ABSTRACT
This article seeks to understand the ways that the COVID-19 pandemic has tested the effectiveness of library-based equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts. In the early days of the pandemic, libraries closed their doors and pivoted to digital services and programs, resources often inaccessible to BIPOC and low-income users. Since reopening, libraries have found that the lack of diversity in their ranks and information curation is compromising their ability to actualize the equity, diversity, and inclusion goals—objectives that are critical to closing the socioeconomic gaps that the pandemic has only widened. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Library Administration is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
The creation of digital ventures in developing countries is an alternative to the generation of jobs in the ICT sector, but the lack of qualified individuals in ICT-related skills inhibits the growth of new companies, a gap that is analyzed with the digital divide theory. This research aims to understand the dynamics using a simulation model that combines aspects of the adoption of ICTS, internet availability, skills, with the entrepreneurial motor of innovation systems. The methodology is developed with data from a national ICT survey and organizations in Colombia. Different scenarios are analyzed regarding ICT education and inclusive policies. Results show that Covid-19 pandemic consequences could have a negative effect during five years and that under a scenario of accelerated growth of ICT, the sector could demand up to 400.000 ICT- related jobs by 2035. The main contribution of this research is the understanding of the ICT systems from an inclusive perspective, identifying the key variables that determine the growth of ventures and the development of digital skills among individuals. © 2023
ABSTRACT
The confinement caused by Covid-19 has accelerated the expansion of social networks such as TikTok (Tamara, 2020), which is experiencing profound growth among younger users. The centennials in this network focus mainly on the production and dissemination of tutorials, vídeo selfies, choreographies or humorous videos designed to entertain their followers (Suárez-Álvarez and García-Jiménez, 2021). However, the platform can also be used to give a voice to minorities, report situations of inequality or claim the rights of certain groups (Sánchez-Castillo and Mercado-Sáez, 2021). To this end, the network launched the hashtag #ThingsTheyTellMe;an inclusive initiative to promote the fight against inequality and discrimination against people. This hashtag invites citizens to denounce the exclusion they have suffered at certain times in their lives. The aim of the study is to identify the issues addressed in the publications and to find out the evaluations issued by a group of experts on these issues. The methodology consists of two different qualitative techniques: content analysis and a focus group. A content analysis sheet and a semi-structured questionnaire were prepared, both of which were developed in-house. After analysing a total of 200 videos and learning about the perceptions of three PhDs in communication and three PhDs in education, it was observed that the prosumers of this network have reported situations of rejection based on place of birth, gender, physical appearance, sexual orientation, profession, family composition, beliefs or hobbies. In conclusion, the diversity of issues addressed shows that TikTok represents an ideal showcase for combating inequalities, but it is necessary to develop other complementary actions, in the communication and educational sphere, to generate lasting positive change over time. Copyright © 2023 (Micaletto-Belda, Martín Ramallal).
ABSTRACT
The Australian response to COVID-19 demonstrates how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, partnership, and self-determination are critical in ensuring public health measures and pandemic response planning is effective for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This chapter outlines the key evidence-based recommendations and actions developed by three national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led groups, in meaningful partnership with government, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander response to COVID-19, led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities, has been renowned across the world. This highlights the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander governance and leadership in leading the pandemic response for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and further illustrates the strengths of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander response to COVID-19 when priority reforms are heard and implemented by government. Throughout this chapter, mental health and well-being responses related to COVID-19 are particularly emphasised. Mental health experts predict that the mental health and well-being issues exacerbated by the pandemic will persist for many years (Savage, Coronavirus: The possible long-term mental health impacts, 2020). The mental health and well-being impacts of COVID-19 are of particular significance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who experience significant well-being disparities associated with the historical, political, and social determinants of health, arising from colonisation (Dudgeon et al., Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles and practice, 2014). Together, the recommendations outlined here provide an effective base to plan for the long-term recovery of mental health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from COVID-19 and ensure the preparedness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities for future pandemics. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.
