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Articles

What it has or what it does not have? Signposts from US data for rural children's digital access to informal learning

Pages 387-406
Received 01 Nov 2012
Accepted 05 Mar 2013
Published online: 08 Apr 2013
 

A fifth of US children live in rural areas with limited access to the informal learning opportunities available to their metropolitan counterparts. High-speed broadband internet access can be an important vehicle for delivering opportunities at home and outside of the classroom. In an attempt to explore what current data say about children's broadband access, the researcher examined recent data sets from two federal agencies. Results suggested that rural homes with children tended to have access to broadband but when they do not, cost and availability were barriers. Schools also tended to be sites of access that met the speeds required for current learning imperatives. Results are only suggestive; data sets reflect small samples not drawn from the same time or population. More precise and interoperable data must be collected for researchers and policy-makers to document the complementary roles of home and informal learning spaces in schools supported by broadband.

Acknowledgement

This research was partially funded by NSF Grant 1044315 and IMLS Grant RE-04-09-0055-09.

Notes on contributor

Marcia A. Mardis is an Assistant Professor at the School of Library and Information Studies at the Florida State University. Her research is in educational informatics at the intersection of K-12 schools, digital media, and broadband.