How Practitioners Learn About Digital Equity
By Evan Hoang
Today, technology is involved in any field of work you may be involved in. Those who have strong digital skills are given a wider range of job opportunities. Digital equity can be defined as the condition in which individuals and communities have the skills to navigate digital platforms needed to fully participate in society. A future with digital equity is one where everyone can feel empowered by the opportunities of technology.
In a contribution to digital equity, the Digital Equity Learning Network of Seattle and King County (DELN) was formed. This network is a collaboration of community-based organizations, public and private institutions, and individuals working to promote digital equity in our region. Since 2020, DELN has been recording their meetings and archiving them on their website for the public to view.
I analyzed DELN’s online meeting that took place in March 2021. In this meeting, attendees discussed their creation of workshops that would teach digital literacy to those in need. However, their biggest obstacle has been a shortage of volunteers. It has been difficult to find volunteers who have the capabilities to teach about digital literacy due to the lack of training for it. This came as a surprise to me since I thought that our society had reached a point in digital literacy where we had a sufficient number of educators. From this we can see that digital inequity is not a problem with a single solution. There are a multitude of factors that people who are entering this space still need to learn before we take on this issue. However, by using a tool like DELN, people of different skills and capabilities can network and connect with each other, ultimately learning about what is lacking and where more support is needed. Through further promotion and support, digital equity can reach a point of sustainability to change the world.
References:
Digital Equity Learning Network of Seattle & King County. Available at https://delnofskc.wordpress.com/meeting-notes/