ABSTRACT
The clash of global ageing with the ICT development appears a new challenge to the international community. Transferring many life activities to the global network during the 2020 pandemic has clearly proved that low digital literacy may result in social exclusion and limit enjoying various human rights. Therefore, the author of this study examines the universal human rights instruments' capability to compel States to take steps towards the inclusion of older generations into the information society, mainly through improving their digital skills. Since a worldwide convention protecting older persons' rights is still in pre – negotiations on the UN forum, she picks out provisions scattered among human rights treaties, potentially referring to digital literacy in older adults, and tries to establish their contemporary interpretation and effectiveness. The author takes the view that international human rights law and its mechanisms have the potential to affect the so-called grey digital divide. However, the provisions adopted in previous decades require a modern and inclusive interpretation corresponding to the contemporary demographic situation and the 'digital reality'. The States' obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the rights to education, information, access to scientific achievements, and an adequate standard of living need to be overhauled and updated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Human Rights is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the acceleration of digitization and the consideration of digital financial inclusion as a means to minimize negative economic consequences and increase the resilience of households and SMEs. The purpose of this article was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on digital financial inclusion by constructing and calculating an integral index of digital financial inclusion (DFI) based on Global Findex Database indicators. The approach to calculating the DFI index and two sub-indices that characterized passive participation in financial relations and active use of digital technologies was based on a linear mathematical model of the integrated indicator and on the use of the Fishburn formula to calculate the weight coefficients. The obtained results proved the acceleration of digital financial inclusion in 2021 and revealed significant differences in DFI between countries and groups of countries according to income level as well as problems of financial exclusion of the most vulnerable groups of population, especially in developing countries. The obtained results regarding the level of DFI are discussed from the point of view of COVID-19 impacts: both directly by influencing consumer behavior and decisions regarding digital financial services and from a broader perspective by influencing business entities, financial service providers, and regulation. © 2023 by the authors.
ABSTRACT
Traditionally, storytelling was used for entertainment and the transfer of know-how. The advent of digital media gave rise to new possibilities for telling stories. When the context is, for example, to relay information about how to protect a person from COVID-19, it is referred to as serious storytelling. The main objective of this research was to establish what skills and attributes would be required for someone to autonomously "tell” a serious digital story in a resource constrained environment. A systematic literature review of peer reviewed articles resulted in a knowledge bank of articles. Atlas Ti was used to qualitatively analyse these articles. Even though a resource constrained environment may be a limiting factor for telling a digital story, this research has found that emotional support, digital inclusion, as well as assisting individuals with their devices, can pave the way to autonomous digital storytelling. © 2023 Authors. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Digital inclusion is an opportunity to fill the digital divide, the inequity preventing access to technological resources which support participation in online learning. Specific to financially disadvantaged students, this interpretive qualitative study examines how factors of digital inclusion influence one's decision to pursue an online health certificate program. To better understand how digital inclusion may impact the decision to pursue an online program, prospective students and faculty members were interviewed. From interview data, the following digital inclusion themes emerged (a) access to reliable internet, (b) access to internet-enabled devices, (c) access to digital literacy training, (d) quality technical support, and (e) applications designed to enable self-sufficiency and participation. Themes of online education include (a) characteristics of the learner, (b) value of student engagement, and (c) supporting adult learners. Lastly, themes related to social influences are (a) financial barriers and (b) impacts of COVID-19. Utilizing a social justice theoretical lens for sensemaking and understanding of data, propositions and implications for practice that benefit higher education institutions are given. Such propositions include: (a) offering digital inclusion support (e.g., access to reliable internet and quality devices) to provide an equitable educational experience, (b) understanding the stratification of generational differences in technology usage, explicitly for adult learners, (c) developing a robust Learning Management System (LMS) training strategy to support faculty and students, and (d) reevaluating communication in and outside of the classroom to provide more opportunities to improve