Social divide stays in online learning

By Sean Coughlan, BBC

The debate about access to computers should move to how they are used, says OECD research. There are strong social divisions in how young people use digital technology, according to international research from the OECD. The economics think tank found that in many countries wealthy and poor pupils spent similar amounts of time online. But richer youngsters were much more likely to use the internet for learning rather than games. The study argues that even with equal access to technology a “digital divide” persists in how the internet is used. The OECD report, based on data from more than 40 countries mostly in Europe, Asia and South America, looked at how teenagers used online technology at home. Access to the internet and digital technology are seen as important to educational achievement.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-36835585

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=16444