How to overcome the digital divide? An empirical study of Taiwan’s DOCs

Abstract

Purpose The digital divide is a concern, as the inequality of information access might have significant influences on social development and quality of life. The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceived benefit of Digital Opportunity Centers (DOCs) programs on remote area participants from the perspective of computer anxiety and personal information ability. Design/methodology/approach The Taiwanese Government has built DOCs in remote areas to provide information technology (IT) training and learning programs to citizens residing in these areas. DOC program participants in Taiwan voluntarily completed a self-report questionnaire; the authors received 2,105 completed questionnaires, with a response rate of 84.2 percent. This research used partial least-squares (PLS) to empirical the research model. Findings Using PLS, the results show that information and communication technology ability influences the perceived benefit of DOC programs; computer anxiety has significantly negative effects on package software use, internet use, and IT usefulness; and internet use and IT usefulness have positive effects on perceived benefits. Originality/value IT is continuously advancing, but digital resources are still lacking within remote areas. DOCs provide citizens different types of learning experiences related to economic, social, and educational development. DOC programs provide participants with opportunities to obtain and improve basic IT knowledge and abilities and decreasing the digital divide.

Does the Development of Information and Communication Technology and Transportation Infrastructure Affect China’s Educational Inequality?

“…From the results of overall samples in different periods, the efforts of regulators raise the limitations of information services for the availability of educational resources, which supports the findings of Braga et al (2013) [4]. It is interesting to note that the impact mechanism of ICT has changed from the nonlinear type into the linear type, and this finding can be explained by the results of the digital divide in Chao and Yu (2016) [25]. Moreover, the conflict between the hukou system and educational equality is an important problem, while the development of the transportation network can alleviate the restrictions of the hukou system on educational opportunities, which is similar to the results of Golley and Kong (2018) [2].…”

“…Ayanso and Lertwachara (2015) analyzed the relationship between the development and affordability of ICT, finding that the pricing process of ICT limited users' experience and decreased the efficiency of information acquisition [24]. In terms of ICT affordability, there was a close relationship between information technology and the urban-rural gap, and digital resources could improve the efficiency of information acquisition, while users in backward areas would have difficulty enjoying the benefits of ICT [25]. Park (2017) explored the application of ICT from the perspective of the urban-rural gap, finding that ICT in rural areas was difficult to use to its advantage, and that it increased the gap between urban and rural areas in educational attainment [26].…”

Bridging the rural digital divide: avoiding the user churn of rural public digital cultural services

“…ICTs have evolved into a powerful social development force and an inseparable part of our daily lives (Chao and Yu, 2016). However, there is a growing concern that those who do not have access to ICTs will be denied the opportunity for self-development and will be placed at a severe disadvantage, resulting in a digital divide (Becker, 2000).…”

“…Given RPDCS's role in bridging the digital divide, it is critical to systematically investigate how rural public cultural institutions can help bridge the rural digital divide while avoiding UC. The majority of research, however, has concentrated on the development of digital hardware and software in rural areas (Siddiquee and Faroqi, 2021;Abdullah, 2015) and the impact of the urban-rural digital divide (Chao and Yu, 2016;Cruz-Jesus et al, 2018). Prior research on issues, such as the degree of reliable information infrastructure, access to information resources, and digital literacy, is in its infancy, and few studies have focused on the practices of rural public cultural institutions.…”

Determinants of ICT adoption and uptake at a rural public-access ICT centre: A South African case study

“…The public access centre initiatives usually seek to assist and support rural people in respect of human development goals. This has been well documented in the information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) literature which concerns itself with the direct application of information technology approaches in order to reduce poverty within the field of socio-economic and international development (Chao and Yu 2016).…”