student understanding and peer engagement. These action-based propositions provide salient steps for continued work in digital inclusion within the higher education realm. Key recommendations for higher education institutions include: (a) establishing a program that provides access to reliable devices and internet service, (b) mandating a robust institution-wide training for digital literacy, and (c) cultivating an online community environment to support engagement and to centralize digital and financial resources. With these recommendations, institutions of higher education can offer equitable online education, attainable by more students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Background: Accessing and receiving care remotely (by telephone, video or online) became the default option during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, but in-person care has unique benefits in some circumstances. We are studying UK general practices as they try to balance remote and in-person care, with recurrent waves of COVID-19 and various post-pandemic backlogs. Methods: Mixed-methods (mostly qualitative) case study across 11 general practices. Researchers-in-residence have built relationships with practices and become familiar with their contexts and activities; they are following their progress for two years via staff and patient interviews, documents and ethnography, and supporting improvement efforts through co-design. In this paper, we report baseline data. Results: Reflecting our maximum-variety sampling strategy, the 11 practices vary in size, setting, ethos, staffing, population demographics and digital maturity, but share common contextual features-notably system-level stressors such as high workload and staff shortages, and UK's technical and regulatory infrastructure. We have identified both commonalities and differences between practices in terms of how they: 1] manage the 'digital front door' (access and triage) and balance demand and capacity; 2] strive for high standards of quality and safety; 3] ensure digital inclusion and mitigate wider inequalities; 4] support and train their staff (clinical and non-clinical), students and trainees; 5] select, install, pilot and use technologies and the digital infrastructure which support them; and 6] involve patients in their improvement efforts. Conclusions: General practices' responses to pandemic-induced disruptive innovation appear unique and situated. We anticipate that by focusing on depth and detail, this longitudinal study will throw light on why a solution that works well in one practice does not work at all in another. As the study unfolds, we will explore how practices achieve timely diagnosis of urgent or serious illness and manage continuity of care, long-term conditions and complex needs.
ABSTRACT
Technology and digital platforms have become essential for people and communities to interact because of COVID-19. Despite its benefits, digital exclusion disproportionately affects Pacific communities living in New Zealand. This article provides insights into how Niue mamatua (older adults) used their gifted mobile phones and mobile data as part of a COVID-19 digital inclusion initiative. It begins with an overview of the digital inclusion needs of older adults, followed by a description of the digital vā (relational space) and negotiating a new way of maintaining connection in an online world. The tutala (a Niue method of conversation anchored on respect) with 12 mamatua highlighted the benefits, support factors, and challenges of how they were able to use their mobile phone. Importantly, mobile phones provided the necessary access and connectivity to interact in a digitally connected world, namely the digital vā, when in-person connections were disrupted because of COVID-19. © The Author(s) 2023.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has shined a light on the digital divide and its implications in a digital-first society. In the UK, where our research is focused, parts of society still lack the infrastructure and/or basic skills needed to access essential online services like health, welfare, food, housing and education. During the pandemic, these services became digital by necessity, forcing many people to seek help through informal networks such as community hubs. Based on our focus groups and interviews with voluntary and third sector organisations in the UK, we make a case in this chapter for a kinder, more holistic approach to the accessibility of essential online services, based on the hypothesis that such an approach creates the types of spaces in which the benefits of such services can be more safely realised. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
ABSTRACT
Traditionally, storytelling was used for entertainment and the transfer of know-how. The advent of digital media gave rise to new possibilities for telling stories. When the context is, for example, to relay information about how to protect a person from COVID-19, it is referred to as serious storytelling. The main objective of this research was to establish what skills and attributes would be required for someone to autonomously "tell” a serious digital story in a resource constrained environment. A systematic literature review of peer reviewed articles resulted in a knowledge bank of articles. Atlas Ti was used to qualitatively analyse these articles. Even though a resource constrained environment may be a limiting factor for telling a digital story, this research has found that emotional support, digital inclusion, as well as assisting individuals with their devices, can pave the way to autonomous digital storytelling.
