Technological equity

One of the key concerns about the use of technology is whether it is able to serve all populations of people in such a way that it allows them to achieve valuable functionings  (Sen, 1984). I won't go into detail into Sen's argument here, since I am using capability approach as a way to discuss Warschauer's (2008) analysis of the digital divide.

So what does economics have to do with technology? If one were to use Warschauer's (2008) argument that lack of access to information and communication technology (ICT) is a causal factor in impoverishment, then it is clear that technological access impacts economical well-being, and in turn, an individual's quality of life. However, an understanding of access has to include factors other than physical or infrastructural capabilities. For instance the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) report highlights how physical, digital, human and social resources interact in order to address the issue of access. While  the report acknowledges the role of social resources, there was no analysis regarding the forms of support available for students and teachers. Student literacy was also not examined since it was not within the scope of the report. Thus, although the report presented some useful trends, it did not allow us to understand how students and teachers are using ICT or their capabilities. This gap is arguably bridged by Warschauer (2008), who offers evidence of how technology is used unequally by students of low and high socioeconomic status. Volman and van Eck (2001) on the other hand, offer a further nuanced overview of inequity by including a discussion of how technology impacts gender. In contrast to Warschauer, these authors argue for a fine-grained understanding of use of specific ICT applications according to students' approach towards ICT use, their level of participation and outcomes of this participation.

In terms of my model, I have focused primarily on Warschauer (2008), as well as Volman and Eck's (2001) articles as a way of expressing how certain factors can impact access, and in turn one's level of participation, approach and outcomes. At the micro-level, one can examine the teacher-student-object interaction, whereas the expanded aspects of the interactions include other factors that impact these interactions. To date, I have not made changes to the basis of the model since several revisions ago, primarily it serves its function as a theoretical model that explains interactions between actors within the structures of the world.