s1=new Array();s1[1]=new Array("About/Acknowledgement.html","About/Acknowledgement.html","","     Acknowledgement In the course of making eDivide, we received generous help from several individuals from different parts of the world. Without their help, this website would not be here today. Therefore, we would like to thank…  Our families and host families Thank you for your encouragement, love and patience. Thank you for putting up with long online nights, five burnt light bulbs in a month, and an incredible Internet bill. Your support has been essential to the completion of this project.  Our coaches Thank you, Mrs. O’Connor and Mr. Staats, for helping us stay on track, sharing the fun and excitement, as well as the exhaustion of the project. Thank you for reviewing the content line by line, for providing priceless technical and mental support. We had a great time with you!  Our friends A special thank to Dr. Tuan Tran, who reviewed the mathematical model we used in analyzing the results of our survey. He also provided us with complete access to his research center’s library on epidemiology, and gave us useful guides on data collection and scientific report writing. Once again, thank you very much for your generous help. And thanks to our friends and cohort who have helped us with various tasks in making the site, from collecting photos to distributing survey questionnaire. Thank you, Phong, Lan, and Hoai. We highly appreciate your help with our website.  ThinkQuest Thank you for the ingenious idea of a competition in which every teenager around the world can collaborate to create marvellous projects. The project not only gave us knowledge but also friendship, and most of all, an understanding of students from other corners of the world. Thank you for this unique and amazing experience.  Our interviewee We would like to thank… - Mr. Andy Carvin - Professor Rob Farlie - Ms. Verac Pringle - Professor Carl-Markus Piswanger - Professor Viktor Mayer Schoenberger - Mrs. Bonnie Bracey Sutton - Ms. Swetha Murali - Mr. Thach Duc Tran - Ms. Jongkolnee Settakorn - Ms. Yan Ling - Ms. Ineke Aquarius Thank you for answering our interview questions and providing us with helpful reference guides. Your perspectives have broadened our understanding of the topic and contributed to the richness of our website.  Organizations We would like to thank: - Uconnect - Digital Divide Network - Research and Training Center for Community Development - The Basel Action Network Thank you for allowing us to use your photos and resources in the course of making this website.");s1[2]=new Array("About/Coaches.html","About/Coaches.html","","About the Website Coaches    Ms. O'Connor    Mr. Staats Student Members Acknowledgement     The Coaches Mrs. O’Connor My name is Deborah O'Connor and I live in a Massachusetts town about 40 miles northwest of Boston with my husband, our 7-month-old Llewellin Setter puppy, and our 17 year old cat. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Merrimack College in North Andover, MA and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Massachusetts. During my 25-year teaching career I have taught middle school earth and life science, as well as biology, chemistry, anatomy & physiology, and Advanced Placement Biology. I happily commute 21 miles every day to Pinkerton Academy in Derry, NH, where I have taught for the past 15 years, and am currently the Science Department Chair. About a year and a half ago Ammu asked me to consider coaching a ThinkQuest team. It was a challenge I took on with some trepidation, as I have absolutely no knowledge of web- design and programming. My role as content editor and taskmaster paled in comparison to the contributions of the team. In spite of this, Ammu asked me to coach a second team! I had the pleasure of meeting Ngoc, and Johnny at ThinkQuest Live 2005 in San Francisco, California. I am continually amazed at the abilities of these young adults, and how they are able to accomplish this great feat of developing a savvy, educational website with global implications. They hold a bright promise for the future.  Mr. Staats My name is Jonathan and I’m currently doing my first year of college at "TH Rijswijk", where I plan to get my Bachelor of Engineering (B. Eng) degree. Most people call me Johnny and I like this name better. It came about when I was about 10 years old and I saw a movie called Short Circuit. Well it was about a robot that got the name Johnny. He believed that he was really alive and could think for himself. Two people wanted to help him prove it by making him laugh. I don’t remember the rest of the movie. Internet connectivity. My father was quite interested in the Internet revolution, so he decided to make a web site about the area where we lived. As he gained expertise in all of this, he exposed me to new opportunities and also taught me HTML. A half year later we moved to the Netherlands. Here, I got a part time job, bought my own PC, and we also got a broadband Internet. From then on, I invested a lot of time into learning everything I know today -- from online forums, tutorials, and more. Now, my father comes to me with questions :) It was on the forums where Ammu found me trying to help people with all kinds of questions about Macromedia Flash. I joined her team in 2004 and we won first place with the site "Patent Wars on AIDS drugs". I went to ThinkQuest Live in September 2005 where I met with lots of great people like Ngoc, Ben, Shakeeb, and I also finally met with Ammu face to face. Now I’m a coach, sharing my knowledge and experience with the team wherever and whenever it was needed. It has been every interesting working with a ThinkQuest team again, this time as a coach and not a member.  Terms of Use | : 2005 – 2006 e-Divide Team. All rights reserved. Author: Team - ThinkQuest International 2006 Competition Keywords: digital, divide, virtual, education, technology, teacher, activists, policy maker, bridge, education, public television, technology, computer, digital age, technology, revolution, information age, information superhighway, educational technology, gender, race, diversity, computers, skills, developed nations, least developed nations, developing countries, developed countries, youth, case studies, digital games, interactive games, physical resources, digital resources, human resources, information technology, communication technology, ICT, information and communication technology, unique, solutions, USA, India, Australia, Egypt, Netherlands, Vietnam, ThinkQuest, thinkquest, TQ, International, 2006, Ammu, Ngoc, Loay, Viet, Gerben, Jasmin, Deborah, Johnny");s1[3]=new Array("About/essay.html","About/essay.html","",""The time has come to move beyond broad discussions of the digital divide. By now, we know what the problems are. We must now get down to the specifics of implementation, and set out ways to foster and expand digital opportunities." – H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations.     The e-Divide in Education Technology has grown over the years to become increasingly influential in society. Today, over one billion adults, many of them illiterate, have never had the benefit of an education. There are roughly 135 million children worldwide who do not have access to a primary education; even those who do have such access are often educated in ill-equipped schools by poorly-trained teachers. Many more lack skills which will enable them to survive in an ever-advancing environment. Soon it will not be enough to simply be literate in the traditional sense of the word. The definition of literacy must be expanded to include not only the traditional and numerical components but also technological skills. In the future, access to technology and knowledge of how to use it will be vital factors of daily life. Today, 60 percent of jobs involve technology and require skills to use it (Solomon, Allen, and Resta xvii). This number will continue to grow, and individuals who cannot keep up with a fast-paced, digitally-aided lifestyle will not be able to survive. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are constantly enhancing life as a whole; they make workplaces more efficient, connect individuals with the world as a whole, and give so-called "average" people access to information and resources that would otherwise be out of their reach. It is clear that society as a whole is keen on utilizing the opportunities that technology provides; those who use technology effectively tend to reap excellent rewards. Earnings are 43 percent greater for those who use technology on the job than for those who do not (Solomon, Allen, and Resta xvii). Those who cannot take advantage of what technology has to offer will be at a severe disadvantage compared to those who have technological skills. In today's societies, for the most part, the reason behind a lack of technological aptitude is a lack of education in the field. This, in turn, results from a combination of several key factors which create a distinct divide between those who are at an advantage and those who are not. The popular belief continues to be that students who do not have access to an adequate technological education are simply those who do not have physical access to computers; however, this alone is not the case. The digital divide—a case of unequal access to modern ICTs to obtain and communicate knowledge within a society—still exists, but it no longer refers to simply who has computers and who doesn't ( Bridging ). Access to hardware alone cannot bridge the digital divide; other, more intricate factors are coming into play. Even if students have computers available to them, they cannot benefit from them unless they also have access to useful software and online content, teachers who can instruct them with technology effectively and relevantly, and significant societal acceptance and support. As students, personal experiences with the ready availability of technology in school and at home has been vitally beneficial to our team members' academic success. Having been involved in the development of websites, creation of multimedia presentations, and virtual international collaboration, we have often found ourselves with many more tools and resources at our disposal than peers who have not had such experiences in the past. In the future, though, it will be imperative that all students have such opportunities and abilities to be able to keep up with tomorrow's societies. In order to make these opportunities available to all students, it is not enough to simply provide all schools with many computers. Hence, the aim of this website is to clarify, define, put in perspective, and provide solutions for other barriers to digital equity in the classroom. In order to accomplish this goal, the website includes information from not only respectable secondary sources but also comprehensive primary research. Sources include works from such experts in the field as Andy Carvin, founder of the Digital Divide Network , Gwen Solomon, Barbara Monroe, Bonnie Bracey, and others. In addition, the website contains first-hand statistics, predictions, and figures from materials obtained from one of our team members at the World Summit on the Information Society, held in November of 2005 in Tunisia . These materials come from a variety of countries, organizations, and specific viewpoints, thereby providing a variety of data and specific examples. Finally, comprehensive interviews with key figures in the field, such as Ineke Aquarius of NairoBits , Carl-Markus Piswanger of the Federal Computing Centre in Austria , and Viktor Mayer-Schoenberger of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, present a multitude of expert professional opinions on the topic. A wealth of information, combined with an innovative method of analysis and potential solutions, is this website's defining strength. If the digital divide in education is ever to be overcome, societies and educational systems must tackle all sides of the issue. While physical access was once the single most important factor contributing to the digital divide, recent developments have made it possible for more people to own computers with Internet access. Physical access is still important, for obvious reasons, but the digital, human, and socioeconomic factors are growing in prominence and cannot be ignored. Not only are they each vital individually, but they also interact intricately to create a fine web of criteria that must be met before digital equity can truly be achieved. Physical access to computers and the Internet is required before digital access to software and online content can even be attempted, and they are also needed to train teachers and for use in the classroom. Teachers and students also need access to digital software and content; a lack of these may also discourage socioeconomic acceptance and ICT usage. Socioeconomic acceptance and funding is necessary to buy hardware and obtain internet access, and teachers need to be aware of ICT's usefulness in order to use it effectively. Only when all of these criteria are met can students gain the ICT skills that they will need to survive in tomorrow's world. ");s1[4]=new Array("About/eTour.html","About/eTour.html","",""What matters is that everyone be guaranteed to have access to information and to communicate with others rather than to control the means of communications." - H.E. Mr. Yoshio Utsumi, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union.     eTour for students and the general public Read our eBrochure, a five-minute comprehensive introduction to our site! Mind you, this knowledge is essential to interact with our challenging games... Check out our Interactive FUN Page! Choose from classic games like Hangman and Wordsearch, to creative learn-via-doing games like Software Piracy, to original action games like Spider Web or Rescue the Teacher! View the topic from different angles! Check out our Interactive Interview to get your questions on Digital Divide answered. How much of the Internet is accessible to you? Play our eLanguage game to find out. Are you ready to bridge the Digital Divide? Get some ideas from our Suggestions page; you can find section-specific suggestions for each barrier. Which side of the Digital Divide are you on? Read Our Project and take the eTape quiz to find out! And there is always more to explore… Take your time to wander around and discover eDivide! Special destinations for teachers, educators and policy makers In addition to the highlights above, our Website is full of information and ideas on the Digital Divide. Are you looking for materials to teach on the Digital Divide? Explore our unique educational games in the Interact ! page. Visit our R esource Center, to obtain a comprehensive list of reference materials on Digital Divide. Read Our Essay to understand our vision of the Digital Divide… We also carry out our own project to gather first-hand information on the Digital Divide in education. Read Our Project for details on our method and findings. Read our suggested solutions to overcome the Physical, Digital, Human and Socioeconomic Barriers. There are unique solutions, suggested for dedicated teachers and educators like you!  ");s1[5]=new Array("About/faqs.html","About/faqs.html","",""What matters is that everyone be guaranteed to have access to information and to communicate with others rather than to control the means of communications." - H.E. Mr. Yoshio Utsumi, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union.     How do I print from your website? On each page is an orange-colored box named "Tool box". You can click on the printer icon in this box to print out a printer-friendly, less graphically intense version of the page you are viewing. I cannot view some of the interactive games. What's wrong? Some of our games require Flash player, a free plug-in player provided by Macromedia. We also use Flash animations in other places to enhance the interactivity of the site. To download Flash player, go to the Macromedia Flash Player Download Center. Another option is to view our Light Version of the website. How can I switch between the light-normal versions and between the language modes? Underneath the main navigation bar (which is on the very top of the page) is our utilities bar. Here you can select the version as well as the language mode of the site. Enjoy our site!  ");s1[6]=new Array("About/index.html","About/index.html","","     About eDivide Why we chose this topic After having competed in the ThinkQuest competition during its previous cycle, Ammu and Ngoc began to realize something: when students create their own original content for the Web, it is content that has personal, regional, or cultural relevance. The Internet, since it is essentially demand-driven, has a dearth of content for low-access users and communities. This led to another thought: as the "Digital Divide," as it has been termed, steadily gains infamy, the main point of focus of media and awareness campaigns remains that of mere physical access to computers and the Internet; however, is it not just as important to have access to relevant, meaningful content? Similarly, in education, it is imperative that students have access to teachers who are willing and able to use technology effectively in their curricula and that their communities acknowledge, accept, and embrace technology's importance and potential. Many people do not realize that the Divide extends beyond simply the fact that some people have computers and others do not. Computers by their mere presence are of very limited use. We thereby determined that we would create a site regarding this Divide; moreover, a site that breaks it down into four easy-to-understand sections, each of which discusses a distinct set of barriers to digital equity in the classroom: the physical barriers, digital barriers, human barriers, and socioeconomic barriers. We hope that such a division will make the Divide more easily conceptualized, consequently making potential solutions more apparent.  What we discovered At first we thought about classifying the Digital Divide based on geographic locations. However, the more we researched on the topic, the more we discovered that Digital Divide is not a simple division between the "haves" and "have-nots". Access to hardware and software, presence of an instructor, affordability and awareness made up the multiple barriers that need to be crossed. They explain the division in terms of geographic location, gender, race and income that we observe. Under this new way of thinking, the solutions become more transparent. In order to fill the access gap, we need organizations who can provide the students with computers and the Internet. We need teachers who are willing to learn and implement new technology in their lessons. We need a society in support of usage of technology. We need students who are aware of the importance of IT for their future careers. This is not a one man’s job. Spreading awareness of the topic is therefore important – and that is also the main aim of our website.  What we have done How big is the digital division now? Being a dynamic issue, reports and statistics in 2001 can quickly become out-of-date. It is difficult to find recent statistics on the Digital Divide. We carried out a first-hand survey on the Digital Divide to provide fresh information on the current situation of the Digital Divide in education. The surveys were carried out on 3000 students in total and took two months from start to finish. Based on these results, we propose plans to fill the gap. We believe that taking action is important, and although a team of six teenagers may not be able to make significant changes, the voices of six billion people can. We hope that our ideas will inspire others to take actions, to get involved and make a difference.  Who we are Behind eDivide is a team of six teenagers and two assistant coaches from five continents, six countries of the world. Almost all of us have some personal experience with the Digital Divide. Click on the location on the map to find out more about each team member.  ");s1[7]=new Array("About/miscellaneous.html","About/miscellaneous.html","",""No-one living in today's interconnected world can doubt the importance of ICTs in achieving develo-pment goals. It's impor-tant to remember, how-ever, that it's not ICTs that will solve the prob-lem of the digital divide, it's people. More than that, it's people working in partnership." - H.E. Mr. Yoshio Utsumi, Secretary General of the Intl. Telecom. Union     Downloads Wallpaper eDivide Wallpapers Download the eDivide wallpapers for your desktop.  eDivide Banners Here are some banners that you can use to link to us. We have also provided you with the HTML code that you can cut from the boxes below each banner and paste into your web site code to link to us. Thank you for helping us fight the information inequality in education. <a href="http://www.e-Divide.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.e-Divide.com/en/images/about/bannnerSmall.gif" width="88" height="31" border="0"></a> <a href="http://www.e-Divide.com" target="_blank"><img src= "http://www.e-Divide.com/en/images/about/bannnerSmall1.gif" width="88" height="31" border="0"></a> <a href="http://www.e-Divide.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.e-Divide.com/en/images/about/bannnerBig.gif" width="88" height="31" border="0"></a> <a href="http://www.e-Divide.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.e-Divide.com/en/images/about/bannnerBig1.gif" width="88" height="31" border="0"></a>  eDivide Buddy Icons Love to chat? Download one of our buddy icons to spread awareness while you chat!");s1[8]=new Array("About/references.html","About/references.html","",""What matters is that everyone be guaranteed to have access to information and to communicate with others rather than to control the means of communications." - H.E. Mr. Yoshio Utsumi, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union.     Aquarius, Ineke. Online interview. 29 Nov. 2005. Blanchard, Jean-Marie. "Bridging the Digital Divide: An opportunity for growth for the 21st century." Alcatel. 30 Oct. 2005 Bracey, Bonnie, and Terry Culver. Harnessing the Potential of ICT for Education: A Multistakeholder Approach. ICT Task Force Series 9. New York: UN, 2005. Bridging the Digital Divide. Ministry of Energy, Water, and Communications Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur: KTAK, 2005. Bruck, Peter A., and Stefan Kaufer. The Vienna Conclusions. Salzburg : ICNM, 2005. Carvin, Andy, et al. Digital Divide Network. 28 Oct. 2005 Enriching Education Countrywide. Infogate Online. 17 Nov. 2005 FOSSFA. The Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa. Nairobi: FOSSFA, 2005. Francisco, Bambi. "The Facebook phenomenon." Marketwatch 27 Oct. 2005. 