Digital divide framework: online learning in developing countries during the COVID-19 lockdown

Abstract

This article showcases digital inequalities that came to the forefront for online learning during the COVID-19 lockdown across five developing countries, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Afghanistan. Large sections of population in developing economies have limited access to basic digital services; this, in turn, restricts how digital media are being used in everyday lives. A digital divide framework encompassing three analytical perspectives, structure, cultural practices and agency, has been developed. Each perspective is influenced by five constructs, communities, time, location, social context and sites of practice. Community relates to gendered expectations, time refers to the lockdown period while locations are interleaved online classrooms and home spaces. Societal contexts influence aspects of online learning and how students engage within practice sites. We find structural issues are due to lack of digital media access and supporting services; further that female students are more often placed lower in the digital divide access scale. Cultural practices indicate gendered discriminatory rules, with female students reporting more stress due to added household responsibilities. This impacts learner agency and poses challenges for students in meaningfully maximising their learning outcomes. Our framework can inform policy-makers to plan initiatives for bridging digital divide and set up equitable gendered learning policies.

The Challenges of Modular Learning in the Wake of COVID-19: A Digital Divide in the Philippine Countryside Revealed

“…In a study conducted in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Afghanistan, it was shown that female students are more often placed lower in the digital divide access scale. It further stated that female students reported more stress due to added household responsibilities that impacted their learning outcomes [53]. Accordingly, females faced more 'hurdles to access to education and inherent biases and socio-cultural norms', which can get further exacerbated in times of crisis [46].…”

The digital divide impacts on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Nonetheless, studies related to the mental health impacts of DD due to the COVID-19 pandemic are scarce. Mathrani et al (2021) reveal that DD amplifies the gender divide, based on insights gained from a survey on online learning that expands five developing countries. Their findings show that online learning leads to extra household responsibilities during the pandemic, causing increased stress for female students.…”

Explaining education-based difference in systematic processing of COVID-19 information: Insights into global recovery from infodemic

“…Fourth, considering that the coronavirus has become a global pandemic, future research could test our model in other countries or regions to explain the education-based difference in systematic processing. Considering that the divide in information utilization is prevalent in developing countries ( Chang et al, 2015 ; Mathrani et al, 2021 ), the proposed model may be particularly relevant to understand the gap in systematic processing between highly educated and less educated individuals in these countries. Hopefully, testing this model in other countries could offer implications and measures for the global recovery from the infodemic.…”