ABSTRACT
Technology integration in school is an increasingly important equity issue, but little is known about how technology is used for teaching the 7 million K-12 special education students in the US (NCES, 2019). Though special education is often overlooked in technology integration research, what does exist suggests that technology use in schools often exacerbates opportunity gaps for students with disabilities (Ciampa, 2017;Dolan, 2016;Shaheen & Watulak, 2019). The rapid shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic offers an opportunity to better explore enablers and barriers to technology-enabled learning for special education (SPED) because of the widespread reliance on technology for teaching and learning. Using in-depth interviews (N = 20) with special educators during remote learning, the present study seeks to (1) describe important enablers and barriers for SPED teacher use of technology in K-12 before and during remote learning, (2) understand how structural, teacher, and student-level factors influence SPED teachers' opportunities for teaching with technology, and (3) highlight emerging problems for SPED populations in technology-enabled learning. Results suggest that the most prominent enablers and barriers for technology use in special education are structural (e.g., decision-making around teacher training and technology resources, structures for student digital literacy training), but manifest at the teacher and student levels. SPED teachers described significant barriers to providing accessible technology-enabled instruction, largely due to school-based structures for resource allocation, student digital literacy training, teacher training, decision-making for technology, SPED job roles, and home-school communication. Recommendations are made for providing high-quality digital learning for all students, especially students with diverse learning needs. • Special education technology integration is limited by district and school structures. • SPED students lacked access to devices, internet, software and digital literacy skills. • SPED teachers need more technology training and time to use technology. • Special education is often left out of school decision making about technology. • Home-school communication practices should be inclusive of language and device access. [ FROM AUTHOR]
ABSTRACT
Background: The COVID-19 global pandemic has put adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities at greater risk of being socially excluded due to physical distancing. Technology has been looked at as a tool for adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities to stay connected, however, little is known about this topic. The purpose of this study was to explore how a grassroots disability organisation used technology to help adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities feel socially connected during the pandemic. Methods: Data were collected through questionnaires, attendance records, and field notes; and analysed through trend and thematic analysis. Findings: Four main themes emerged from the data: active leadership, mental wellbeing, technology/digital inclusion, and safety. Conclusion: These findings suggest that when participants overcome technological barriers they found it easy to socially connect online during lockdown.
ABSTRACT
In 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic manifested our heightened dependency on digital technologies for the operational functioning of all aspects of our lives under lockdowns: access to information, jobs, education, good governance, entertaining, and social and family relations. However, in Argentina, as in all Latin American and Caribbean countries, the pandemic has revealed the many inequalities that affect its population. It is important to recognize the present digital divide, considering the existence of multiple gaps: socio-digital, cognitive, socioeconomic, socio-spatial, gender, linguistic, among others. This paper is focused on the new needs faced to the construction of Knowledge Society in Argentina through the study of its public policies for digital inclusion. It proposes measures to be included in the country`s public policies for Knowledge Society.
ABSTRACT
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are of great importance in today's society and have permeated different aspects of human life. In fact, access to them is now considered a fundamental right. There exists, however, a gap between individuals and populations who have access to these technologies and those who do not, which has led to social exclusion. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the effects of this disparity. In this regard, digital inclusion, through ICTs, becomes a strategy to close not only technical but also social gaps, thereby bringing well-being to vulnerable groups and favouring compliance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Given the importance and topicality of this matter, we conducted a bibliometric analysis, which aims to answer what are the main trends in digital inclusion and digital divide studies and what are the challenges facing digital inclusion initiatives in the social context? For this purpose, we applied a search equation in Scopus and used VOSviewer. With this analysis, we were able to identify the evolution of publications over time and the main authors, countries and topics in the field, and the trends and challenges in digital inclusion initiatives. Finally, we conclude that this study can be used to address other research topics, such as the role of ICTs in the promotion of the SDGs through digital inclusion initiatives, the psychosocial aspects of technology adoption and the need for public policies that serve as a platform for digital and social inclusion. © The Author(s) 2023.