30 Nov. 2005 Path: Commentary; Bambi Francisco's Net Sense; More NET SENSE; Net Sense: The Facebook phenomenon. The GNU Operating System. 28 Nov. 2005 . 2 Dec. 2005 <>. Knowledge Maps: ICT in Education. infoDEV. Washington , D.C.: World Bank, 2005. Learning & Living with Technology. Commonwealth of Learning. Vancouver: Commonwealth, 2005. Mayer-Schoenberger, Viktor. Online interview. 8 Nov. 2005. Monroe, Barbara. Crossing the Digital Divide: Race, Writing, and Technology in the Classroom. New York: Teachers, 2004. Mossberger, Karen, Caroline J. Tolbert, and Mary Stansbury. Virtual Inequality: Beyond the Digital Divide. Washington , D.C.: Georgetown, 2003. Open & Distance Learning for Development. Commonwealth of Learning. Vancouver: Commonwealth, 2005. Piswanger, Carl-Markus. Online interview. 1 Dec. 2005. Rickels, Shannon. Youth for Technology Foundation. 30 Oct. 2005 Solomon, Gwen, Nancy J. Allen, and Paul Resta. Toward Digital Equity: Bridging the Divide in Education. 1 st ed. Boston, MA : Pearson, 2003. TakingITGlobal. 30 Nov. 2005 Tapscott, Don. The Digital Economy: Promise and Peril in the Age of Networked Intelligence. New York : McGraw-Hill, 1995. ThinkQuest. Oracle Education Foundation. 1 Dec. 2005 Wagner, Daniel, et al. Monitoring and Evaluation of ICT in Education Projects. Washington, D.C.: infoDEV, 2005. White Paper on e-Education. Republic of South Africa's Department of Education. Johannesburg : DOE, 2004. "Wikipedia: About." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 11 Dec. 2005");s1[9]=new Array("About/Teammembers.html","About/Teammembers.html","","Team Members Ammu Hello! My name is Ammu, and I'm currently a senior at Pinkerton Academy. Before I go into my involvement on the project, let me give you a little bit more information about myself. Although web design and international collaboration might be the most obvious of my interests when you see this project, there are other interests, personality quirks, and activities of mine which define me as an individual. I'm a vegetarian, and I have been since I was three, when I found out that the meat did, in fact, come from Old MacDonald's little friends. I'm passionate about global issues like poverty, hunger, improving access to education, advancing human rights, promoting tolerance, encouraging diversity, and protecting the environment. I love playing tennis, and I play for my high school. I'm a big fan of the sciences and mathematics, and I'd like to study biochemistry or biomedical in college. After that, perhaps I'll pursue a medical degree; if not, I'd like to go into research. Having been involved in the ThinkQuest competition before, I got to thinking about how much literacy in technology has helped me throughout my academic career, how much it undoubtedly will help me in my future endeavors, and how critical it is that all students are given equal opportunities to obtain such literacy. For the e-Divide site, I was mostly a content writer. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the e-Divide team to make this website, and my awe at the finished project is only a small part of that enjoyment. More than that, I liked the progress we made together during the course of the project. Ngoc's creativity, Viet Anh's animation, Jasmin's artwork, Gerben's web design, and Loay's translation—regardless of the fact that I can't recognize more than a few words of it—amaze me, and I'm thrilled by the fact that we were able to combine our individual strengths into a whole. I enjoyed late-nights-avec-Yahoo!, spending quality (albeit hectic and sleepy) time with my teammates. I enjoyed learning more about them, not on a purely professional level, but personally and culturally as well. Even more than all of that, I thrive on the feeling that I walk away from this experience with more than just an awesome website and a few new acquaintances; working with the e-Divide team has been a stress-, giggle-, and fun-filled adventure from which I come away with fond memories and amazing friends. In addition, I would like to thank our coaches, Mrs. Deborah O'Connor and Mr. Jonathan Staats, for their help and support throughout the course of the project; we couldn't have done this without you! Finally, I'd also like to thank ThinkQuest itself for providing students worldwide with this opportunity. Well apart from being one of the most amazing experiences there is, it's also helping to bridge the e-Divide. I hope you find our site not only informative, but inspiring.  Gerben Hello, my name is Gerben and I am currently a first year student at the Hague College. Here is a bit about me: Since I was a little lad, I was very interested in technical things. Taking things apart was my favorite thing to do. At primary school there wasn't much to do for me and I was looking forward to high school. But when I got to high school, I realized that high school is not a goal but a way to get there. But where to? In the third grade I met a few guys who were so called "Nerds". And soon my image of me being a architect changed into one of me controlling global networks. --a vision of global connectivity. My friends showed me a wonderful world of interactivity combined with some awesome technical achievements. During my last two years at high school I really got involved in computers. I did realize there was much to learn and that the ICT is still a growing interest. While I was in fourth grade I met Jonathan. He was the silent guy sitting in the back of the class, doing his maths. I looked at him and I noticed that he was somewhat like me. I soon found out that Johnny was indeed very interested in computing and we got to be friends. He told me about a project called ThinkQuest, and that he was recruited by a girl called Ammu. When I thought about it I remembered such a project, some friends of mine worked on a website in the second grade, and they won the ThinkQuest Netherlands edition. I got very interested in TQ and the project Johnny was working on turned out to be Patent Battles. Half way the project I asked Ammu, (I still couldn't believe that a young girl lead an international website project), if I could join their forum. I was given access to the forum and could observe how the project progressed. Since then we have kept in contact. In my early fifth grade period Ammu asked Johnny and me to join the ThinkQuest team for a new contest entry. Unfortunately we had our final exam preparations so we couldn't take part. I am happy to be the team's webdesigner in this entry. So what was my work in this project? I am the web designer so I make sure the content and pictures gathered by other team members end up in the artwork supplied by Jasmin. It's like building a house. I was supplied with the design and every detail, like the colors of the curtains, the flooring material, and the type of the light switches. So I didn't really have to think of the project itself, I just had to build it. And that is exactly what I did. I will always remember my hours long conversations with Ngoc about the difference between the western world and the Asian way of thinking. Nor will I forget the long, late night discussions with Ammu. This was all very important to me, but I will never ever forget the moment that I found out that even someone with limited access to computers and internet can design such a nice web-artwork as Jasmin did. It was this moment I felt that I am spoiled in a way many people only dream about. I had the ability to grow up with free access to the internet, with enough funds to buy myself a computer and at every school I have been there was plenty of opportunities to work with PCs. In my current study it's hard to imagine a life without computers. But a power black-out last week did make me realize how it feels to have no access digital information. I was unable to do my homework, I was unable to check my schedule for the next day and I was not able to contact any of my friends. This moment of being kicked out of my digital world and, for a brief time, experience the situation of many people around the world showed me again that it is important to tell the world about the information inequality. I enjoyed building this website with this wonderful international team and I hope you enjoyed visiting this website.  Jasmin Hello, my name is Jas. I am 17 years old. I was born in India, grew up in Mauritius, but my family moved to India recently when my father decided to pursue a job opportunity here. I currently live less than two miles away from the hospital I was born. I know this is really very rare these days. I am doing my college studies now, but I am enrolled in an online correspondence college program and I also take the help of a private tutor when needed. I have been fortunate to have had a computer at home for several years now. However, I do not have Internet connection at home. I do all my work at home and go to an Internet café to e-mail everyone. Due to security reasons, I was nervous to FTP or upload information to the server from the Internet café. I went to my uncle's house, an hour away, every now and then to upload content to the server. I am writing this to inform how difficult it is accomplish simple things, which many children in the developed countries can perform at home or school any time of the day. Despite all the long hours and hard work, I must say that I really enjoyed working on the project. I had taken a few short-term web design and graphic courses in the past. Most of my work on this project was related to graphics; something that I thoroughly enjoy. It was one of the hardest web design project that I have ever worked on, the topic is abstract and very unique. Coming up with unique graphics to convey the message was not only challenging, but inspiring. I really liked working with everyone; it was a special experience for me. I joined this project very late, only in 2006. It was just a few weeks before the official deadline. I really would like to thank Ammu for finding me and asking me to join the project. She contacted me sometime in January 2006, several weeks after one of their previous team member had dropped off the team shortly after the original team had come together. I also want to thank the coaches for helping and guiding me whenever I needed. Thank you everyone and I hope you all enjoy our site.  Loay Hi everyone…my name is Loay and I'm 19. I was a former student at Saint Marc (a French school) and now I'm enrolled in my 2nd year in the college of Dentistry at Misr International University (MIU), Egypt. I live between two cities Alexandria (my home town) and (Cairo where I study) I like reading, traveling, listening to music (Rock and Metal), partying, web designing, collecting coins stamps tickets and brass rubbing. I enjoy as well learning languages in order to be able to contact various people (I speak French, English, Arabic and a bit German) . Now comes a question why a medical student is interested in computer stuff…the answer is simple, being a dental school student motivates me to integrate IT in my future work. I've been dealing with computers since DOS and windows 3.11 so, it's been a long time since I realized how important to interact with technology. I started web designing since 5 years with my colleague Amir and we did a lot of projects together. I won the platinum and star awards in the Think Quest Africa 2002 contest for AIDS the Serial Killer. Now I m working as a part time designer (web sites, brochures, restaurant menus, presentations). I've known Ammu for 3 years through emails and this past year we came together to work on this site. As the French translator I started working after the content was done (this was during my 1st semester final exams). After a while I did the brochure. I was in contact with that great team through mails because I barely find free time (u know I study in a practical faculty beside my part time work), we had also some chat sessions. I know that the work that I was supposed to do in this project wasn't that big, but I think I helped a bit. When we chose the Digital Divide topic, I thought that it's a unique one. It's my first time to work in computers and Internet category as u used to work in health or social science topics. The information inequality is an important issue because without access to hardware or software there is an accessibility inequality. It's been such a nice experience working with this marvelous team. Enjoy Jasmin's Artwork, Ammu and Ngoc's wisdom, Gerben's accurate programming, Viet Anh animations and games…and a special thanks to Ms. Deb and Johnny for their support.  Ngoc Hi everybody! My name is Ngoc and I'm 17. I'm a second-year student at University of Newcastle, Australia. I major in Mathematics, a highly flexible degree which allows me to take interesting electives like software engineering, chemistry and biomedicine. I plan to do a second major in public health and be an epidemiologist. Apart from doing ThinkQuest during my free time, I enjoy playing sports, making wooden models, playing the piano, reading manga (Japanese comics) and playing computer games. November to January is our summer vacation in Australia, so most of the work on eDivide was done while I was in Vietnam, my home country. During this time I also worked for a research center. I wrote content for the animations and analyzed the data we collected for Our Project. This year ThinkQuest experience is just as unique as the previous cycle. I had the opportunity to work with and learn from my friendly, humorous and talented team mates. Most my ideas came when I was reading Ammu's creative writing, when I was emailing Gerben or Loay, and when I was looking at Jas' amazing artwork or Viet Anh's rich animations. The more I know them, the more they inspired me with their enthusiasm and great personality. Not only that, we carried out surveys and interviews which allowed me to learn more about my team-mate's countries. Digital Divide in education is a great topic – it takes me one-step closer to my lifetime dream. When I was in Vietnam, my dream was to complete the quest for the Elixir of Life of the pioneering chemists. I often skipped breakfast and lunch to buy lab equipments, or longed at a chemical store on Sundays, thinking of a way to make such equipments myself out of wooden sticks and rusted nails. Two years afterwards I came to Australia, where they have everything I had dreamed of, and they have students who take everything for granted. This experience changed the course of my life. My final goal is to make a difference to the education system in developing countries. I hope one day no other student would have to experiment with wooden sticks and rusted nails like I did. I would like to thank Ammu, Jas, Viet Anh, Gerben and Loay, for being great team members. I also would like to thank our coaches, Ms. Deb and Mr. Johnny for their excellent support, technically and mentally. A special thanks is dedicated to my parents, my host family in Australia, and all of my friends who supported me with this project. Thank you – our visitors. We hope you find our website informative and entertaining.  Viet Anh My name is Viet Anh. I'm a senior at Cimarron-Memorial High School, Las Vegas, Nevada as an exchange student from Hanoi, Vietnam. I like challenges, especially ones in Computer Science. I first met a computer five years ago and fell in love with it immediately. I have been doing a lot with my computer: programming, making games, solving Informatics algorithm problems, and designing software and website. I joined and won some first prizes national and regional contests on solving problems and making software. Besides, I'm also interested in new technology, such as artificial intelligence and robotics. Recently, I joined the FIRST international robotics competition and won the Arizona Regional Finalist award. However, those I had done so far were mainly to satisfy my hunger in computer knowledge. Hence, I decided to participate in the ThinkQuest challenge with several international friends. Now, I not only had chances to make friends with cool people all over the world, learn more experiences and knowledge, but also was able to contribute my computer skills to help people and improve this world. My dream right now is to get into a college famous for computer science to learn more about computer and become an IT expert.");s1[10]=new Array("About/Terms.html","About/Terms.html","",""What matters is that everyone be guaranteed to have access to information and to communicate with others rather than to control the means of communications." - H.E. Mr. Yoshio Utsumi, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union.     All the information on this website is provided "as-is" without any warranty. Unless stated otherwise, all animations, written materials, brochures and photos in this website, collectively known as Content, is the property of the e-Divide team. You are welcome to print out copies of this content for non-commercial use given that the copyright notice is not removed. We are not responsible for content of external Internet sites. These sites are provided as reference only. If you have any enquiries or suggestions, please email one of our coaches: Ms. Deborah O'Connor or Mr. Jonathan Staats  Thank you for using our website!  ");s1[11]=new Array("Digital/Causes.html","Digital/Causes.html","","Causes The causes of such digital barriers to digital equity are numerous. As is often the case, the most obvious barrier is that of money, or lack thereof. The fact that many digital resources are largely unaffordable continues to prevent digital equity in the classroom. As well, to provide students with the skills to utilize these digital resources, it is necessary for schools to train teachers who may or may not have ICT skills so that they know how to use such technology correctly and effectively. It is also important to ensure that books and other sources of information are available to students. The language barriers among countries often prevent complete, accurate communication of information. As far as the dearth of relevant content—the issue has become known as the "content gap"—is concerned, in general, there is an excess of Internet content oriented toward frequent-access users and not enough targeted to minorities and limited-access users. In essence, the Internet is largely demand-driven. People of ethnic, minority, and tribal cultures, females, and people with disabilities experience a paucity of content that is relevant and meaningful to them (Solomon, Allen, and Resta 25). The online knowledge base represented by the Web has huge potential to grow and meet the needs of an incredible variety of learners; in order to do so, it is vital that such learners and educators contribute to this knowledge base by creating content that has significance to them and other people like themselves (Solomon 18). In essence, people among minorities who create content that is meaningful to them are simultaneously creating content that may be meaningful to others. This sort of indirect peer-to-peer diffusion of knowledge and opinions is precisely what is necessary for all students—regardless of race, region, culture, or status—to be able to grow and flourish in a technologically advanced world.   ");s1[12]=new Array("Digital/EAltavista.html","Digital/EAltavista.html","","    Altavista and Babelfish Similarly, as more and more people gain access to computers and the Internet, there is a greater representation of various cultures. Not only do these cultures have different issues and themes that are important to them, but they also express themselves in different languages and dialects. Because of this, in order for everyone to have an equal benefit from the Internet and various software, societies must collaborate to overcome the language barrier. One way in which this could potentially be done is to allow individuals with access in various regions and communities to translate certain web content and open source software to their respective languages. Though there may be discrepancies as to which content is translated, if the community as a whole were involved in the decision of what type of information they want to have available for them, it is likely that the majority would be pleased. Another issue lies in the realm of accuracy: should there be requirements or requisites that volunteers must meet in order to be able to translate? For the most part, accuracy should not be a major concern; the individuals who would be volunteering would most likely be the more affluent ones in the community anyway. The more pressing issue is that of ©s. It is absolutely vital to note that by translating, the volunteers would not be benefiting monetarily or in any other way from their work. The emphasis would have to be on a strictly volunteer basis, with all rights still reserved by the site's author. It is possible that volunteers may be difficult to find; perhaps those individuals who would be capable of translating the sites do not find it worthwhile, as they are able to understand the content as it is. If this ends up being the case, the alternative to this volunteer translation project is to rely on online translation services, such as Alta Vista and Babelfish. In order to be comprehensive, however, they must be made functional for a variety of other languages as well.  ");s1[13]=new Array("Digital/Efforts.html","Digital/Efforts.html","","    Current Efforts The ways in which people have striven to overcome these digital barriers are, for the most part, dependent upon collaborative efforts to create new wholes. In terms of efforts to boost the diversity and availability of digital content, the creation of various digital libraries has encouraged users to submit information which is relevant and meaningful to them to veritable online caches of knowledge. From these locations, other users can access this information and also modify it with information of their own.   ");s1[14]=new Array("Digital/EFreenOpen.html","Digital/EFreenOpen.html","","    Free and Open Source Software A slightly more well-intentioned and motivated means of providing people with affordable, available software is the movement to make free and open source software available. Open source software is simply software which is freely distributed, and for which the source code is open and able to be modified by users as they so choose. Free and open source software challenges our preconceptions about how software is used, produced and distributed. The software industry today generates yearly revenues in excess of US$300 billion. [Free and open source software] is software that has made its source code free and allows—perhaps even motivates—users to change the source code and redistribute the derivative software. (Free) The beauty of free and open source software is that it not only helps people to gain access to the software that they need, but they also are able to continue their own learning and provide themselves with skills that may help them later on in their lives as they enter the job market (Aquarius). With software programming experience, they can not only solve any problems which they may encounter with the software itself, but they can also further their own technological prowess. Liberating software's source code would be a huge step in itself; however, free and open source software offers users the same opportunities and freedoms that the original programmers have. Free and open source software is, essentially, sustainable development in the sense that it is a technology that local people can understand, maintain, and adapt to their needs (Free). In fact, there are some who feel so passionately about the movement that they maintain that the "use of [non-free and open source software] is not true development, because the users are helplessly and permanently dependent on a single developer, who alone can fix or change it. In addition, closed software creates a user only community, preventing users from becoming developers of software" (Free). The benefits and advantages of the use of free and open source software are, in fact, so great that it is highly probably that increased use of it would greatly aid in overcoming some of the digital barriers regarding the digital divide. One such example is that of the GNU Project. Pronounced "guh-noo," GNU is a recursive acronym that stands for "GNU's Not UNIX." Launched in 1984, the GNU Project aims to "develop a complete UNIX like operating system which is free software" (GNU). By virtue of the fact that it is free, many people who are unable to afford operating systems like Windows are able to download the GNU operating system. Even better, since it is open source, they are able to adapt the operating system to meet their needs. According to the GNU Program, "variants of the GNU operating system, which use the kernel Linux, are now widely used; though these systems are often referred to as ‘Linux,' they are m ore accurately called GNU/Linux systems." Although one many not give much thought to the fact that the operating system goes by many names, it is interesting to think that many of these names were probably given to resultant systems that were modified by users. This indicates that there is a demand and a use for free and open source software. However, the drawback to free and open source software lies in the fact that the goal of every company, software and non-software alike, is to profit. By its very nature, free and open source software does not offer a means for profit, nor does it provide programmers with much incentive to participate, other than the fact that it is for a noble cause. In the case of the GNU operating system, it is principally sponsored by an organization called the Free Software Foundation (FSF). FSF does not receive much funding from grant-making foundations or organizations; rather, it relies heavily on individual contributions (GNU). Hence, it is understandable that it has taken such a long time since the program's inception for it to gain the status that it has so recently obtained. It would at least be a step in the right direction if software were offered at reduced costs to mass markets in poorer regions. However, low-cost mass marketing is only effective when there is a mass market. It is hard to imagine niche products—in this case, software such as Photoshop, or even more specialized software—going open source, because high costs are needed to profit from such products. Software availability and accessibility has also been tackled by means of localization of software. This simply refers to the modification of software in order to make it relevant and useful to the residents of a particular region or area. This could include anything from translation to different languages and regional dialects to changing content to be more locally relevant and meaningful. This sounds very appealing in theory, as it makes available a much larger array of potential buyers. However, "localization is—believe it or not—very expensive. Hence, software producers will have to sell a lot of software to pay for it. For smaller countries with smaller markets this means that for many software products localization may not be worth it" (Mayer-Schoenberger). While this is true, it is possible that a combination of localization with open sourcing could provide exactly the solution that is needed.  ");s1[15]=new Array("Digital/EInfogate.html","Digital/EInfogate.html","","    Infogate Online A similar mission is that of Infogate Online's digital library for education. Though this library is not user-modified, it is fully interactive. Essentially, it is an online system of educational multimedia DVD-quality content, such as live lessons, TV programs, edutainment titles, and multimedia applications. Students in connected schools can access this multimedia content on demand using PCs in the school (Infogate). According to Infogate Online, the digital library is already experiencing a great deal of success. It would appear that its appeal is, well apart from its variety of content, its casual, relaxed environment full of new technology and services, coupled with its convenience (Infogate). As ingenuous as this idea is, the methods of overcoming the digital barriers to technological equity in the classroom extend in many more ways.   ");s1[16]=new Array("Digital/EPirated.html","Digital/EPirated.html","","    Pirated Software In terms of making software more available and accessible, the exception to the generalization of collaborative efforts to create new wholes is pirated software. Pirated software can be software that is copied or exchanged over the internet so as to avoid the costs involved with purchasing it. Such software is increasing in prevalence and popularity, particularly among people of lower socioeconomic brackets. Though pirated software is arguably an effective means of providing disadvantaged people with the software that they need, it is certainly neither legal nor the most honest means of accomplishing this end. In addition, it has certain key disadvantages, especially in the field of education; namely, it has a limited range and scope, and the material of the software is generally non-educational.  Students in developing countries can barely afford legal, full-version software © e-Divide team  ");s1[17]=new Array("Digital/EWikipedia.html","Digital/EWikipedia.html","","    Wikipedia A well-known example of such a program is Wikipedia, the free-content encyclopedia. With 13,000 active contributors working on more than 1,800,000 articles in over 100 languages, Wikipedia is truly a user-input system that results from international collaboration. The downside, however, is that newer articles are often not as well-balanced and comprehensive as the more mature ones; fledgling articles tend to be full of misinformation and vandalism ("Wikipedia"). Users simply need to use good judgment to determine whether what they read can be taken for face value. With time, the system will become more accurate faster, thereby improving the integrity of its articles.   ");s1[18]=new Array("Digital/index.html","Digital/index.html","","Definition Another factor which is most closely tied to physical access is that of access to digital resources. Digital resources can be defined in three parts: firstly, as access to software which is useful and relevant; secondly, as access to online content in an understandable format, with language with local and cultural relevance; and thirdly, as the ability to utilize the Internet to interconnect with other students and schools from different regions, cultures, and socioeconomic statuses. It will take more than simply hardware to bridge the digital divide. In addition to physical connectivity, it is important to consider "the education benefits of interconnectivity between students, between classes, between schools, and between schools and universities. Such connections crisscross the digital divide, bringing the underprivileged and the overprivileged in contact, not just as individuals, but as groups, communities, and institutions" (Monroe 29). This, together with appropriate software and online content that meets the students' needs, constitutes the digital factor of digital equity in the classroom.   ");s1[19]=new Array("Digital/ProbInterconnectivity.html","Digital/ProbInterconnectivity.html","","     Problem Access to Interconnectivity A single classroom or school can only be so much; there is a limit to the number of people, inputs, and viewpoints that can be obtained from such an institution. In fact, for many students, "school is an island; when the classroom door closes, the teacher and students might as well be stranded with whatever learning nutrition they brought along" (Tapscott 207). Considering even the relatively small scope of a school research project, it is very uncommon for a student to find all the information that he or she needs within the walls of his or her school library. Although schools are the world's traditional learning institutions, there is such a wealth of information outside of their boundaries that, for the most part, is untapped by students. This is not only true in the case of online knowledge bases, but also in terms of other students' viewpoints and cultures. If schools from different regions collaborated to allow their students to communicate amongst themselves—perhaps even to produce a collaborative project of sorts—they would be affording their students a much greater than typical opportunity to learn, not just from books, but from each other. Unfortunately, such opportunities are scarce, if present at all.   ");s1[20]=new Array("Digital/ProbOnline.html","Digital/ProbOnline.html","","     Problem Access to Online Content Whereas ICT is most effective when it is standardized and uniform, content is most valuable when it is varied and unique. Whereas ICT infrastructure strives to be culture-neutral, content is most powerful when it intermingles with local cultures. The creation of quality content that speaks to the many cultures around the world is just as important as the deployment of ICT infrastructure. Either is of no use without the other. (Bruck and Kaufer 27) Topics that students in the United States may find relevant, for example, are entirely different than what a rural student in a primarily agricultural developing country may be looking for online. As entities in themselves, ICTs are not the cure-all and end-all to the current problems of the world; without useful, meaningful applications and quality content that people are looking for, ICTs are of very little use.    ");s1[21]=new Array("Digital/ProbSoftware.html","Digital/ProbSoftware.html","","     Problem Access to Software This digital component of digital equity is, in many cases, not being fulfilled. Many schools and students find themselves unable to access needed software that will help them achieve their goals. In addition, some of those who do have access are unable to use this software effectively due to a lack of skill and instruction in this area. Also, for many, there is a sore lack of access to meaningful content on the Web. Different people from different backgrounds can benefit from different types of content.   ");s1[22]=new Array("Digital/SugCompetition.html","Digital/SugCompetition.html","","    Translation Project    Information Sharing    Competition Project     Suggestions Competition Project In an effort to increase the quality and variety of online content, many organizations are beginning to throw in a dash of competition. With the knowledge that human beings are innately driven to succeed—and, often, with the extra motivation of a grand prize for the winner—organizations such as the Oracle Education Foundation have developed website design and online content creation contests. Oracle's contribution to the world of online competitions is the ThinkQuest competition: teams of students internationally collaborate to create informative, creative websites that fit into a variety of categories. With hundreds of entries semi-annually and thousands of sites in its virtual archive, the ThinkQuest site has a plethora of new and exciting information which will undoubtedly do its part to help create meaningful online content (Oracle). However, the vast majority of individuals who participate in ThinkQuest and other competitions like it are those who have ready access to computers and the Internet already, and hence are those for whom most online content is geared in the first place. In the future, as physical access becomes increasingly prevalent, it is imperative that similar programs be instituted for individuals who are underrepresented in the online community.  ");s1[23]=new Array("Digital/SugInformation.html","Digital/SugInformation.html","","    Translation Project    Information Sharing    Competition Project     Suggestions Information Sharing To overcome interconnectivity issues among students, ICT could be used to create an information sharing network to connect students from different schools, regions, and countries. Such a network would, perhaps, enhance communication on several levels: academically, extracurricularly, culturally, and socially. Academically, the creation of discussion boards for various fields of study would encourage discussion of questions, misunderstandings, projects, themes, and methods of learning. Perhaps online study groups could be instituted to help students who are having difficulties with a certain topic. On other levels—extracurricularly, culturally, and socially—students from different backgrounds could learn about other cultures and customs and broaden their mental horizons in general. It is not unlikely that such a network would have immense popularity. Take, for instance, the case of Facebook: originally designed as a communicative feature to connect college students, it gained such popularity that it has now expanded to include high schools as well. There are over 4 million students nationwide who "facebook" their classmates—yes, the word has come to be used colloquially as a verb—to connect and interact with them (Francisco). If such a project were developed on an international scale and extended to include forums, discussion boards, academic information, and other advice in addition to personal profiles, imagine how much students could learn about and from each other.");s1[24]=new Array("Digital/SugTranslation.html","Digital/SugTranslation.html","","    Translation Project    Information Sharing    Competition Project     Suggestions Translation Project If the localization of software were made open source, similarly to the translation endeavor suggested earlier, it would be possible for individuals in certain regions to make available software localized to their region. Perhaps by collaborating with large software companies, people from underrepresented groups could offer to localize software for themselves. This does not necessarily entail open sourcing the software to entire communities (although, as discussed earlier, that would be extremely beneficial), but it would make localized software available for purchase without the software companies having to put in any extra effort on their parts. This would certainly be an improvement on today's situation, wherein many people cannot even find the software they want in a localized form. This is a business strategy which could prove useful in the future.   Children in the developing countries do not have access to such educational software. If localization of software were made open source it would be possible to make available software localized to their region. © e-Divide team  ");s1[25]=new Array("Fun/index.html","Fun/index.html","","Games In this section, we have listed a variety of games that will help you understand the concept of eDivide. Each game exposes you to a new concept of the digital divide in education. Select the game of your choice and have fun!  eTape Are you on the "haves" or "have-nots" side? Measure your eDivide status with our eTape game!  Software Piracy In this game, your task is to combat the software piracy problem with your job at stake. Ready?  Rescue the Teacher Action time! Acquire enough resources to cross the barriers, rescue the teachers and bridge the digital divide!  Interactive Interview Have a question on the digital divide? Ask the experts!  Life of a Computer Read the prophecy and see how your computer's life would turn out.  Word Search It's a classic search for eDivide terms and words.  Language Game How much of the Internet is accessible to you? Check it out with our eLanguage game.  Computer and Career Game People with IT literacy are more likely to get higher pay than those without. Find out why...  Spider Game How fast can you break through the Digital Divide and become IT-literate? Try this game to find out...  Quick Quiz Try out our quick quiz – as the name suggests, it is indeed quick!  Super Quiz Can you solve the eDivide Super Quiz?  Hangman The eDivide version of the classic Hangman game...");s1[26]=new Array("Fun/interviews.html","Fun/interviews.html","","     Interviews The eDivide team interviewed individuals from all corners of the world to provide you with first-hand information on the latest on this topic. Please click on the links below to see what they had to say...  Mrs. Bonnie Bracey Sutton Independent Consultant, George Lucas Foundation  Professor Richard Fairlie Director of the M.S. program in applied economics and finance at the University of California, Santa Cruz, US.  Ms. Verac Pringle Global Stewardship Foundation, Africa  Mr. Andy Carvin Director of the Digital Divide Network  Carl-Markus Piswanger Austrian Federal Computing Centre – Department E-Government – Senior Solution Architect  Viktor Mayer Schoenberger Associate Professor of Public Policy, Kennedy School, US  Ineke Aquarius Strategic Planner and Thinker Butterfly Works Amsterdam, The Netherlands");s1[27]=new Array("Fun/interviewsAndy.html","Fun/interviewsAndy.html","","    About eBrochure eTour eSolutions Our Project FAQs Help Site Map References Copyright Information Interviews Interview Mr. Andy Carvin Director of the Digital Divide Network  Why have you became involved in the digital divide network (DDN)? I was hired in the summer of 1999 by the Benton Foundation to create the Digital Divide Clearinghouse, an online resource that was part of the philanthropy portal Helping.org (now known as Networkforgood.org). Helping.org contained four thematic areas: charitable giving, volunteering, nonprofit capacity building, and the digital divide. It was created by the AOL Foundation, Benton, the American Red Cross and many other orgs. In December 1999, President Clinton hosted the US National Digital Divide Summit. During the event he hosted a breakfast of leaders from companies and philanthropies, and he complained they weren't doing enough to bridge the digital divide. They talked about helping.org and decided to spin off the digital divide into its own website; thus the Digital Divide Network was born in December 1999, with me as the founding editor. Although relatively young, DDN is the largest online community of its kind that is dedicated to bridging the digital divide. What do you think have contributed to its growth rate so far? Well, I wouldn't call us young, since we're actually one of the oldest networks of its kind, having been around for six years now. Most of the growth has occurred in the last year, since we re-launched DDN with a new design created by TakingITGlobal.org (TIG). We had approached TIG to redesign the site to make it more focused on giving individual ddn members the ability to create their own blogs, communities and discussions. This rethinking of how DDN works caused a huge influx of members. We now have almost 9,000 members today, up from 3,000 one year ago. Do you think we have made enough effort to bridge the digital divide? Do you think the digital divide would widen or lessen in the future? Why? No, we haven't, but it varies from country to country. Here in the US the federal government has generally ignored the issue since 2001; while middle class America is online, our marginalized populations aren't. But the US is very wired when compared to much of the world, so in many ways the gap between developed and developing nations needs to be a primary international policy effort. The problem with the digital divide is that it is a result of poverty and disenfranchisement. As long as there are populations that are poor, illiterate, etc, there will always be a digital divide. That's because new technologies are being created constantly, and wealthy populations will always be able to afford them first. Initially we talked about the digital divide as who had computers; then who had dialup Internet; then broadband; then wifi. It'll keep going with each technological development, so we need to combat the fundamental causes of disparities in our society. What do you think can be the (most effective) solutions for the digital divide? There's no one answer because it depends on the local challenge. Is it poverty? A lack of infrastructure? Illiteracy? Govt monopolies of telecom utilities? There's simply no short answer to this question. There has been lots of discussions on digital divide. Perhaps many people are aware of it, but they are not clear of what they can do (as individuals) to help bridging the divide. Is there any project in DDN that suggest specific actions for individuals to take to bridge the divide? No, because we feel it's important not to prescribe a specific definition of the digital divide, because it's such a broad topic, different communities have different needs and challenges. For example, when people emphasize the divide is about home Internet access, policymakers sometimes neglect literacy, localized content, etc. Instead, we encourage members to interact with each other, find common interests and work together. Apart from discussing about the digital divide (through communities, blogs, forum…), what other actions have members of DDN carried out? (please mention a few examples if possible). Again, that's hard to answer since members operate autonomously. We have members who run telecentres, coordinate library programs, teach students, coordinate govt initiatives, etc. - the list goes on. Some of the leading activists in the digital divide movement are members of DDN. How "international" is DDN? (i.e.: how many countries does it have members in?). Approximately 140 countries, from what we can tell. Do you have any personal experience with digital divide (that you would like to share)? Well, I'm director of DDN. J Thank you very much!");s1[28]=new Array("Fun/interviewsBracey.html","Fun/interviewsBracey.html","","     Interviews Mrs. Bonnie Bracey Sutton Independent Consultant, George Lucas Foundation  Do you have