Studies have shown that the digital divide affects students' educational achievement across racial and ethnic groups. In light of this, the study investigates the effect of technology access at home on student learning hours during the COVID-19 pandemic and across racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. The Household Pulse Surveys (HPS), conducted by…

This study uses 2018 PISA data to explore factors impacting 15-year-old U.S. students' reading performance. It finds teacher experience positively correlates with scores, while attributes like age negatively impact them. Home ICT access boosts achievement, but overabundance of devices proves counterproductive. Ethnicity, parental education, and…

This paper reports on the South African findings from an international mixed methods study between the LEGO Foundation, Dubit and the Universities of Sheffield (England) and Cape Town (South Africa) on young children's learning with digital technology. The findings of the study, the first of its kind in South Africa, show the consistency of…

While spring of 2020 introduced virtual instruction to all public schools, virtual schooling had already been growing in most states. We focus on pre-COVID-19 changes to fulltime virtual school enrollment in public schools, and provide evidence on the relationship between virtual school enrollment, internet speed, community demographics, and…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Breaking Barriers to Learning." Contents include: (1) The Importance of…

For many Americans across racial groups, income tiers, and geographic regions, differences in access to internet connectivity and technology resources -- also known as the "digital divide" -- remains a critical barrier for many students and families, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Challenges with digital access has translated…

Smartphones are the principal instrument for internet access among adolescents and pre-adolescents in many industrialized countries. However, research on the long-term correlates of age at first access to these devices concerning life outcomes is scarce. This study contributes to the literature by collecting data from 3,247 Italian students in…

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many challenges that resulted from the suspension of face-to-face classes. Some of these challenges involved the problems associated with remote learning. One problem with this approach to learning is that it can be didactic. Remote learning can contribute to loneliness as well, and the lack of access to reliable…

The rise of the COVID-19 pandemic has shined a spotlight on significant, preexisting, and continuing challenges of the Digital Divide, which threaten the hopes of digital democracy for all students and citizens. In addition to digital equity challenges resurfaced by COVID-19, the pandemic's ripple effects have highlighted societal racial tensions,…

This document contains the technical appendices for the report "Achieving Digital Equity for California's Students." Appendices include: (1) Census Household Pulse Survey; and (2) Additional Figures. [For the full report, see ED617930. For the Policy Brief, see ED617933.]

Native Americans are underrepresented in higher education; and, while considerable research examines Native student persistence, the role of academic libraries in their experiences has received little attention. This study proposes to investigate Native American undergraduate students' library experiences, needs, and perceptions. Qualitative…

As the COVID-19 pandemic has shown, digital connectivity is critical to student learning. Gaps in digital access--including reliable access to internet and a digital device--are a driving force in the educational inequities evident during distance learning. In this report, the authors use data on a sample of California households with children…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Bridging the Digital Divide." Contents include: (1) Texas High School Attrition…

Digital divides--uneven patterns of access--are a major feature of cyberspace. This article opens by noting that most students are digital natives who grew up with the Internet. Second, it summarizes digital divides, including global patterns, rural--urban differences, ethnic and gender discrepancies, and the role of smartphones. The third section…

We use data collected between April 2020 and March 2021 from the Understanding America Survey, a nationally representative internet panel of approximately 1,450 households with school-age children, to document the access of American households to K-12 education during the COVID-19 crisis. We also explore disparities by parent race/ethnicity,…