ERIC Number: EJ1015405
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Apr
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1303-6521
EISSN: N/A
The Digital Divide among University Freshmen
Ricoy, Carmen; Feliz, Tiberio; Couto, Maria Joao
Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology - TOJET, v12 n2 p262-268 Apr 2013
Use of new technologies in university training is an ongoing reality today. However, the inequalities that exist among university students are the source of an important problem. Such inequalities need to be detected and
analyzed and therefore a study of college freshmen can be very valuable. This qualitative study intends to analyze the digital divide of such freshmen by using techno-autobiographies, i.e.; the students' account of their
situation. A total of 91 such students from the University of Vigo, Spain, participated in this research. Results obtained show the presence of asymmetries in the use of ICTs and indicate the presence of a digital divide. Such inequalities with respect to technology imply fewer ICT resources for some of these newcomers and difficulties to access the Internet. Worth highlighting is the fact that not all university freshmen use digital technology in a standardized manner for academic purposes but they nevertheless use such technology more frequently for private purposes. (Contains 2 figures and 1 table.)
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Higher Education, College Freshmen, Qualitative Research, Information Technology, Interviews, Handheld Devices, Computer Uses in Education, Personal Narratives, Inquiry, Autobiographies
Sakarya University. Esentepe Campus, Adapazari 54000, Turkey. Tel: +90-505-2431868; Fax: +90-264-6141034; e-mail: tojet@sakarya.edu.tr; Web site: http://www.tojet.net
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Spain
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A