi.com/ocjihsiew7in/

1. Navigating Today’s Digital Divide: Motivating All Learners Toward Success Anastasia Trekles Clinical Asst. Professor Purdue University Calumet Hammond, IN, USA 3/25/10 Anastasia Trekles - SITE 2010

2. Background Purdue University Calumet in Hammond, IN – very diverse, urban population Many non-traditional and first generation college students Some residential but mostly commuter campus Largest regional campus of Purdue University (main campus: West Lafayette, IN, Big Ten Research I school) 3/25/10 Anastasia Trekles - SITE 2010

3. Digital Divide Persistence Policies that favor higher socioeconomic groups Latest: YouTube videos for college applications Physical access to broadband Internet and newest computers still most common with high SES Low SES groups – youth in particular - tend to favor cell phones/smartphones for their tech needs Baby boomers and mature generation still lagging in skills, opportunities, motivation to get online, although they tend to be most suited and prefer distance education Females, disabled, less educated also lagging in access and motivation 3/25/10 Anastasia Trekles - SITE 2010

4. Today’s Climate and the Need for Technology Literacy People are overburdened with information Belief that tech is “reserved for the elite or the young” Demand for distance learning in post-secondary increases as more people need job skills while still maintaining other responsibilities An increasing number of services are being provided only or mostly through the Internet or phone (government services, customer service, etc.) as jobs and facilities are cut 3/25/10 Anastasia Trekles - SITE 2010

5. Trends in the Digital Divide Socioeconomic exclusion through policy: http://www.higheredmorning.com/does-latest-college-application-trend-discriminate Media and tech literacy down – more teachers and professors believe that millennial already “know it all” before they get to class Motivation lacks when there is no relevant use for a task or it does not fit into daily life; i.e., the prevalence of social media 3/25/10 Anastasia Trekles - SITE 2010

6. Motivating Learners Digital skills improve with time and motivation Physical access can be improved with assistive technology, self-tutoring resources, personal support Language and literacy barrier also important to keep in mind – accessibility is more than physical access Providing time and opportunity for learners to practice needed skills Relate learned skills directly to lifestyle or job needs – if there is no need to learn something, chances are people won’t want to learn! 3/25/10 Anastasia Trekles - SITE 2010

7. Supporting Learners Train users on changing the language of onscreen menus/commands Use analogies for unfamiliar concepts (desktop = workbench, directories = toolbox drawers, etc) Explain dangers of Internet usage thoroughly and how to avoid them (phishing, viruses, etc.) 3/25/10 Anastasia Trekles - SITE 2010

8. Media Literacy Train learners in media literacy and critical evaluation skills as well as Internet search and usage Explain the concept of hypermedia and the multidimensional nature of the Internet Understanding domain names and Internet addresses (i.e, when a website change has taken place, https vs. http) Help users with evaluation through checklists with useful information and criteria Help users develop good search questions and to use advanced searches 3/25/10 Anastasia Trekles - SITE 2010

9. Bridging the Usage Gap Provide ample opportunity for practice Just-in-time training Find, teach, and model the most efficient approach to technology tasks Web 2.0 allows us to take care of many tasks in many different ways, complex or not complex - use the best tool for your audience Consider ensuring that users with mobile devices can access services, coursework, etc. Provide technology training in relevant, culturally sensitive contexts – do not be afraid to customize handouts, standup training, course delivery based on audience 3/25/10 Anastasia Trekles - SITE 2010

10. References Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2006). Staying the course: Online education in the United States, 2008. Needham, Massachusetts: The Sloan Consortium. Retrieved September 9, 2009, from http://www.sloanconsortium.org/publications/survey/pdf/staying_the_course.pdf. Amiel, T. (2006). Mistaking computers for technology: Technology literacy and the digital divide. AACE Journal, 14(3). 235-256. Aviram, A., & Eshet-Alkalai, Y. (2006). Toward a theory of digital literacy” Three scenarios for the next steps. European Journal of Open, Distance, and E-Learning, 2006/I. Retrieved August 23, 2007, from http://www.eurodl.org/materials/contrib/2006/Aharon_Aviram.htm. Contreras, F. (2009, December 1). Young latinos, blacks answer call of mobile devices. National Public Radio. Retrieved December 5, 2009, from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120852934. Ford, F. (2010, March 9). Does latest college application trend discriminate? Higher Ed Morning. Retrieved March 10, 2010, from http://www.higheredmorning.com/does-latest-college-application-trend-discriminate. Fox, S. (2006). Are ‘wired seniors’ sitting ducks? Retrieved September 28, 2007, from http://pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Wired_Senior_2006_Memo.pdf. Hargittai, E. (2008). The role of expertise in navigating links of influence. In J. Turow & L. Tsui (Eds.), The Hyperlinked Society: Questioning Connections in the Digital Age. University of Michigan: The University of Michigan Press. 3/25/10 Anastasia Trekles - SITE 2010

11. References Hargittai, E. & Hinnant, A. (2008). Digital Inequality: Differences in Young Adults' Use of the Internet. Communication Research, 35(5):602-621. Heintz, R. (2007, March). 6231 reasons to upgrade your computer skills. Jobjournal.com. Retrieved September 18, 2007, from http://www.jobjournal.com/article_full_text.asp?artid=1960. Horrigan, J. (2008). Home broadband adoption 2008. Retrieved July 9, 2008, from http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Broadband_2008.pdf. Horrigan, J. (2007a). Why it will be hard to close the broadband divide. Retrieved September 11, 2007, from http://pewinternet.org/pdfs/Broadband_Commentary.pdf. Horrigan, J. (2007b). A typology of information and communication technology users. Retrieved June 7, 2007, from http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_ICT_Typology.pdf. Mach, N. (2009). Gaming, learning 2.0, and the digital divide. In Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2009 (pp. 2972-2977). Chesapeake, VA: AACE. 3/25/10 Anastasia Trekles - SITE 2010

12. References Moltz, D. (2009, August 22). The community college enrollment boom. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved September 9, 2009, from http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/08/22/growth. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (2004). A nation online: Entering the broadband age. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Commerce. Norris, P. (2001). Digital divide: Civic engagement, information poverty, and the Internet worldwide. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. Pew Internet & American Life Project (2009, July 15). Demographics of Internet users. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved September 10, 2009, from http://pewinternet.org/Static-Pages/Trend-Data/Whos-Online.aspx. Van Dijk, J. A. G. M. (2005). The deepening divide: Inequality in the information society. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Wang, Y. (2007). Riding to the future – An investigation of information literacy skills of students at an urban university as applied to the web environment. International Journal on E-Learning, 6(4), 593-603. Warschauer, M. (2008). Whither the digital divide? In D. L. Kleinman, K. A. Cloud-Hansen, C. Matta, and J. Handesman (Eds.) Controversies in science and technology: From climate to chromosomes. New Rochelle, NY: Liebert. 3/25/10 Anastasia Trekles - SITE 2010

13. Contact Me! My website: http://education.calumet.purdue.edu/Faculty/trekles Putting People First: Human Issues in Instructional Technology (Kindle e-book): http://www.zelda23publishing.com My Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/andella My email: atrekles@purdue.edu 3/25/10 Anastasia Trekles - SITE 2010