any personal experience with digital divide (that you would like to share)? I am a minority and so most of my life bas been about crossing a societal divide, the educational divide. The digital divide in the United States was at first about access, and then knowledge. I was able to cross the digital divide with the help of NASA, National Geographic, Earthwatch, the National Science Teachers Association and other teaching groups. I love games in education and was helped by people at MIT in the media lab. I would take summer workshops and attend conferences to get the knowledge I needed. The National Geographic gave ,me an outstanding training in media and geography, GIS and the understanding of culture. As a result of my work and advocacy of technology I was made a Christa McAuliffe (1948-1986) Educator. You may not remember but she was the astronaut who was killed in a shuttle accident. We celebrated her memory by teaching technology to teachers as she would have from space but we did it in outreach for the NFIE. The NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education inspires public education employees to ensure that all students succeed. As the foundation of the National Education Association, they believe that: public education excellence is vital for our democracy and should be attainable for all; education employees determine the quality of public education; students should actively pursue their education; education employees should embrace diversity and act accordingly; effective education employees should continually learn, apply their knowledge, share their expertise, and lead their profession; and education employees should partner with their peers, researchers,  policymakers, and communities to make public schools great for every child. We worked and demonstrated to show that teachers of diversity can effectively use technology. I was a Challenger Fellow. It seemed the most important part of my life in that we taught about space science, education, science and technology. NASA invested time for educators to learn science, technology, math and engineering. I even piloted a small plane and learned to glide. Later, I was able to work with President Clinton, Vice President Gore and Ron Brown in crafting with the NIIAC, National Information Infrastructure Advisory Council, the US perspective on the use of technology in America . Then the personal experience was in criss-crossing the country, telling the story of technology in education. I travelled the whole country and then other places. I have worked in digital divide places , in many places in the world. In the US we had the Tech Corps and CyberEd. My first use of technology, was to help a child who had difficulty writing. He and I explored the internet together and I saw the transformational power of the use of technology as a tool for communication, expression, inquiry and as media. Somehow you have to make technology up close and personal for people to love it. There is an inventor dilemma in the IT industry: whether to produce expensive business computers for the elite or to produce inexpensive computers for the low income public. What is your opinion on this dilemma? There will need to be both. There are many things we can do with computers. Buying a computer is an investment and a challenge, no matter which computer you have, there is another one that is better, faster, with more things and applications coming. I believe that the inexpensive computer is important to get people started. If you think of cars, we have many ways of travelling with cars and motor vehicles. You can get started with a simple one and it may be all you need, but the Information Superhighway requires some methodology for understanding, for connectivity and communication. Some people will start with interesting handheld devices, which in fact have more power than the first computer that many of us used .. Business computers have special applications but there are other ways in which the public can use the Internet . In Tunisia , there is El Dinar, a way to spend money over the Internet for the general public. There are other international tools that facilitate, that help the general public. Do you think we have made enough effort to bridge the digital divide? Do you think the digital divide would widen or lessen in the future? Why? I think there will always be catching up in technology because the digital divide is a lot of things and is an intersection of infrastructure, information, application and the understanding of the ways in which it can be used. It does require time invested in training, understanding and making sense of the possibilities. Many people are unaware of the difficulty that poor people all over the world have in creating connectivity, getting training and maintaining their computers. Women hold up half the sky in the world, but in the field of technology we see mostly men. Therefore lots of programs and projects are not easy to use. Sometimes the guy factor, is that the project is just hard to do. We , some of us do it in spite of that, but many women who could be instrumental in the adoption of technology are turned off because there are so many hurdles to technology use. All of us, however will always be running to catch up with technology, I am a student of the National Center for Super Computer Applications and there are technologies that I have been using, or have seen that are much beyond what we are thinking about and talking about. There are applications in grid computing that are outstanding. And there is teragrid computing coming. It will be truly global the 'next big thing' beyond the Internet." The project will create a "distributed supercomputer" with processors all over the country, and eventually the world, linked by extremely high-speed connections that will allow huge amounts of information to be shared easily by scientists and researchers in widely separated locations. The applications of the system are research areas that require collection, processing and analysis of vast amounts of data by researchers in different locations and in different disciplines. But for now there is Internet 2. There is a vast difference between what we use now and Internet 2. There are also some applications in technology that are outstanding. visualization and modeling as in Bugscope, and Chemsense, and Chemvis, and Chickscope. And data mining. I love some of the applications that are the geowall, You have to show a picture of the Cave What is the CAVE? The CAVE is an immersive virtual reality facility designed for the exploration of and interaction with spatially engaging environments. It was also an integral part of the research activities of the NCSA Visualization and Virtual Environments Group until its decommissioning at the end of 2005. The CAVE's true stereoscopic capabilities, coupled with its uniquely immersive design, enable scientists and researchers to interact with their data in ways never before possible. An atmospheric scientist, for example, can actually "climb inside" of a hurricane and visualize its complex and chaotic elements from any angle or visual perspective. Do you know any organizations that make effort to bridge the digital divide? The United Nations Task Force worked for developing countries. They had a series of meetings with individuals from various nations to create interest, understanding and information. There have been a series of books that are the outcome of this project. I was fortunate enough to be able to edit one of them. http://www.unicttaskforce.org/ The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF.org) in the United States, has been a force for change. You probably know about Star Wars. We attempted to create understanding and information to take teachers, communities and educators into the future with all the power that knowledge can bring. If you go to the web site you can see movies about ways to use technology in education. I work with a group in the Mediterranean, called the Agora. We exchange ideas and projects and work in media. We participate in the World Summits for Children and Media. The next is being held in South Africa in 2007. We work in Europe. And then there is the Digital Divide Network Internet access in low-income or marginal areas is a problem partly because the unavailability of broadband and telephone line. Do you think wireless technology can provide a solution to this problem in those areas? I will attach a project that is from the Association of Public Technology, from a speaker who addressed the problems in the US and who collaborates with cities all over the world. Different countries have a different way of looking at this problem. Britain is creating several cities with wireless to experiment and see what they can learn from the project. An old time movie star, Hedy LaMarr came up with some of the ideas for this believe it or not. Language difference also contribute to DD - but it is of interest for IT companies to make their products available to more consumers. Has there been any significant effort made to make the Internet and software in general more international? Do you think such effort can help bridging DD? Working internationally will require more languages. It is imperative to include more languages and sites with multilingual capacity even within countries. I lived in India for a time and there are many languages and Indian Schoolnet translates into the languages of the various states. Also Wendy Pye, of New Zealand has become a person of interest in literacy because she uses the language of the country to teach literacy in stunning programs that work. One of the highlights of my work was to learn with her. She introduced me to international work and the thinking that is required, for real change. She is now one of the world's largest producers of children's literacy material. Her multimedia titles - including books, television and the internet - are now sold in 21 countries through eight offices worldwide. She has pioneered the development of an early literacy programme and learning technologies, in particular in the United States, and works with many educational institutes and universities worldwide to develop strategies for literacy through research. There have to be business people with a perspective , knowledge and real understanding of the issues. There are some small business sites that emulate the kind of work she does internationally. See www.literacycenter.net . I also like the inidivdual books that are used to teach reading that are interactive. You can do so much with this kind of reading project. What do you think can be the (most effective) solutions for DD? The various countries have cultures and have to create a welcoming infrastructure as well as invest in traning, technology, teaching and support for communities. I like the Telecenter projects and the community technology centers for dissemination to citizens. For the US we wrote this click here. There are ideas there that just have to be translated and updated , and changed to meet the variables of the technology landscape in individual countries. We know that there are governments that will also take the reins and create technology opportunities , as in Japan and in Singapore . In some developing countries, a response to the inability to afford software is using pirate software. Do you think pirate software can lessen the digital divide? Do you think free software (such as the GNU project) would play a role in bridging DD? There are so many free ways to take care of the software problem. That is an essay unto itself. Try reading about Ubuntu.. and the educational programs that go with it. I had some very interesting conversations about copyright and copyleft with individuals iin the UN Task Force. I tend to agree with Laurence Lessig. I saw him and was exposed to his ideas at a conference called Poptech in Maine This is one of his publications. Free Culture by Lawrence Lessig How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity  ");s1[29]=new Array("Fun/interviewsCarl.html","Fun/interviewsCarl.html","","    About eBrochure eTour eSolutions Our Project FAQs Help Site Map References Copyright Information Interviews Interview professor Carl-Markus Piswanger Austrian Federal Computing Centre – Department E-Government – Senior Solution Architect  Do you have any personal experience with the digital divide? Yes, in the context of E-Participation-Realizations and Usability-Studies in several projects. This means exactly that we are eager to involve all potential users in E-Participation-Projects with Information-Workshops and personal help. Also the aspect of Usability is an important part for inclusion. Do you know of any organizations that make an effort to bridge the digital divide? Yes, the federal chancellery with his information-page "help.gv.at" (multilinguality, content for disabled persons) Internet access in low- or marginal-income areas is a problem partly because of the unavailability of broadband and telephone lines. Do you think wireless technology could provide a solution to this problem in such areas? I guess that wireless technology via satellite can close the cost-gap, because of the not-needed terrestric infrastructure – the most important think is political willingness – the technology-aspect is secondary In addition to a dearth of physical access in some locations, there have also been issues regarding people's acceptance of technology's ever-growing role in our societies. In many cases, these "don't-wants" are at an even greater disadvantage than the "have-nots." Do you think people will come to embrace technology by themselves as time passes? What can be done to catalyze this process? Yes absolutely – time is the ruling factor. what could be done is to inform clearly, open and positive Language differences also contribute to the digital divide, but it is of interest for IT companies to make their products available to more consumers. Has there been any significant effort made to make the Internet and software in general more international? Do you think such efforts could help bridge the digital divide? Yes the multilinguality efforts of the semantic web community – it will need 5 more years, than the language-problem should be solve. Over all I have to say, that it is also a political effort necessary, because of the inner translantion – that means: what do the political sphere to translate the contents generally intelligible to their citizens. There's something of an "inventor dilemma" in the IT industry: is it better to produce expensive business computers for the elite, or to produce inexpensive computers for the low income public? Can you please explain where you stand on this? Both is important – it is a business-calculation process. Remember the $100,-- Laptop from the WSIS. If the UN or anybody else finance the production and distribution of this laptop, than it could be also a winning business sector. It underlies more a calculation as a social aspect – what a pitty!!! In some developing countries, people are using pirated software as a response to their inability to afford genuine software. Do you think pirated software has the power to lessen the digital divide? How do you feel about its influence? Do you think free software (ex: the GNU project) would play a role in bridging the digital divide? This could be possible, I guess it will – because of the fact, that the OS-Community is an international community and more and more members from threshold countries will be included. Do you think we have done, and continue to do, enough to bridge the digital divide? The way things appear now, do you think the divide will widen or narrow in the future? Why? This is more complex and perspective to answer. I guess the global digital divide will narrow in the future but the social digital divide (in the deep) will be widen, because of the ability and affordability of new system-parts and functionalities, that opens a deeper space of content-consumption, only for a small group – also within the first world. Perhaps Wikipedia or something similar could help to narrow in general. What do you think would be the most effective solutions for the digital divide? Political willingness New creative efforts in fundraising A worldwide community of young and educated Cosmopolitans New affordable technologies A strong UN Money");s1[30]=new Array("Fun/interviewsIneke.html","Fun/interviewsIneke.html","","     Interviews Ineke Aquarius Strategic Planner and Thinker Butterfly Works Amsterdam, The Netherlands  Do you have any personal experience with the digital divide? Yes, I am one of the founders of NairoBits. 6 years ago, in the middle of the internet hype in the western world, we decided to share our skills with those who have the talents but not the means. We wanted to create a project that would lead to the participation of African youth online, creating their own content about their lives, that would give another image of their lives to the rest of the world than the messages we received through our western media. In 1999 t here were already a few ISP's and many internet cafe's, but for the average young person, especially those living in slum areas, computers and the internet was only accessible for high educated office personnel. Do you know of any organizations that make an effort to bridge the digital divide? Our own: www.butterfly-works.org and www.nairobits.comand many others, to name a few: www.iicd.org, schoolnet africa, www.viafrica.org, www.baobabconnections.org, www.computersfordevelopment.org Internet access in low-or marginal-income areas is a problem partly because of the unavailability of broadband and telephone lines. Do you think wireless technology could provide a solution to this problem in such areas? Yes, wireless technology or using radio waves for internet. this is a very costly investment, but after this is is extremely cheap and usefull for all types of data in remote areas, example www.alin.or.ke In addition to a dearth of physical access in some locations, there have also been issues regarding people's acceptance of technology's ever- growing role in our societies. In many cases, these "don't-wants" are at an even greater disadvantage than the "have-nots." Do you think people will come to embrace technology by themselves as time passes? What can be done to catalyze this process? My first thought is, there are always 10% of the people inventing new things and eager for new technologies, a large percentage of people will follow in any stage and a last maybe 10% who don't want to adjust / change. Either they will have to follow for their own good (missing out on services, losing jobs, etc.) or they will find there own way. I don't see that as a problem. Language differences also contribute to the digital divide, but it is of interest for IT companies to make their products available to more consumers. Has there been any significant effort made to make the Internet and software in general more international? Do you think such efforts could help bridge the digital divide? I think it is good to make products more international, easy adaptable in language and content. There are many initiatives were organisations experiment with multilanguage applications ( e.g. IICD develop a multilanguage chat tool). When it comes to relevant information and educative software, you need to provide it in the language that is mostly known in the countries you work for. Of course as long as the market rules, some countries are not likely to be serviced, but therefore these government s need to invest (in collaboration with the private sector) and there are of course NGO's working on taylormade tools and software (like ourselves). If poor countries have a significant number of users and programmers / designers, the necessary hard- and software will be made. I think ubunti is a good example: a operation system made for african countries (from South Africa ). It is linex and free. Schoolnet Namibia created its own educative software system. All open source. It is important to know that cultural, educational and technical contexts can be very different and therefore software, hardware, tools, content need to be adjusted and tested. On the other hand, there are so many good practices around that can be adjusted for other regions. It would be good to learn from that and not invent wheels all over. We for instance developed the sexuality and HIV/Aids awareness e-learning environment www.theworldstarts.org for Ugandan teenagers for WPF . It currently is adjusted for Indonesia, Kenya and Thailand. And after 6 months of testing, the Indonesian counterpart only changed one sentence (besides names and places). That made us realise that it is good to test and translate, but that it is possible to create almost universal material. There's something of an "inventor dilemma" in the IT industry: is it better to produce expensive business computers for the elite, or to produce inexpensive computers for the low income public? Can you please explain where you stand on this? I don't know the whole picture. From our own experience it takes more than only hardware to implement computers in an area: it is hardware costs, maintenance costs and lack of system knowledge, security (to keep the equipment safe), extremely expensive internet access, computer education in a very broad sense (including basic skills). Of course cheap, easy to maintain computers and networks, free software, helps! But it would also be a real breakthrough when the prices of connections would finally go down and improve. In some developing countries, people are using pirated software as a response to their inability to afford genuine software. Do you think pirated software has the power to lessen the digital divide? How do you feel about its influence? Do you think free software (ex: the GNU project) would play a role in bridging the digital divide? Yes, i think open source and free sofware helps people to continue their own learning, keep up with the market and adjust it to their own demands. It is a very high cost to be able to keep up with the market and you can't hardly earn it back with your services. e.g. an average website will only costs around 500 euro, compared to maybe 5000 euro in europe. Do you think we have done, and continue to do, enough to bridge the digital divide? The way things appear now, do you think the divide will widen or narrow in the future? Why? We will have to continue to invest more of our energy, investments, technological innovation to bridge it (mostly in Africa). A technical breakthrough could really boost it. In Nairobi for instance so many business concepts waited for the broadband to improve and go down in price. But if you look at the explosive growth of the telecom industry, you see that anything can happen and that the market might be the most effective and sustainable to pick it up and find the gap. What do you think would be the most effective solutions for the digital divide? I think two things: infrastructure (more, better, faster, connected computers) and education (taylormade creative education for all, especially youth).");s1[31]=new Array("Fun/interviewsRichard.html","Fun/interviewsRichard.html","","     Interviews Professor Richard Fairlie Director of the M.S. program in applied economics and finance at the University of California, Santa Cruz, US.  