Digital Divide, Digital Learning, and Equal Access

Information and communication technologies (ICTs)—including but not limited to computer and Internet use—have become an important part of how we function in our social, political, and economic worlds. As such, ICTs are seen as essential commodities that everyone should attain. However, researchers have shown that not everyone is able to access or use these technologies—a gap that is referred to as the “digital divide.” Within the field of education there has been concern that some students will fall on the “wrong side” of the digital divide, a marker that technology can reinforce and even worsen inequalities that already exist within the system. This entry reviews discussions on the digital divide and the forms it takes in education.