LENGTH: 2000 words
BACKGROUND TO WRITING THE REPORT:
Information and communications technology (ICT) is an integral part of modern economic, social, and political activity for many people; however, there are groups and individuals who are excluded from access to and use of ICT. This gap between people who can access and use ICT and people who cannot is commonly referred to as the ‘digital divide'. As a result of the ‘divide', they are excluded from many aspects of modern life; consequently, the ‘divide' raises questions about equal opportunity.
You are to imagine that you work for the Ministry of Social Justice. The Minister wants to investigate the issues related to the digital divide in order to introduce policies to improve equity within society.
To develop appropriate policy, the Minister and his Department need to understand more about the digital divide. The Minister wants to consider the extent of the problem, the reasons for it, the effects of it and what policies might be useful in reducing the divide. He is interested in the global situation as well as in the situation in Australia.
You have been asked to research this problem of the digital divide then write a 2000 word report for senior Departmental officers so they can develop an overview of the problem.
As a minimum, you have been asked to research and provide data on the following aspects of the problem:
- DEFINITION AND DISCUSSION OF THE CONCEPT OF A ‘ DIGITAL DIVIDE'
- THE GROUPS WHO EXPERIENCE THE DIVIDE. The Minister would like to know who these groups are most likely to be at a general, global level as well as which groups experience the divide in Australia.
- CAUSES OF THE PROBLEM THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AS WELL AS IN AUSTRALIA. (You may choose to examine what is happening in your home country among other countries.)- SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL EFFECTS OF THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
- STRATEGIES / POLICIES/ LEGISLATION TO REDUCE THE DIVIDE.
Organise the information in your report in a logical order.
As you do your research, you may discover other aspects of this problem that you consider will be of interest to your Department. You may include those also.
=> IN YOUR REPORT, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO PRESENT AND ANALYSE INFORMATION AS WELL AS TO DISCUSS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF INFORMATION .
Below are some resources that may help you to get started on your reading. To gain a grade of 5, 6 or 7, you are required to find other, relevant, authoritative information as well.
Select online resources carefully. Use appropriate academic resources.
Do NOT use Wikipedia as a cited resource, but you may want to use Wikipedia initially to gain an overall grasp of the concept of the digital divide.
Use resources such as books and refereed academic journals or professional industry magazines from databases in GU Library Resources in GU Libraries
- Books
- Journals
- Conference proceedings
- Industry publications (magazines)
EXAMPLES OF REFERENCES FROM GU Library databases:
http://search.informit.com.au.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/fullText;dn=358288699747814;res=IELHSS
http://search.informit.com.au.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/fullText;dn=200901159;res=APAFThttp://www.abs.gov.a/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/192B7AFC26FF3538CA2579
6600152BDF?opendocument
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/51518390AD522456CA25796600152CE8?opendocument
http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2012/PIP_Digital_differences_041312.pdf
http://link.springer.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/article/10.1007%2Fs10639-012-9223-y
http://www.emeraldinsight.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/journals.htm?articleid=17056620&show=abstract
BOOKS selected from GU Library Catalogue.
James, J. (2003). Bridging the global digital divide. Northampton, MA : Edward Elgar.
Marshall, S., Taylor, W., & Yu, X. ( 2003). Closing the digital divide: Transforming regional economies and communities with information technology. Westport, Conn.: Praeger.
Randolph-Leigh, P. (Ed.). (2011). International exploration of technology, equity and the digital divide: Critical, historical and social perspectives. doi: 10.4018/978-1-61520-793-0