ABSTRACT
Digital inclusion is an opportunity to fill the digital divide, the inequity preventing access to technological resources which support participation in online learning. Specific to financially disadvantaged students, this interpretive qualitative study examines how factors of digital inclusion influence one's decision to pursue an online health certificate program. To better understand how digital inclusion may impact the decision to pursue an online program, prospective students and faculty members were interviewed. From interview data, the following digital inclusion themes emerged (a) access to reliable internet, (b) access to internet-enabled devices, (c) access to digital literacy training, (d) quality technical support, and (e) applications designed to enable self-sufficiency and participation. Themes of online education include (a) characteristics of the learner, (b) value of student engagement, and (c) supporting adult learners. Lastly, themes related to social influences are (a) financial barriers and (b) impacts of COVID-19. Utilizing a social justice theoretical lens for sensemaking and understanding of data, propositions and implications for practice that benefit higher education institutions are given. Such propositions include: (a) offering digital inclusion support (e.g., access to reliable internet and quality devices) to provide an equitable educational experience, (b) understanding the stratification of generational differences in technology usage, explicitly for adult learners, (c) developing a robust Learning Management System (LMS) training strategy to support faculty and students, and (d) reevaluating communication in and outside of the classroom to provide more opportunities to improve student understanding and peer engagement. These action-based propositions provide salient steps for continued work in digital inclusion within the higher education realm. Key recommendations for higher education institutions include: (a) establishing a program that provides access to reliable devices and internet service, (b) mandating a robust institution-wide training for digital literacy, and (c) cultivating an online community environment to support engagement and to centralize digital and financial resources. With these recommendations, institutions of higher education can offer equitable online education, attainable by more students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Whenever there is a question of environmental quality and inclusive economic growth, green and renewable energy consumption leads the debate. This paper explores the relationship between green energy consumption and inclusive economic growth. It employs GMM panel data modelling frameworks for understanding the "green energy vis-a-vis -growth paradox". It uses post-COVID-19 data for eighty-three countries between 2010 and 2020. These countries are divided into high-, middle- and low-income as per the World Bank's classifications. The selected composite variables are consisting of GDP growth, poverty, income equality and employment measures. The study reports that green energy positively contributes to inclusive growth despite its lower contribution to overall energy usage in low-income countries. It observes that socio-digital inclusion and green energy together impact positively on inclusive growth in all income groups (low, middle and high). This means citizens of the selected countries are aware of the pros and cons of green energy that helps countries to mitigate the negative impacts of countries' transition to clean energy usage in terms of job losses, higher costs of clean energy and uncertainty to energy supply. Furthermore, results also reveal that green energy is significant contributor towards achieving inclusive growth, however it his highly significant in high income countries compared to other groups, showing its higher use in it. This comprehensive study is the first of its kind providing comparative analysis of 83 countries which explores and compares the interesting impacts of green energy consumption on inclusive growth in global data from the designated income groups.
ABSTRACT
Technology integration in school is an increasingly important equity issue, but little is known about how technology is used for teaching the 7 million K-12 special education students in the US (NCES, 2019). Though special education is often overlooked in technology integration research, what does exist suggests that technology use in schools often exacerbates opportunity gaps for students with disabilities (Ciampa, 2017;Dolan, 2016;Shaheen & Watulak, 2019). The rapid shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic offers an opportunity to better explore enablers and barriers to technology-enabled learning for special education (SPED) because of the widespread reliance on technology for teaching and learning. Using in-depth interviews (N = 20) with special educators during remote learning, the present study seeks to (1) describe important enablers and barriers for SPED teacher use of technology in K-12 before and during remote learning, (2) understand how structural, teacher, and student-level factors influence SPED teachers’ opportunities for teaching with technology, and (3) highlight emerging problems for SPED populations in technology-enabled learning. Results suggest that the most prominent enablers and barriers for technology use in special education are structural (e.g., decision-making around teacher training and technology resources, structures for student digital literacy training), but manifest at the teacher and student levels. SPED teachers described significant barriers to providing accessible technology-enabled instruction, largely due to school-based structures for resource allocation, student digital literacy training, teacher training, decision-making for technology, SPED job roles, and home-school communication. Recommendations are made for providing high-quality digital learning for all students, especially students with diverse learning needs.
ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the opportunities and challenges for academics engaging with civic engagement initiatives within higher education settings. Situating civic engagement as part of the current academic portfolio and broader demands of the university context, it explores the dynamics involved in these activities by drawing on the case of one rapid response initiative involving students and staff working on the design and delivery of an intergenerational digital mentoring project. In reflecting on four questions that emerged during the initiative, it considers the practicalities of negotiating civic engagement within the context of the university and academic careers more broadly. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)