Do you have any personal experience with digital divide (that you would like to share)? I'm the director of the M.S. program in applied economics and finance at the University of California, Santa Cruz. I see firsthand how important it is for our students to have very strong computer skills. Because of these skills they generally have not trouble getting jobs. Nearly 90 percent of college-educated workers use computers at work in the United States. Clearly, computer skills are important for the job market. There is an inventor dilemma in the IT industry: whether to produce expensive business computers for the elite or to produce inexpensive computers for the low income public. What is your opinion on this dilemma? Twenty million children in the United States do not have computers at home. We need inexpensive computers for these families, especially low-income families. Do you think we have made enough effort to bridge the digital divide? Do you think the digital divide would widen or lessen in the future? Why? My research indicates that the digital divide is increasing over time and not decreasing. This contradicts some recent government reports, but the issue is measurement. If measured as a percentage point gap the digital divide is increasing slightly. If measured as a ratio it is decreasing. In either case, trends indicate that it's not going to disappear soon. Do you know any organizations that make effort to bridge the digital divide? Yes, there are non-profits that are trying to bridge the digital divide by providing inexpensive computers. One example is computer4kids. Another program is the Erate program for schools. Internet access in low-income or marginal areas is a problem partly because the unavailability of broadband and telephone line. Do you think wireless technology can provide a solution to this problem in those areas? Yes, the advent of wireless technologies may allow some poor rural communities to leapfrog old technologies based on telephone wires. DSL is generally limited to 1.5 miles from a call center. Language difference also contribute to DD – but it is of interest for IT companies to make their products available to more consumers. Has there been any significant effort made to make the Internet and software in general more international? Do you think such effort can help bridging DD? Language is an important factor. The state of California has actually created web pages in Spanish to address this issue. Certainly, more can be done in this regard. What do you think can be the (most effective) solutions for DD? One idea is to create tax deductions for computers purchased for educational purposes.");s1[32]=new Array("Fun/interviewsRob.html","Fun/interviewsRob.html","","Games Interviews   Bonnie Bracey   Rob Fairlie   Verac Pringle   Andy Carvin   Carl-Markus   Viktor Mayer   Ineke Aquarius Photo Stories     Interviews Interview Professor Rob Fairlie Director of the M.S. program in applied economics and finance at the University of California, Santa Cruz, US.  Rob Fairlie 1/30/06 Do you have any personal experience with digital divide (that you would like to share)? I'm the director of the M.S. program in applied economics and finance at the University of California, Santa Cruz. I see firsthand how important it is for our students to have very strong computer skills. Because of these skills they generally have not trouble getting jobs. Nearly 90 percent of college-educated workers use computers at work in the United States. Clearly, computer skills are important for the job market. There is an inventor dilemma in the IT industry: whether to produce expensive business computers for the elite or to produce inexpensive computers for the low income public. What is your opinion on this dilemma? Twenty million children in the United States do not have computers at home. We need inexpensive computers for these families, especially low-income families. Do you think we have made enough effort to bridge the digital divide? Do you think the digital divide would widen or lessen in the future? Why? My research indicates that the digital divide is increasing over time and not decreasing. This contradicts some recent government reports, but the issue is measurement. If measured as a percentage point gap the digital divide is increasing slightly. If measured as a ratio it is decreasing. In either case, trends indicate that it's not going to disappear soon. Do you know any organizations that make effort to bridge the digital divide? Yes, there are non-profits that are trying to bridge the digital divide by providing inexpensive computers. One example is computer4kids. Another program is the Erate program for schools. Internet access in low-income or marginal areas is a problem partly because the unavailability of broadband and telephone line. Do you think wireless technology can provide a solution to this problem in those areas? Yes, the advent of wireless technologies may allow some poor rural communities to leapfrog old technologies based on telephone wires. DSL is generally limited to 1.5 miles from a call center. Language difference also contribute to DD – but it is of interest for IT companies to make their products available to more consumers. Has there been any significant effort made to make the Internet and software in general more international? Do you think such effort can help bridging DD? Language is an important factor. The state of California has actually created web pages in Spanish to address this issue. Certainly, more can be done in this regard. What do you think can be the (most effective) solutions for DD? One idea is to create tax deductions for computers purchased for educational purposes.");s1[33]=new Array("Fun/interviewsVerac.html","Fun/interviewsVerac.html","","    About eBrochure eTour eSolutions Our Project FAQs Help Site Map References Copyright Information Interviews Interview Ms. Verac Pringle Global Stewardship Foundation, Africa  Do you have any personal experience with digital divide (that you would like to share)? I initiated Global Stewardship Foundation Africa, a program that brings refurbished computers to underprivileged schools in Sub-Sahara, and also provides training in their use to teachers. I find it very hard to accept that we, in the developed world, have so many millions of unwanted computers that we throw away every year, and send only a small fraction of these to school children in underdeveloped countries. There is an inventor dilemma in the IT industry: whether to produce expensive business computers for the elite or to produce inexpensive computers for the low income, public. What is your opinion on this dilemma? I feel that information technology belongs to all, especially to the low-income public, who might not have the means to obtain information in any other way; case in point, rural African children, in remote areas, can learn by online courses, making education available on a relatively low cost basis, as compared to setting up whole schools with libraries, and all the overhead of teachers and resources that are just not available to them. I also feel that on an economic level, it's a game of numbers, and it would be more beneficial to sell to more people at a lower cost, than just a few at a higher cost. Do you think we have made enough effort to bridge the digital divide? Do you think the digital divide would widen or lessen in the future? Why? I definitely do not think we have made enough effort, on the international level, to bridge the digital divide. One only needs to look at global statistics to see this. I do feel that there will be an improvement in lessening the divide as more and more countries learn to responsibly recycle computers at end of life. I think this is one of the biggest deterrents to reuse of used computers internationally and needs to be addressed NOW. Do you know any organizations that make effort to bridge the digital divide? Yes, there are many that work on the national level and more and more that are trying to do so on an international scale., but I feel that there needs to be a concerted effort by governments to be involved in solving this problem. Internet access in low-income or marginal areas is a problem partly because the unavailability of broadband and telephone line. Do you think wireless technology can provide a solution to this problem in those areas? Yes, definitely. Language differences also contribute to DD – but it is of interest for IT companies to make their products available to more consumers. Has there been any significant effort made to make the Internet and software in general more international? Do you think such effort can help bridging DD? Yes, ofcourse. I think that Linux is about the only software that is addressing this problem to countries that cannot afford this technology and seems very promising in helping to bridge the digital divide. What do you think can be the (most effective) solutions for DD? I feel that there needs to be a concerted effort by governments to be involved in solving this problem and working together on this. I also feel that more funding assistance should be given to programs that are trying to bridge the digital divide. In some developing countries, a response to the inability to afford software is using pirate software. Do you think pirate software can lessen the digital divide? Do you think free software (such as the GNU project) would play a role in bridging DD? I feel that software is much too expensive, even for the average person. It is for this reason that it is pirated; again I feel that the software companies would do better to lessen their price labels and sell to much more people, as this would solve the problems of pirating to a very large extent.");s1[34]=new Array("Fun/interviewsViktor.html","Fun/interviewsViktor.html","","    About eBrochure eTour eSolutions Our Project FAQs Help Site Map References Copyright Information Interviews Interview professor Viktor Mayer Schoenberger Associate Professor of Public Policy, Kennedy School, US  Do you have any personal experience with the digital divide? Yes, but not as one would expect. Having travelled in many places in Asia , one cannot help notice the ubiquity of Internet cafes even in remote places. Simple connectivity is not an issue for many anymore. In fact, once in the middle of the jungle of Borneo with the Iban headhunter tribe, in a steep valley, GPS would not work (not enough satellites to triangulate), but my European GSM cell phone would work just fine. The digital divide moves further upstream. It is not simple connectivity or the ability to write emails that is difficult, but assumptions of applications and bandwidth being present at the user end. For example, Harvard's Kennedy School only accepts student applications through its web based system. This is close to impossible to do for those with buggy dialup connections in many developing countries. When I asked I was told that as most applicants can write emails, they can apply through the web as well. But that's not true: filing on the web requires bandwidth, a modern browser, Acrobat plugin and the like. Whenever developing countries overcome a connectivity hurdle it seems we tend to erect new ones. That's saddening. Do you know of any organizations that make an effort to bridge the digital divide? Yes, of course. Many. Let me just mention an unusual one: the WorldBank. Internet access in low- or marginal-income areas is a problem partly because of the unavailability of broadband and telephone lines. Do you think wireless technology could provide a solution to this problem in such areas? To an extent, yes. It depends on what the problem is for a particular area/demographic group: if it is "the last mile", then wireless is great. If backbone connectivity is lacking or if equipment at the end points is lacking then wireless is of very limited utility. If it is money, then choosing a particular technology over another is not going to solve the problem. If it is education that's lacking, then wireless can't help at all. Take for example the case of Kerala's schools, where the IT rooms double up as Internet cafes during the evening. That's an intriguing way of offering connectivity embedded in the local institutions and structures. In addition to a dearth of physical access in some locations, there have also been issues regarding people's acceptance of technology's ever-growing role in our societies. In many cases, these "don't-wants" are at an even greater disadvantage than the "have-nots." Do you think people will come to embrace technology by themselves as time passes? What can be done to catalyze this process? I think my example in answering question 3 provides a good pointer: many of the "have-nots" will move online if they see a specific benefit for doing so. Hence, if governments want to overcome the digital divide, they may want to create incentives for the "have-nots" to go online. Digital cameras and easy to use applications like IPhoto have made many grandparents in the US and Europe go online, to stay in contact with their loved ones far away. That's the type of "killer application" that will change user behaviour. Language differences also contribute to the digital divide, but it is of interest for IT companies to make their products available to more consumers. Has there been any significant effort made to make the Internet and software in general more international? Do you think such efforts could help bridge the digital divide? Yes, all large It companies have huge internationalization/localization departments. In addition, there exists an entire cottage industry offering localization services. But the challenge is elsewhere: localization is – believe it or not – very expensive. Hence, software producers will have to sell a lot of software to pay for it. For smaller countries with smaller markets this means that for many software products localization may not be worth it. Open sourcing the localization of software may help (here is a business idea!) to find local volunteers. There's something of an "inventor dilemma" in the IT industry: is it better to produce expensive business computers for the elite, or to produce inexpensive computers for the low income public? Can you please explain where you stand on this? That depends on the product. Remember Borland: It shattered the high price compiler market in the 1980s when offering TurboPascal for a fifth of Microsoft's. This strategy worked and brought down software cost because at that time enough consumers were willing to pay. Low cost mass market works where there is a mass market. High costs are necessary for niche products, which is why it is hard to envision Photoshop or even more specialized products to go open source. In some developing countries, people are using pirated software as a response to their inability to afford genuine software. Do you think pirated software has the power to lessen the digital divide? How do you feel about its influence? Do you think free software (ex: the GNU project) would play a role in bridging the digital divide? Yes, pirated software has the power to lessen the digital divide. So can free software. Software vendors would, I think, be ready and happy to sell software to disenfranchised groups and nations at a steep discount if that could move many people to become computer literate (and potential future consumers). The problem is that many of these discounted products may end up being sold to those that could afford full price. In other words, spill-over effects from one market to another make it hard to target specific demographic or geographic groups without hurting demand in affluent markets. Do you think we have done, and continue to do, enough to bridge the digital divide? The way things appear now, do you think the divide will widen or narrow in the future? Why? We have never done enough, do not do enough now, and quite frankly, will never do enough. Because the challenge is huge, and our resource (constrained by the willingness of humans to share their wealth with others) are limited. What do you think would be the most effective solutions for the digital divide? Not MIT Media Lab's wearable computer. Not glitzy high-tech, but solid, affordable and tried solutions for very specific yet unmet demands in developing countries and for disadvantaged demographic groups. That's what we should think about!");s1[35]=new Array("Fun/photostories.html","Fun/photostories.html","","Photo Stories To make the concept of eDivide easier to grasp in a visual form, our team has created some photo stories. Each photo story was developed with a specific aim – we ask you to try them to understand this concept better.  Photographic Story 1 The importance of technology in every day life In this story we follow a student in the United States to see the typical role technology plays in a student's everyday life. View Story »  Photographic Story 2 The international digital divide: role of technology in different countries. In this story we bring you a few photos to show the role technology plays in different classroom environments in the world. You can see some schools are heavily dependent on technology for daily school work, and some aren't. View Story »  Photographic Story 3 Teachers preparing lessons with technology View Story »  Photographic Story 4 A tour around the world on eDivide View Story »  Photographic Story 5 Young children and technology Research has shown that children adapt better to new technology than adults. Early access to computers allow young kids to explore programs, interact, and take advantage of educational software available. How do young kids discover technology? When should we start train them in IT? This photo story captures some of our ideas on this topic. View Story »  Photographic Story 6 Software Shopping How much does it cost for a student to stay connected? Let's take a trip to a computer store in the US to answer this question. Are you ready? View Story »");s1[36]=new Array("Human/CausesFunding.html","Human/CausesFunding.html","","     Causes Funding The causes of these issues are, like the rest, many and varied. However, the common thread of causes seems to be the result of inadequate funding. Without funding, it is impossible to pay for teacher training, and lower socioeconomic bracket schools are unable to provide qualified teachers with the pay that they want. Part of this didactic divide, as it has been termed, results from more than issues of technology or the technological skills teachers have; rather, it is because of the fact that high-poverty schools are largely unable to attract well-qualified teachers (Solomon, Allen, and Resta 21). However, even in the cases where schools are able to employ teachers who are proficient in technology, there are many teachers who do not utilize technology and their knowledge of it appropriately in their curricula. "One of the enduring difficulties of technology use in education is that educational planners and technology advocates think of the technology first and then investigate the educational applications of this technology only later" (infoDEV). The major problems in teaching and learning today are not issues with wiring the technology; rather, they result from a lack of planning as to what should happen after the wires, wireless technology, or some other ubiquitous devices are provided (Bracey and Culver 1). It is essential that technology be put to a constructive, enriching use in education; however, in most cases, this is not happening.  ");s1[37]=new Array("Human/CausesGoals.html","Human/CausesGoals.html","","     Goals In terms of changing curricula, there are several development goals that teachers must meet. Teachers should not just build technical skills in their students for the sake of doing so; they should build upon these skills by using ICTs to enhance their students' educational experiences (Republic). This entails assigning class work and projects that necessitate Internet research, multimedia presentations, web design, and other student-oriented activities. It is not enough to simply learn about technology; in today's world it is essential to learn through technology as well. It is very possible that the line distinguishing these two facets of technological education will blur to the point of non-existence. For example, consider a science class: students could use computers as a medium for modeling phenomena, collecting and analyzing data, and communicating their results (Bracey and Culver 1-2). In order to learn through technology in this way, students would need to have a prior knowledge of how to use computer for these purposes. Digital literacy involves providing students with the tools that they need to participate in the world around them in an intelligent, knowledgeable manner (Bracey and Culver 23). Teachers should strive to instill in their students all types of literacy, because they are all needed for success—even survival—in the world of today and the future.   ");s1[38]=new Array("Human/CausesTraining.html","Human/CausesTraining.html","","     Training This results from more than just a lack of training; it is as a result of teachers' teaching methods. The majority of teachers teach the way they themselves were taught (Solomon, Allen, and Resta 19). With each new educational technology that has been created, developers from outside the school culture introduced them with strong words regarding the huge impact these devices will have on the school system. In reality, most of these technologies have had little fundamental impact on teacher practice. Many teachers view technology as simply a way to make current teaching methods more efficient (Solomon, Allen, and Resta 10-11). In the context of education, this means that many teachers use computers for drills and repetitive practice, rather than for doing research and communicating with other students on the Internet, producing multimedia projects and graphical presentations, or engaging in other problem-solving, exploratory projects (Solomon, Allen, and Resta 21). This is especially true in poorer schools, whose use of computers tends to focus on keyboarding and repetitive CD-ROM drills—skills which indirectly train them to take orders. Wealthier schools, on the other hand, tend to use their computers for collaborative learning projects with emphasis on communication—learning experiences which will prepare them to take managerial and professional roles in their futures ( Monroe 26-27). In order for ICT to have any significant impact on education, however, it is essential that it is used to enrich and enhance all students' educational experiences, not just to make them more efficient.    ");s1[39]=new Array("Human/EffortsTeaching.html","Human/EffortsTeaching.html","","     Current Efforts Teaching Style Though teacher training is a widespread phenomenon, there are some novel strategies to overcome human barriers to digital equity in the classroom that have not yet been tried on a large scale. For instance, there are not many schools that have used non-traditional educational software in their curricula. However, those schools that have tried such software have gotten positive results. For instance, a study conducted in the region of Vadodara , India was conducted wherein the students of one primary school played mathematical computer games for two hours a week. Equivalent schools in the area were not given these games; they continued teaching as normal. At the study's conclusion, the students from all schools were given a comparison test in mathematics. The students who played the computer games scored significantly higher than those who did not. In addition, the students who had been academically at the bottom of the class benefited the most; boys and girls benefited the same amount. The students scored well because of a combination of computer use, teacher training, and innovative educational software (Wagner, et al. 22-23). Such software would be optimally effective it were used as a supplemental element of the curriculum. If computer games were a staple element of school life, it is highly probably that students would experience more harm than good. Children should be reinforced with software such as computer games, not trained to expect constant light heartedness and quick turnovers.   ");s1[40]=new Array("Human/EffortsTraining.html","Human/EffortsTraining.html","","     Current Efforts Training Many organizations are attempting to solve these problems by way of instituting teacher training courses and workshops. It is important that these courses teach appropriate technology in effective ways. In addition, they should not only teach about technology, but also about the most effective ways for teachers to use that technology in the classroom. One such teacher training initiative is the Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to use Technology (PT3) grant program, which began in 1999 to bring new ideas, models, and collaborations to teacher education. Additionally, in an effort to identify and distribute strategies to improve digital equity to educators and policymakers, a group of teachers within the PT3 community initiated an effort which they call the PT3 Digital Equity Task Force (Solomon, Allen, and Resta xiv). This group initiates and sponsors teacher training workshops and circulates information to educators regarding technology and its uses. Programs such as this which encourage teachers use technology creatively rather than just as an expedient are essential if technology is ever to be used effectively in the classroom.   ");s1[41]=new Array("Human/index.html","Human/index.html","","     Definition The barriers to digital equity in the classroom do not stop with the physical, digital, and socioeconomic, however. Even if students have access to hardware, software, online content, and community support, if they do not have the human resources that provide them with an adequate knowledge of how to use them, they will not be able to get very far in terms of digital literacy. Human resources, as far as educational digital equity is concerned, are essentially exactly what they sound like: having access to human beings with ICT literacy and flexible curricula who can help students to become digitally literate - teachers. It is important to have a clear definition of what constitutes ICT literacy in an educator. A teacher who is deemed "ICT literate" should be able to operate computers physically, search accurately for information on the Internet, create content designed for the Internet, and use relevant software effectively. In addition, they must be able to incorporate technology effectively into their respective curricula, not just to make what they already do more efficient, but to enrich and enhance the students' education as a whole.    ");s1[42]=new Array("Human/Problems.html","Human/Problems.html","","     Problem Unfortunately, there are several problems with obtaining human resources. First and foremost, there is a distinct paucity of teachers who are adequately trained in using ICT effectively in education. Also, many teachers find it hard to break free of exam-driven curricula that are focused on fast learning and memorization. Data from the National Center of Educational Statistics has shown that the greater the level of poverty is in a school system, the more likely it is that the technology within that school system is used for drills rather than for exploratory projects (Solomon, Allen, and Resta 21). Lower socioeconomic bracket schools, where such teachers are the most sorely lacking, are generally the ones which have the most difficultly attracting well-qualified teachers (Solomon, Allen, and Resta 21). This is an ironic occurrence that causes a lot of problems for the people who need help the most. Public domain image  ");s1[43]=new Array("Human/Suggestions.html","Human/Suggestions.html","","     Suggestions It may also be helpful to emphasize peer-to-peer leaning in an effort to overcome the human barriers. Consider, for example, the Facebook-like project suggested earlier. Perhaps students would be able to exchange project ideas and take part in projects together, with the supervision and guidance of older students. An organization which partakes in activities similar to this is TakingITGlobal (TIG). TIG is "an online community that connects youth to find inspiration, access information, get involved, and take action in their local and global communities" (TakingITGlobal). Essentially, TIG.org functions as an interactive platform wherein youth from around the world can post information, progress, and results of community action projects they are doing. In addition, they can obtain support, feedback, and suggestions from other users (TakingITGlobal). While TIG focuses on community involvement, a similar project with an emphasis on academic achievement could foster peer-to-peer learning, thereby helping to overcome the human barriers to digital equity in the classroom.    ");s1[44]=new Array("Physical/Causes.html","Physical/Causes.html","","     Causes The causes of physical barriers to digital equity in the classroom are simple to name, but difficult to overcome. First and foremost is the issue of affordability: though the cost of computers decreases steadily over time due to increased efficiency in production, computers and internet access remain unaffordable for many. This is an issue at two separate levels: the individual, and the school level. Individual households may be unable to afford computer technology, and governments may also not have enough funding to improve the ICT infrastructure in their school systems. Secondly, there are many parents and students who do not realize the importance of ICTs in education. For the most part, it is not as though they do not care about their children's educations; they simply do not realize that incorporating ICTs into school and home life has very positive benefits. This lack of information can severely restrict a student's access to ICT. ");s1[45]=new Array("Physical/CurrentEfforts.html","Physical/CurrentEfforts.html","","     Current Efforts It is not as though nothing is being done to overcome these physical barriers. There are many efforts currently in progress to solve the access issue by providing technology to schools and homes, increasing broadband connectivity, and providing public access centers. However, many of these solutions depend on the specific problem for a particular region or demographic group. For instance, in the region of Kerala, India, there are a surprising number of schools with access to computers and the Internet. During school hours, the students learn how to use the computers and the Internet effectively. After school hours, however, the schools double as Internet cafes for public use. Mayer-Schoenberger notes, "That's an intriguing way of offering connectivity embedded in the local institutions and structures" (interview). For all of these methods, however, it is essential that there is at least a rudimentary backbone structure of connectivity. Gerry Smith of River Oaks Elementary School in Oakville, Canada developed a very effective means of creating a structural backbone of connectivity and physical access for the students at his school. By partnering with various telecommunications companies—Microsoft, Apple, Perceptrix, and Sony, to name a few—Smith has acquired $500,000 worth of physical resources, including computers, scanners, CD-ROM players, and desktop publishing and video equipment. Despite the fact that River Oaks did not have any more funds than any other school in the area, Smith was able to obtain such comparatively incredible resources for his own school by using creative thinking and novel business tactics. He created deals with these major companies, for instance, arranging to buy, at discounted prices, equipment with slightly damaged exteriors that could not be sold for full retail prices through usual distribution chains, though the mechanics worked perfectly (Tapscott 208). Solutions like this, which involve partnerships that are beneficial to both parties, require ingenuity. The access issue is not unsolvable; it simply requires a different sort of thinking.  ");s1[46]=new Array("Physical/index.html","Physical/index.html","","     Definition Physical barriers to digital equity in the classroom can be defined as simply a lack of access to the computer itself and other necessary hardware, as well as to the Internet. Without the computers and hardware that they need, students cannot very well use technology to learn. Many individuals who do not have access to physical resources are generally those who come from lower socioeconomic brackets or belong to minority groups (Wagner, et al. 3). The personal computer is a potentially liberating, democratizing tool, and many of those people in the "Third World within the First World" are anxious to acquire it (Monroe xi). The simple fact that some people cannot obtain such technology creates a divide between the so-called "haves" and "have-nots."Public domain image  ");s1[47]=new Array("Physical/InequitableAccess.html","Physical/InequitableAccess.html","","     Inequitable Access Within the "have-nots," there exists yet another divide between those who have been termed the "wants" and the "don't-wants." Though the "have-nots" as a whole have not, for the most part, been terribly criticized for their lack of physical resources, the "don't-wants" have been consistently scorned, mocked, and accused. To attempt to save someone who does not wish to be saved is a lost cause, and the "don't-wants," a group that includes not only rich, but also poor people, have been deemed to have incorrect values that are simply inexcusable (Monroe 14). However, it would prove much more productive to recognize this group's reasons for hesitating to use ICT, and finding ways to assuage their fears and convince them that technology is not bad; rather, it can be used to their benefit. ");s1[48]=new Array("Physical/NeedforAccess.html","Physical/NeedforAccess.html","","     Need for Access The issue of physical access encompasses both school access and home access. Please click on the School and Home menu links to learn more about them.  School: Though some may argue that giving students access to computers and Internet technology would give them a way to play games rather than put it to good use, studies have shown that the majority of students who have access to ICT at school have been found to use it constructively: 94 percent of youth between the ages of twelve and seventeen who have Internet access say that they have used it for school research while 78 percent believe the Internet helps them with schoolwork. In addition, 71 percent of teens who have access report that they had used the Internet as a major source of information for a recent school report or project (Solomon, Allen, and Resta 16). Although it is possible that some students use their physical resources for recreational purposes, this number is either very small or they partake in such activities on their leisure time, after their work has been completed.  Home: Just as important as school access, if not more so, is access to physical resources at home. It is certain that the presence of books and other reading materials in the home is positively influential on a child's early success in school, and later on in life. Similarly, in today's world of technological advancements, the availability of computers with Internet access at children's homes can be crucial to the development of their technological literacy (Solomon, Allen, and Resta 16). Researchers have found a positive relationship between achievement and the use of home computers for educational or communication purposes (Wagner, et al. 21). Regardless of how much money goes into providing poorer schools with physical resources, students from middle-class families who attend richer schools and have access to computers at home will have technological and linguistic advantages that are conducive to success in school and in life (Monroe 27). Pure logic coincides with experts' opinions and researchers' findings: if children are brought up with computers in their homes and are allowed to use them from a young age, by the time they reach elementary or middle levels of school they will have acquired a knowledge of how to use such technology to their advantage. If, however, they do not have access to physical resources at home, they are surely at a disadvantage.  ");s1[49]=new Array("Physical/Problem.html","Physical/Problem.html","","     Problem Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that not all schools provide their students with access to computers and the Internet. In the past, many studies simply counted the number of schools connected to the Internet; however, it was soon realized that this number is not an accurate measure of student access. Though a school may have Internet access, if it is not made readily available to the students, it is not very effective. The presence of computers in a few vague locations around the schools' campuses—even in a specific computer laboratory—is not as conducive to using ICTs for higher order skills as placing fewer computers in classrooms (infoDEV 3). The focus of such studies then switched to student-per-computer ratios and the number of computers per instructional room (Monroe 6). The data has shown that "a vast gap does indeed separate rich and poor... and that gap is at once economic, racial, discursive, and epistemological in character" (Monroe 5). The matter of who is on which side of this digital divide is dependent upon several factors, but there does exist a general trend that provides insight on who has access and who does not. This trend is consistent across different regions, schools, and even time periods: the determining factors of who has access and what the quality of that access is are race, gender, linguistic ability, cultural heritage, and income. Urban families with an annual income of $75,000 or greater are 25 times more likely to have Internet access than rural low-income families. White, Pacific Islander, and Asian American households make up the vast majority of those who have access, while Black and Hispanic households are very much in the minority (Solomon, Allen, and Resta xviii). In addition, those who live in rural areas are far less likely to have access to computers, use the Internet, or use new technologies to their advantage than those who reside in urban areas (Ministry). The numbers illustrate this trend. This issue of access is putting many individuals at a distinct disadvantage.  ");s1[50]=new Array("Physical/RelativeInsignificance.html","Physical/RelativeInsignificance.html","","     Relative Insignificance It is imperative to stress once again that while the access issue is still important, it is not as important as it once was. Since this was once the ultimate barrier to digital equity, past efforts to bridge the digital divide have focused immensely on this issue. Thanks to these efforts, the problem is being solved in various ways, by various people, and with varying degrees of success. Such efforts are aided by the natural economic progression of the computer industry; as production becomes more cost-effective, people in lower socioeconomic levels become more able to own computers. "As the power of the computer chip increases, [it is possible to] buy a computer with twice the power 18 months after the previous purchase, yet pay the same price" (Solomon, Allen, and Resta 8). With the increased availability of such technology to average people comes a significant increase of computing power in the hands of individuals and a redistribution of power from the technical minds to the ordinary people of the world (Solomon 9). From this point onwards, bridging the digital divide will no longer mean simply making machines available, because the machines by themselves will not be able to "transform problems of literacy, poverty, powerlessness, and cultural isolation and ignorance" simply by being present (Monroe xi). Physical access must be integrated with other factors as well. ");s1[51]=new Array("Physical/Suggestions.html","Physical/Suggestions.html","","     Suggestions Engaging the "don't-wants"   Digital cameras and camcorders have made many grandparents in the US and Europe go online, to stay in contact with their loved ones far away. © e-Divide team   It is important to realize that many of the "don't-wants" are disinclined to use technology because of a lack of technological optimism (Monroe 16). Logically speaking, then, it stands to reason that the most effective ways to convince a large number of people in this group to embrace technology is to give them a reason to believe it will help them. As Viktor Mayer-Schoenberger, Associate Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, States. Many of the "don't-wants" will move online if they see a specific benefit for doing so. Hence, if governments want to overcome the digital divide, they may want to create incentives for the "don't-wants" to go online. Digital cameras and easy to use applications like iPhoto have made many grandparents in the US and Europe go online, to stay in contact with their loved ones far away. That's the type of "killer application" that will change behavior. (interview) With "killer applications" such as this that give the "don't-wants" motivation to experience at least one facet of the world of ICT, it is possible to allow them to explore other parts of it as well, potentially converting them to "wants," and perhaps even "haves," with time. This process of converting people from the other groups to "haves" is imperative to the process of achieving digital equity. Leapfrogging to wireless and recycling computers In some areas, it may be helpful to try leapfrogging to wireless technology. However, this is contingent upon a few key characteristics of the region in which such changes are being considered. If the region is on the proverbial home stretch of solving the access issue, then wireless technology would be an excellent solution. However, if the backbones of connectivity are weak or lacking, or if endpoint equipment is lacking, then wireless technology would be of very limited use (Mayer-Schoenberger). Also, recycling old generation computers rather than disposing of them entirely could provide underprivileged individuals with a more affordable alternative to obtaining such technology. Though the technology in such machines may be slightly outdated or the exteriors may not be quite as flashy and attractive as newer models, provided they function sufficiently, older machines could be sent to schools in areas with lower instances of access to provide them with a more cost-effective means of obtaining technology.    In some areas, it may be helpful to try leapfrogging to wireless technology. © e-Divide team    ");s1[52]=new Array("Project/Acknowledgements.html","Project/Acknowledgements.html","","     Acknowledgement A total of approximately three months was needed to complete the data collection and analysis for these surveys. Countless hours of effort were put into this final product, and we would like to extend our thanks to those who helped us make it possible. We would like to thank the administration of Pinkerton Academy and Kim Lien High School for allowing us to carry out the surveys. We also would like to thank all students at Pinkerton Academy and Kim Lien High School who completed the questionnaire. In addition, our sincerest thanks to the following individuals for their generous help in completing this monumental task: Dr. Tuan Tran, for providing useful reference materials on statistical analysis and for providing generous help on writing reports and articles Mr. Bruce Berchtold, for providing the survey and results for Pinkerton Academy Mr. Charles Varney, for approving the use of the survey data Ms. Hoai, Mr. Phong and Ms. Lan, for helping us with distributing and collecting the questionnaire at Kim Lien High School Dr. Dung Thi Mai Van, Ms. Tho Hai Dang and Mrs. Ha Thu Tran, for evaluating the Vietnamese version of the questionnaire and giving helpful comments Dr. Truong Xuan Truong and Ms. Lan Thi Truong, for their enthusiasm and help with the data collection process  ");s1[53]=new Array("Project/BriefReport.html","Project/BriefReport.html","","     Brief Report This is an abbreviated version of our detailed results report. Please click here if you would like to read the full report. Our results section provide answers to the four questions mentioned in the Aim of the project. Is there a difference in the frequency of computer usage between the students of the two countries? Yes. American students tend to use computers more frequently, both at home and at schools than Vietnamese students. Is there a difference in IT skills between the students of the two countries? No. Our research found no significant difference. Students of the two countries score similarly on our self-defined IT literacy questionnaire, although American students on average have slightly higher scores than Vietnamese students. What are some factors that affect how often a student use computer? The factors identified vary between the countries and between home use and school use. Some interesting results are highlighted below: American students with home Internet connection are 50 times more likely to use computers more frequently at home than those without. Year of graduation affects computer accessibility at school for both Vietnamese and American students. In Vietnam, seniors do not get as frequent access as juniors. In contrast, in America, seniors access computers more frequently than juniors. There is no significant gender inequality in computer access for both schools. In other words, boys use computers as often as girls. Do the students use computers at school for school work? At Pinkerton Academy, senior students use computers more frequently. Students with one or more courses that require a computer for at least one assignment are 1.4 times more likely to use computers at school. These results imply that students at Pinkerton Academy often use computers at school for schoolwork. At Kim Lien High School, seniors do not use computers as often as juniors. The average IT skills score for activities done on school computers is ten-times lower than the score for activities done on computers outside the school. These results indicate that students at Kim Lien High School do not often use computers at school for schoolwork.  ");s1[54]=new Array("Project/ComputerUsage.html","Project/ComputerUsage.html","","     Computer Usage How often do students at each school use computers? Students at Pinkerton Academy use computers more frequently at home than at school. 78% use computers at home daily, while only 28% at school. A closer inspection indicated that there is a relationship between year of graduation and computer usage frequency at school. Students who graduate earlier are more likely to use computers at school than those who graduate later. There is a sharp difference between those graduating this year (2006) and others. A senior student at the school revealed that "…it's simply easier for upperclassmen to get access to computers: for instance, in most cases, our writing center gives preference to seniors and juniors, especially at the time of year when senior and junior essays are due. In addition, members of the National Honor Society, all of whom are juniors and seniors, have permanent library passes, making it easier for them to get into the library o n a fairly frequent basis. Also, I believe that many computer-related electives at our school give preference to juniors and seniors when students are selecting courses." Students at Kim Lien High School use computers at home much more frequently than at school or outside of school. A high percentage of students never use computers at school (55.88%). In contrast to the American case, students who graduate in 2006 are less likely to use computers at school than students who graduate in 2008. 2006 students also have more difficulties in accessing computers at school: 60% reported that they never have access to computers at school, while this number is only 5% in 2008 students. This can be explained partly by the fact that computer studies is a compulsory subject for 2008 students only. Als o, 2006 students are preparing for the university entrance examination in July, and only a small portion of universities chose computer studies as one of the three exam subjects.  ");s1[55]=new Array("Project/Discussions.html","Project/Discussions.html","","     Discussions and Actions The Digital Divide between the two schools Although Pinkerton Academy and Kim Lien High School students have similar physical access to computers at home and similar IT literacy, Pinkerton Academy students use computers more often than those at Kim Lien High School. In this case, the Digital Divide in education exists only at school in terms of physical access and usage of computers. Vietnamese students have high awareness of the important role that computers play in their future occupations. Therefore, lack of awareness or acceptance of technology is not the major issue. Vietnamese students have difficulty in accessing computers at school. The number of courses requiring computers for assignments is low, and the students do not often use computers at school for schoolwork. This indicates that Human resources are the main barrier. The curriculum should be modified to incorporate technology. Teachers should be trained to use computers as part of their teaching method. Our actions We hope to inform the two schools as well as students, parents, educators, policy makers, and the general public of the results of our study. In February 2005, we have informed Pinkerton Academy as well as Kim Lien High School of the main results of this study. Currently Dr. Tuan Tran is helping us to write a newspaper article on the survey and we hope to get them published in both the US and Vietnam. The main aim of this study is to describe the current status of the Digital Divide. By puting this report on the eDivide website, we hope to share our results with all of you.  ");s1[56]=new Array("Project/FullReport.html","Project/FullReport.html","","     Full Report Comparisons between the two schools Awareness of the role of computers in the future Most students at Pinkerton Academy think that computers are important for their future career. However, Vietnamese students have much higher awareness of this issue. While only 38% of American students think that computer is very important to their future career, this number is 70% in Vietnamese students.  Accessibility to computers at school Computers at Pinkerton Academy are considered easy to access by students. 92% students rarely or never have difficulties in accessing computers at school. In contrast, this number is only 21% at Kim Lien High School. This difference clearly illustrates the difference in infrastructure between the two schools.  Number of courses requiring computers for at least assignments Courses at Pinkerton Academy seem to require heavy IT usage. By the end of semester 1, only 4% of students at Pinkerton Academy have no course which requires computer usage for at least one assignment. In contrast, the curriculum at Kim Lien High School does not require much use of computers. 54% students indicated that in semester 1 they do not have any assignments requiring usage of computers.  ");s1[57]=new Array("Project/Improvement.html","Project/Improvement.html","","     Methodology Improvement Sampling method The survey was conducted at two schools, hence it is too early to expand the discussion to all students of the United States and Vietnam. Pinkerton Academy students are equally distributed across the years and in gender. In contrast, a high percentage of students in the Vietnamese sample are female. This is partly due to the simple fact that male students tend to not complete the questionnaire properly. Better sampling method should be used in future studies.  Future research topics Human resources and social acceptance of technology play an important role in bridging the Digital Divide. While this study looked at physical access, IT skills and awareness of the students, further research should take into account IT skills of teachers and teaching method.  ");s1[58]=new Array("Project/index.html","Project/index.html","","     Is the Digital Divide widening or narrowing? New research is needed to answer this question. Such research needs to evaluate the needs of the "have-nots" and provide updated statistics on this continually evolving topic.  Aim of Our Project Our Project is a survey conducted on 2751 students of two schools in the United States and Vietnam. We aim to provide first-hand information on the digital gap in education between developed and developing countries. In particular, we aim to answer the following questions: Is there a difference in the frequency of computer usage between the students of the two countries? Is there a difference in IT skills between the students of the two countries? What are some factors that affect how often students use computers? Do the students use computers at school for schoolwork? Methods The survey consists of a questionnaire with 20 multiple choice questions, approved and administered with support from Pinkerton Academy (United States). All students of Pinkerton Academy and students in four classes of Kim Lien High School (Vietnam) were given the questionnaire during class.  Statistical analysis One of our team members, an undergraduate in mathematics, analyzed the data using Stata, a statistical software. In addition to statistical calculations, she used a complex mathematical model called proportional odds – ordinal logistic regression to analyze the data. The methodology was approved by Dr. Tuan Tran, an epidemiologist. Please click here for more details on the methodology, mathematical methods, and to view our questionnaire  Results Please click here to read highlights of our results. If you prefer the long, detailed version of the report, please click here to read the full report.  The Special Visual Report Are you a visual learner? Would you like to browse through our graphs and figures? Please click here to start your visual tour of the results report.  Discussion and Actions Our research indicated that between Kim Lien High School and Pinkerton Academy, the Digital Divide in education exists only at school in terms of physical access and usage of computers. We identified that Vietnamese students have a high awareness of the important role that computers play in their future occupations. Therefore, lack of awareness or acceptance of technology is not the major issue. In fact, Vietnamese students have difficulties in accessing computers at school. The number of courses requiring computers for assignments are low, and the students do not often use computers at school for schoolwork. This indicates that Human resources arethe main barrier. The curriculum should be modified to incorporate technology. Teachers should be trained to use computers as part of their teaching method. Please click here to read about the actions we took based on the results of our research.  Acknowledgement This is the largest research project any one of us has ever carried out, both in terms of size and depth of analysis. The project took us three months to complete, from scratch to the final report. Such a study would not be possible without the help from others. Please click here to read our acknowledgement.  ");s1[59]=new Array("Project/ITacces.html","Project/ITacces.html","","     How do the students at the two schools compare in terms of IT accessibility? We define our own "eDivide index", a measurement of IT accessibility, composed of 50% IT skills score and 50% physical and digital access score. The scores follow a normal distribution, and the mean score of American students is 34, while the mean score of Vietnamese students is 30.5. Although the mean score of Vietnamese students are slightly less, this difference is not statistically significant (two sample t-test, p = 0.47). So in terms of our IT accessibility index, on average there is no difference between students of the two countries, although American students appear to be slightly better off than their Vietnamese cohort.  How the eDivide index is computed The eDivide index is composed of 50% IT skills score and 50% physical and digital access score. The maximum score possible is 70. IT skills score: this is based on the activities the student does on computers at school in the last semester, which is measured by question 8 in the questionnaire Each activity which does not require the student to produce something of their own gives a score of 1 point. These activities are: playing games and using simulations Activities which require heavier computer knowledge are scored as 3 points. These activities are: gathering data electronically, using a database, using a desktop publish program, editing or making a graphic, editing a video, or writing a computer program. Other activities give a score of 2. The total IT skills score is the sum of score for all activities that the student answered "yes" to. The maximum score possible is 34 Physical and Digital access score: this is based on questions 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 20 of the questionnaire The score of each question correspond to each answer. (for example, having 2 computers at home give a score of 2). For the "how often" questions, "daily" gives a score of 3, "weekly" is 2, "monthly' is 1, and "never" is 0. The total score is the sum of all scores. The maximum score possible is 18. To balance it with the IT skills score, this score is doubled. Therefore, the maximum score possible for this section is 36.  ");s1[60]=new Array("Project/Method.pdf","Project/Method.pdf","","Form ID ---> Room: 336 Student Computer Survey 2005 We would like to get an idea of how you use the computer. Please answer each question by bubbling in a single option. Please use a pencil or a pen with DARK ink and fill in the bubble completely. DO NOT USE CHECKMARKS. 1. What is your year of graduation? 2. What is your gender? 3. Do you have access to a computer at home? 4. How many computers do you have access to at home? 5. Do you have access to the Internet at home? 6. How often do you use the computer at home? 7. How often do you use a computer here at school? d d d d d d d 2006 M Yes 0 Yes Daily Daily d d d d d 2007 F No 1 No d d d 2008 d 2009 d d 2 d 3 d 4 or more Don't Know d d Monthly Monthly Weekly Weekly d d Never Never 8. Within the last term have you done any of the followingat school? Used a Web Browser (i.e. Explorer) Sent an email message Used a database (i.e. Access) Used a spreadsheet (i.e. Excel) Made a presentation (i.e. PowerPoint) Played a game Used the library software for books or magazines d d d d d d d Yes Yes d d Yes Yes d d Yes Yes d d Yes d No No No No No No No Used a desktop publishing program Used a word processor (i.e. Word) Edited or made a graphic (i. e. Illustrator) Edited a video Used a simulation Written a computer program Gathered data electronically (i.e. Pasco Interfacing Probes) Taken an on-line course d d d d d d d d Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes d d d d d d d d No No No No No No No No 9. How many courses (this year) required you to use a computer for at least one assignment? 0 d 1 d d No d Weekly 2 d 3 d 10. Do you use Edline? 11. How often do you use Edline? 12. Do your parents use Edline? 13. How often do your parents use Edline? 14. How do you use Edline? For getting class assignments For checking grades or attendance For contacting my teacher For viewing notices d d d d Daily 4 d 5 or more Yes Daily Yes d d Monthly d Never d No d Weekly d d Don't Know Monthly d Never d 4 4 4 4 4 Don't Know (1 = every day, 2 = every week, 3 = every month, 4 = never) d d d d 1 1 1 1 d d d d 2 2 2 2 d d d d d 2 d 3 3 3 3 15. How many of your teachers have posted course materials to Edline? 16. How would you describe your access to computers on campus? d Never a problem d Occasionally a problem d d 0 1 d d 3 d d d d d d 5 or more Access is difficult d Floppy d Access is never available d Zip Drive d Never d d Email 17. How do you prefer to move files on campus? d CD-ROM d USB Stick 18. How often do you use the Pinkerton Web Site? 19. Would you like training on..... d Internet Searching d Presentations d Databases Daily d d Weekly d Monthly Word processing d Spreadsheets Programming 20. How important will computers be in your future occupation? d Very important d Important d Not very important d Not used at all");s1[61]=new Array("Project/Methodology.html","Project/Methodology.html","","     Methodology The method The survey was a slightly modified version of a survey administered by Pinkerton Academy. Questions 6 and 7 measure the student's computer usage frequency, while other questions measure factors which we thought may affect that frequency. We included these factors because they can be easily measured by asking students simple questions. Other factors such as teacher's IT literacy are harder to measure by a questionnaire. The sample In this survey we used a convenience sample. In total, 2600 students at Pinkerton Academy and 151 students at Kim Lien High School completed the survey. However, all forms with missing answers were excluded from analysis, so the sample size for analysis was 1909 US students and 136 Vietnamese students. Data collection At Pinkerton Academy, students in all grades were presented with a printed questionnaire during their first period class. The survey was a mandatory questionnaire approved and administered by Pinkerton Academy administration. All students in attendance on the day of the survey took the survey. The data was then input into Microsoft Access for further analysis. Printed questionnaire was also given to four classes chosen at random at Kim Lien High School. Statistical analysis We model the effect of the factors using the proportional odds ordered logistic model – a type of mathematical model. (David W. Hosmer 2000). This model is used when the outcome variable is categorical, polytomous and ordered. In this case, our outcome variable is the frequency of computer usage at home, which has 4 levels: "Never", "Monthly", "Weekly" and "Daily", and these levels can be compared in magnitude. To select factors which are most influential to the frequency of com puter usage, we used a procedure called backward elimination. (Kutner 2005). This involves fitting all the potential factors into the model and identifying the one with the largest p-value. If this p-value is over a threshold (e.g.: p > 0.05), the factor is dropped. The model with the remaining factors is then fitted, and the process continued until no more factors can be dropped. Frequency of computer usage at home and at school was considered separately.  The mathematics The mathematical formulae are presented below. We try to give enough background information so that people with sufficient background in statistics can understand. To be consistent, we use the same notation as in the book "Applied Logistic Regression" (David W. Hosmer 2000). The development of all of the equations presented here are available in that book. We have: is the simple logistic regression model. The logit transformation of the above equation is expressed as: Note that this is the simple logistic regression model – that is, we only have one predictor and one response variable. When we have more than one predictor – for example, p predictors, then the model is refered to as the multiple logi stic regression model. (Kutner 2005) The expressions above remain the same, except that is replaced with . In terms of matrix notation, would be a matrix (denoted and X would be a matrix (denoted ). In cases where the response variable has more than two categories, the model fitted is called the multinomial logistic regression model. Assume that the response variable can take on K+1 categories coded 0, 1, 2, … K, and assume that we have p-1 predictors (X1, … Xp-1). Denote the probability that the response at the ith observation would take a certain value k if the response vector X at the ith observation equals to the vector x as . If the categories of Y are unordered, then we have a nomial logistic regression model. We would then have: (where is the same as in equation 1). Taking as the "baseline" category, the logits under this model are: If the categories of Y are ordered, then we have an ordinal logistic regression model. The model we fit in our report is the proportional odds model, which is a special type of ordinal logistic regression models. In the proportional odds model, we compare the probability of an equal or smaller response, Y k, to the probability of a larger response, Y > k. So we have: where k = 0, 1,... K.. and k is just a different notation for the constant vector. The coefficient vector is negated to make it consistent with the software package Stata used in this analysis. The last equation above is the one fitted to our data. From here the odds ratios are derived from a simple manipulation of the equation above. It can be shown that the odds ratios bewteen x1 and x0 is equal to . (Refer to David W. Hosmer 2000 - 8.24) All calculations were done in Stata, a statistical software package.  Reference: David W. Hosmer, S. L. (2000), Applied Logistic Regression (Second ed.), Wiley-Interscience Publication. Kutner, N., Neter, Li (2005), Applied Linear Statistical Model (Fifth ed.), McGraw-Hill Irwin.  ");s1[62]=new Array("Project/Schoolwork.html","Project/Schoolwork.html","","     Do the students often use computers at school for schoolwork? At Pinkerton Academy, senior students use computers more frequently. Students with one or more courses that require a computer for at least one assignment are 1.4 times more likely to use computers at school These results imply that students at Pinkerton Academy often use computers at school for schoolwork. At Kim Lien High School, seniors do not use computers as often as juniors. Although there is a correlation in the number of assignments requiring PCs with computer usage frequency at home, this factor is not significant in explaining the computer usage frequency at school. This indicates that Kim Lien High School students do not often use school computers for schoolwork. This is also supported by the fact that the IT skills score for Vietnamese students based on activities at school alone is very low, with mean equals 1.5 points (max score = 34). This score, when based on activities students does on computers outside of school is significantly higher (one-sided t-test, p-value  ");s1[63]=new Array("Project/UsageFrequency.html","Project/UsageFrequency.html","","     What are some factors that affect their computer usage frequency? American results By fitting the proportional odds model for computers usage frequency at home, we obtain the following odds ratio: Variable Odds ratio 95% Confidence interval Number of computers at home 1.873574 1.610324 2.179858 Home Internet connection (0 = no, 1 = yes) 50.82075 28.88601 89.41174 Number of courses with at least 1 assignment requires computer 1.207664 1.108726 1.31543 Consider IT important for future career (3 = most important, 0 = not at all) 1.441165 1.233448 1.683862 Gender (0 = female, 1 = male) .7450006 .5854082 .9481007 These odds ratios can be interpreted as followed: An increase in 1 computer at home increases the odds of the student using computers at home more frequentlyby 1.8 times. Students with Internet connection at home are 50.8 times more likely to use computers at home than students without. Students with 1 more course requires computer for at least one assignment are 1.2 times more likely to use computers at home Students who consider IT important for future career 1-degree more are 1.4 times more likely to use computers at home Male students are 25.5% less Overall, physical factors such as number of computers at home and home Internet connection, as well as schooling and awareness factors determine the computer usage frequency at home of American students. The oddsratios for frequency of computer usage at school can be interpreted similarly. Variable Odds ratio 95% Confidence interval Year of graduation 0.5872182 0.5417246 0.6365322 Gender 1.821334 1.535469 2.16042 Number of courses with at least one assignment requires computer 1.414568 1.328547 1.506158 Consider IT important for future career 1.754853 1.564012 1.96898 Ability to access computers at school (3 = never a problem, 0 = never available) 1.340151 1.18134 1.520313 Students who graduate one year later have a 41% lower odds of using computers at school more frequently Males are 1.8 times more likely to use computers at school than females Students with 1 more course requires computer for at least one assignment are 1.4 times more likely to use computers at school Students who consider IT important for future career 1-degree more are 1.7 times more likely to use computers at school Students who can access computers at school 1-degree more easily are 1.3 times more likely to use computers at school Similar to the home-access results, computers usage frequency at Pinkerton Academy is affected by both physical access as well as awareness factors. VN resultsBy fitting the proportional odds model for computers usage frequency at home, we obtain the following odds ratio: Variable Odds ratio 95% Confidence interval Number of computers at home 10.14106 3.63165 28.31804 Home Internet connection (0 = no, 1 = yes) 3.193632 1.482194 6.881205 Number of courses with at least 1 assignment requires computer 1.506857 1.063428 2.135186 These odds ratios can be interpreted similar to the American results. An increase in 1 computer at home increases the odds of the student using computers at home by 10.1 times. Students with Internet connection at home are 3.2 times more likely to use computers at home than students without. Students with 1 more course requires computer for at least one assignment are 1.5 times more likely to use computers at home Compared to the American results, number of computers at home plays a much more important role in home computer usage frequency, while home Internet connection plays a lesser role. In contrast to the American results, awareness does not appear to be a significant factor that affects the computers usage frequency at home. This is expected as 100% Vietnamese students think that computers are important for their future career. In contrast to the American results, awareness does not appear to be a significant factor that affects the computers usage frequency at home. This is expected as 100% Vietnamese students think that computers are important for their future career. Below are the ratios for computers usage frequency at school: Variable Odds ratio 95% Confidence interval Year of graduation 25.28974 10.97104 58.29627 Computer usage frequency outside of school 0.4552899 0.2484155 0.8344444 These odds ratios can be interpreted as followed: Students who graduate one year later are 25 times more likely to use computers at school more frequently Students who use increase their frequency of computer usage outside school are 46% more likely to use computers at school less often than before Students graduating in 2008 are more likely to use computers than those graduating in 2006. This can be explained partly by the fact that computer studies is a compulsory subject for 2008 students only. Also, 2006 students are preparing for the university entrance examination in July, and only a small portion of universities chose computer studies as one of the three exam subjects. This is further shown by the high correlation between accessibility to computers at school and year of graduation. (Pearson's correlation coefficient: r = 0.62). This also indicates that students at Kim Lien High School do not often use computers outside of computer studies classes. The significance of the outside-school computer access factor indicates that students seem to prefer using computers outside than using computers at school. All Vietnamese students think that computers are important for their future career. Therefore, awareness cannot help to explain the difference in computer usage frequency between the students. Ability to access to computers at school does not appear as a significant factor since it has a high correlation with year of graduation.  Relationship between gender and computer usage frequency The odds ratios above showed that girls tend to use computers at home more frequently than boys, while boys tend to use computers at school more frequently than girls. However, the overall use difference between boys and girls is not significant at the 95% level chi-square test of independence: x2 = 7.69, p = 0.053. There is no significant gender inequality in computer usage frequency in both schools.  ");s1[64]=new Array("Project/VisualReport.html","Project/VisualReport.html","","     Visual Report This section highlights some of the results from our research using graphs only. However, some of the most important statistical results cannot be expressed as graphs; therefore we do recommend you to read our Full Report and the Discussion Page.  ");s1[65]=new Array("Socioeconomic/causes.html","Socioeconomic/causes.html","","     Causes For the most part, socioeconomic barriers are caused by two things: skepticism and a lack of funding. In some cases, the government or certain NGOs are attempting to provide funding to schools who cannot afford computer technology by themselves. Donations by organizations and individuals also help schools to afford technology, and partnerships reminiscent of the River Oaks story are effective solutions as well. However, it can be difficult to try to convince people to embrace technology if they do not readily believe it. For some, simple projections of potential positive results are not enough; they need to see concrete proof of how and when technology has been useful in education before, and they need reassurance that it will help their children, too.");s1[66]=new Array("Socioeconomic/currentefforts.html","Socioeconomic/currentefforts.html","","     Current Efforts In an effort to convince skeptics of technology's usefulness, there are several awareness campaigns in place that provide statistics and examples of how helpful technology has been in before. Many researchers are conducting studies and obtaining positive results; they subsequently seek to disseminate the information they obtained so that it can be used to promote the use of technology in school systems. Many awareness campaigns take the results of such studies and summarize them so that they are concise and effectively conveyed to the general public. For instance, a summary of 75 studies done in the United States found that: Students who used computer tutorials in mathematics, natural science, and social science score significantly higher on tests in those subjects. Students who used simulation software in science also scored higher. However, the use of computer-based laboratories alone did not result in higher scores. Primary school students who used tutorial software in reading scored significantly higher on reading scores. Very young students who used computers to write their own stories scored significantly higher on measures of reading skill. Students who used word processors or otherwise used the computer for writing scored higher on measures of writing skill. (Wagner, et al. 23) Proof such as this that technology, when implemented correctly into the classroom, provides positive results could effectively convert "don't-wants" and skeptics into technology advocates themselves.   ");s1[67]=new Array("Socioeconomic/index.html","Socioeconomic/index.html","","     Definition The physical and digital barriers are fairly simple to define; the socioeconomic barriers, however, are more abstract. The digital divide in education cannot be solved completely if the socioeconomic barriers preventing it are not overcome first. Socioeconomic barriers, in this case, include a lack of general acknowledgment of technology's growing importance, a lack of acceptance of technology, and a lack of resources - maintenance, use, and effectiveness - for poorer schools and families. Many economically depressed areas do get the equipment that they need; however, they do not have anyone to install it, integrate it into the classrooms, and, need be, repair it. This constitutes an economic divide (Solomon, Allen, and Resta 27). In terms of societal acceptance of technology and eagerness to incorporate it into educational systems, there exists a parallel between the "don't-wants" discussed earlier and the social aspect of the socioeconomic divide. There are those who can be labeled "don't-wants" outright, and others who are simply skeptics. Both groups must be shown that technology is worthwhile; some will just require more prodding. These social and economic factors must be addressed.   ");s1[68]=new Array("Socioeconomic/problem.html","Socioeconomic/problem.html","","     Problem It is imperative to make people aware of why technology is important. As the situation stands now, there is a great deal of resistance from the "don't-wants" and the skeptics to much-needed changes in the educational system. While the "don't-wants" may only be persuaded through "killer applications," as discussed earlier, the skeptics may simply require a bit of evidence to see the way that technology advocates do. Advocates have described several potential effects that ICT could have when applied to education, including: Student outcomes such as increased knowledge of school subjects, improved attitudes about learning, and the acquisition of new skills needed for a developing economy. Beyond learning outcomes, ICT may help to close the gender gap, and help students with special needs. Teacher and classroom outcomes such as development of teachers' technology skills and knowledge of new pedagogical approaches, as well as improved mastery of content and attitudes toward teaching. Other outcomes such as increased innovativeness in schools and increased access of community members to adult education and literacy. (Wagner, et al. 20) In order to be able to make progress, it must be ensured that the general public completely understands, acknowledges, and supports the steps that are being taken, and why they are important.   ");s1[69]=new Array("Socioeconomic/suggestions.html","Socioeconomic/suggestions.html","","     Suggestions It would be very helpful as well if the organizations and foundations that run awareness campaigns were to institute community involvement programs featuring education. For the most part, people take an interest in the communities they live in. They attend and sponsor community-wide events and meetings, and they feel the need to have a say in what goes on. If the community were brought together for an event that involved technology, skeptics within the community may be persuaded to become involved. For instance, having a presentations and demonstrations at town hall and PTA meetings would be a great way to show parents in the community what technology can do for their children.");s1[70]=new Array("index.html","index.html","","What is eDivide? Get an overview of the topic! Spread awareness to your friends and families! Click below to download our brochure on the Digital Divide!  eBrochure 1 eBrochure 2 eBrochure 3  Take the eTour!  Take a guided tour through our website! This All-Things-e-Divide tour is just for you! Click here… How you can bridge the digital divide: Welcome to e-Divide! The Digital divide—the inequality in access to information technology—is an issue of growing interest in all countries and organizations, yet the public awareness of the issue is low. This Website discovers how the Digital Divide affects the young generation—people like ourselves. We hope to spread awareness of the Digital Divide, its causes, its implications, and potential solutions. This site is dedicated to educators, high school students, policymakers, the general public, and in general the young generation of the new millennium. We also carry out our own first-hand investigations to discover the current issues of the Digital Divide in education and propose action plans to bridge the Digital Divide. Discover the concept of the Digital Divide interactively through a series of animations, first-hand investigations, interviews, games, photos, and more!  read more » Terms of Use | : 2005 – 2006 e-Divide Team. All rights reserved. e-Divide team is not responsible for the content of external internet sites All external links accurate as of March 1, 2006 Author: Team - ThinkQuest International 2006 Competition Keywords: digital, divide, virtual, education, technology, teacher, activists, policy maker, bridge, education, public television, technology, computer, digital age, technology, revolution, information age, information superhighway, educational technology, gender, race, diversity, computers, skills, developed nations, least developed nations, developing countries, developed countries, youth, case studies, digital games, interactive games, physical resources, digital resources, human resources, information technology, communication technology, ICT, information and communication technology, unique, solutions, USA, India, Australia, Egypt, Netherlands, Vietnam, ThinkQuest, thinkquest, TQ, International, 2006, Ammu, Ngoc, Loay, Viet, Gerben, Jasmin, Deborah, Johnny");var sb=0;var sc=1;var sd=2;var se=3;var sf=4;var sg=5;var sh=6;var si=7;var sj=8;var sk;var sl;var sm;var sn; var s98 ; var sB=true;var sC=1;var sE=2;var sD=3;var sF=4;var sP=false;var sQ=true;var s46=false;var s83=false;var s73=true;var s14=true;var s17=false;var s90=-1;var s45=0;var sT;function SMPSetFocus() { document.formSearch.txtSearch.focus(); }
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(sn )) { for( var st=1; st<s1.length; st++ ) { if(( s1[s1[st][si]][sg] > 0 ) && (( sT < s90 ) || ( s90 == -1 ))) { sU(s1[st][si], ++sT); } }  } else { if( sm == -4 ) { sk += "<BR><font class=\"bodytext\">ERROR: The wildcard character (*) must be at the beginning or end of the text.</font>"; } }  } function sW() { sk += "<html> <head> <title>:: Welcome to e-Divide! ::</title> <meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" /> <meta name=\"author\" content=\"Team - ThinkQuest International 2006 Competition\" /> <meta name=\"keywords\" content=\"digital, divide, virtual, education, technology, teacher, activists, policy maker, bridge, education, public television, technology, computer, digital age, technology, revolution, information age, information superhighway, educational technology, gender, race, diversity, computers, skills, developed nations, least developed nations, developing countries, developed countries, youth, case studies, digital games, interactive games, physical resources, digital resources, human resources, information technology, communication technology, ICT, information and communication technology, unique, solutions, USA, India, Australia, Egypt, Netherlands, Vietnam, ThinkQuest, thinkquest, TQ, International, 2006, Ammu, Ngoc, Loay, Viet, Gerben, Jasmin, Deborah, Johnny\" /> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"Educational web site made by a group of international students on e-Divide! The primary aim of this site is to spread awareness of the digital divide, its causes, its implications, and potential solutions. The site paints a multi-faceted picture of the digital divide combined with innovative instructional techniques, interactive elements, case studies, and novel suggestions. 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Mr. Yoshio Utsumi, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union.</p></td> </tr> </table> <table width=\"92%\" border=\"0\" align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\"> </table></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src=\"../images/sectionlinks/Footer.gif\" width=\"180\" height=\"5\"></td> </tr> </table> <table width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"> <tr> <td><img src=\"../images/space.gif\" width=\"1\" height=\"5\"></td> </tr> </table> <table width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"> <tr> <td><img src=\"../images/quicklinks/header.gif\" width=\"180\" height=\"43\"></td> </tr> <tr> <td><table width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"> <tr> <td width=\"1%\" valign=\"top\"><img src=\"../images/quicklinks/Left.jpg\" width=\"28\" height=\"250\"></td> <td width=\"99%\" valign=\"top\" bgcolor=\"#FFDA2B\"><table width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"> <tr> <td><img src=\"../images/space.gif\" width=\"1\" height=\"5\"></td> </tr> </table> <table width=\"92%\" border=\"0\" align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\"> <tr> <td class=\"bodytext\"><img src=\"../images/BulletBrown.gif\" width=\"7\" height=\"7\" hspace=\"2\" vspace=\"5\" align=\"absmiddle\"> <a href=\"../About/index.html\">About</a><br> <img src=\"../images/BulletBrown.gif\" width=\"7\" height=\"7\" hspace=\"2\" vspace=\"5\" align=\"absmiddle\"> <a href=\"#\"></a><a href=\"../index.html\">eBrochure</a><br> <img src=\"../images/BulletBrown.gif\" width=\"7\" height=\"7\" hspace=\"2\" vspace=\"5\" align=\"absmiddle\"> <a href=\"#\"></a><a href=\"../About/eTour.html\">eTour</a><br> <img src=\"../images/BulletBrown.gif\" width=\"7\" height=\"7\" hspace=\"2\" vspace=\"5\" align=\"absmiddle\"> <a href=\"#\"></a><a href=\"../index.html\">eSolutions</a><br> <img src=\"../images/BulletBrown.gif\" width=\"7\" height=\"7\" hspace=\"2\" vspace=\"5\" align=\"absmiddle\"> <a href=\"#\"></a><a href=\"../Project/index.html\">Our Project</a><br> <img src=\"../images/BulletBrown.gif\" width=\"7\" height=\"7\" hspace=\"2\" vspace=\"5\" align=\"absmiddle\"> <a href=\"#\"></a><a href=\"../About/faqs.html\">FAQs</a><br> <img src=\"../images/BulletBrown.gif\" width=\"7\" height=\"7\" hspace=\"2\" vspace=\"5\" align=\"absmiddle\"> <a href=\"#\"></a><a href=\"../About/sitemap.html\">Site Map</a><br> <img src=\"../images/BulletBrown.gif\" width=\"7\" height=\"7\" hspace=\"2\" vspace=\"5\" align=\"absmiddle\"> <a href=\"#\"></a><a href=\"../About/references.html\">References</a></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src=\"../images/quicklinks/footer.gif\" width=\"180\" height=\"5\"></td> </tr> </table> <table width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"> <tr> <td><img src=\"../images/space.gif\" width=\"1\" height=\"5\"></td> </tr> </table> </td> <td valign=\"top\"><img src=\"../images/space.gif\" width=\"5\" height=\"1\"></td> <td width=\"80%\" valign=\"top\"><table width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"> <tr> <td width=\"3%\" valign=\"top\"><img src=\"../images/pgText/Header01.gif\" width=\"27\" height=\"44\"></td> <td width=\"95%\" bgcolor=\"#DECB39\"><img src=\"../images/SearchH.gif\" width=\"263\" height=\"44\"></td> <td width=\"2%\" align=\"right\" bgcolor=\"#DECB39\"><img src=\"../images/pgText/Header03.gif\" width=\"13\" height=\"44\"></td> </tr> <tr> <td width=\"3%\" valign=\"top\"><img src=\"../images/pgText/Left.jpg\" width=\"27\" height=\"555\"></td> <td colspan=\"2\" align=\"center\" valign=\"top\" bgcolor=\"#DECB39\"><table width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\"> <tr> <td class=\"bodytext\"><img src=\"../images/space.gif\" width=\"1\" height=\"5\"></td> </tr> <tr> <td class=\"bodytext\" valign=\"top\"><div valign=\"top\" style=\"width:500px;height:540px;overflow-y:scroll;\"> <table width=\"96%\" border=\"0\" align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\"> <tr> <td class=\"bodytext\">"; sk += "<font class=\"bodytext\">";sk += "<p>You searched for <b>" + s98 +".</b>"; sk += "</font>" }; function sY() { if(sT==0) { sk += "<p><font class=\"bodytext\">No pages matched your search.&nbsp;&nbsp;</font>"; } else { var sA = sT==1 ? "page shown." : "pages shown."; sk += "<p><font class=\"bodytext\">" + sT + " " + sA + "&nbsp;</font>"; } sk += "<a href=\"javascript:history.go(-1)\"><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\">Search Again</font></a></p>"; sk += " </td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td class=\"bodytext\"><b>e-Divide</b><br>information inequality</td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> </table> </div></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width=\"3%\" valign=\"top\"><img src=\"../images/pgText/Footer01.gif\" width=\"27\" height=\"12\"></td> <td width=\"95%\" bgcolor=\"#DECB39\"><img src=\"../images/space.gif\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"></td> <td width=\"2%\" align=\"right\"><img src=\"../images/pgText/Footer02.gif\" width=\"13\" height=\"12\"></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"> <tr> <td><img src=\"../images/space.gif\" width=\"1\" height=\"5\"></td> </tr> </table> </td> <td width=\"1%\" align=\"right\" valign=\"top\" background=\"../images/BgRightLine.gif\"><img src=\"../images/BgRightLine.gif\" width=\"6\" height=\"1\"></td> </tr> </table> <table width=\"734\" border=\"0\" align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\"> <tr> <td width=\"5%\" background=\"../images/FooterBg.gif\"><img src=\"../images/FooterLeftCorn.gif\" width=\"50\" height=\"61\"></td> <td width=\"90%\" align=\"center\" background=\"../images/FooterBg.gif\" class=\"bluetext\"><a href=\"Terms.html\" class=\"bluetext\">Terms of Use</a> | : 2005 &ndash; 2006 e-Divide Team. All rights reserved.</td> <td width=\"5%\" align=\"right\" background=\"../images/FooterBg.gif\"><img src=\"../images/FooterRightCorn.gif\" width=\"51\" height=\"61\"></td> </tr> </table> </body> </html> "; } function s11() { var s23 = sk;document.open(); document.write(s23); document.close(); } function s03( sy ) { var sqh="";for( var st=0; st<sy.length; st++) { if( sy.charAt(st)=="<" ) { sqh += "&lt;"; } else if( sy.charAt(st)==">" ) { sqh += "&gt;"; } else if( sy.charAt(st)=="\"" ) { sqh += "&quot;"; } else { sqh += sy.charAt(st); } } return( sqh ); } function s93() { sm = sl.indexOf("*"); if( sm == 0 ) { sm = -2; sn = false; } else if (sm == sl.length -1) { sm = -3; sn = false; } else if (sm > 0 ) { sm = -4;sn = true; } else { sn = false; } if ( sl.indexOf("*") != sl.lastIndexOf("*") ) { if( sm == -2 ) { if( sl.lastIndexOf("*") == sl.length - 1 ) { sm = -5; } else { sm = -4; sn = true; } } }if( ( sm == -2 ) || (sm == -5 )) { sl = sl.substring( 1, sl.length ); } if( ( sm == -3 ) || (sm == -5 )) { sl = sl.substring( 0, sl.length - 1 ); } } function startsearch() { var sv;sl=document.formSearch.txtSearch.value;if (( sl.length > 0 )&&( sl != "*" )) { sk = "";s98 = sl; sl = s03(sl);s93();if( s17 ) { sv = sl; } else { sv = sl.toUpperCase(); }if (s45 != 0) { s41=sv.split(' '); } else { s41=sv.split(); }if ( !(sn ) ) { for( var st=1; st<s1.length; st++ ) { s4( st, sv ); } s6(); } sW();sV();sY();s11(); } }