Being informed about digital divide issues will help the E-Learning instructors and program administrators design practical instructional activities to support learners’ needs and make online learning accessible and rewarding for everyone.

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Digital Divide
The purpose of this paper is to explore the digital divide issues and discuss how
electronic learning (E-Learning) educators may approach those concerns to assist learners
and facilitate online learning. Technological advancements have had a profound impact
on peoples’ everyday activities including learning and communications. However, the
technological disparities between the learners who are technology-literate and those with
limited or no technology experience have been creating some challenging situations for
the online instructors. Being informed about issues such as learners’ internet access,
computer literacy, internet knowledge, disabilities, and internet-related ethical issues will
help the E-Learning instructors and program administrators design practical instructional
activities to support learners’ needs and make online learning accessible and rewarding
for everyone.
Web Accessibility
One of the digital divide issues is learner’s web accessibility. Based on the
literature located for this paper, the term digital divide has been defined as “the gap
between those students who have access to digital technology at home and those who do
not” (Sun and Metros, 2011, p. 154). For instance, some low-income families might not
be able to meet the expenses of the internet access services. For this reason, Sun and
Metros (2011) referred to Milheim (2006), who suggested that underprivileged families
and schools should receive sufficient support from the government and other sponsors so
that all students can have access to high quality education. Now, what is an effective
strategy for E-Learning educators to approach such digital divide issues? In order to

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assist students with limited internet access, instructors might consider allowing learners
to submit their assignments during a designated period of time rather than a specific time.
Computer and Internet Knowledge
Some other digital divide issues include learners’ diverse computer and internet
literacies. While the new generation brings various digital strengths and knowledge to
school, some other learners from different socioeconomic levels may not have sufficient
technological literacy necessary to take advantage of the newest technologies
incorporated into the online educational settings (Henderson, 2011). Henderson pointed
out that the educators might consider utilizing “visual, audio, spatial, gestural, and
linguistic elements of text” rather than just plain text resources in order to enhance
learning and performance of the diverse learners (p. 154). For instance, YouTube videos,
“how-to” tutorials, and narrated PowerPoint presentations might be helpful tools to assist
learners with different technological experiences. In addition, based on the social
learning theory, learners can socialize to construct knowledge, share their experiences,
and teach each other (Hill, Song, & West, 2009). Engaging learners in authentic
practices enables them to learn various technological skills, which may take place
personally as well as virtually.
Learners with Disabilities
Furthermore, the most serious digital divide issue is related to learners with
various disabilities. Wald, Draffan, and Seale (2009) conducted a research to explore the
E-Learning experiences of disabled learners attending a British university. The purpose
of the aforementioned investigation was to discover how to make E-Learning accessible
for all learners and how to provide suitable technologies and effective learning support in

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order to assist learners with different types of disabilities. Although many students
(digital generation) stated that they were confident in using the technology associated
with their courses, a few students mentioned that some PDF files and PowerPoint slides
were not accessible due to their disorderly contents. In addition, some other students
with dexterity, hearing, and visual impairments stated that they were not able to use
certain media players, online podcasts, and videos. Wald et al. (2009) added that learners
with disabilities need additional time to cope with their health and physical conditions; as
a result, having to deal with substandard online course materials may affect their
performance and productivity. Reviewing the above mentioned issues regarding the
learners with disabilities, online educators might consider creating resources that learners
can access without problems. For instance, rather than attaching very large files,
embedding the PowerPoint slides or videos in social media websites will enable learners
to access the E-Learning materials with a simple link. In addition, to assist learners with
visual problems, it would be helpful to allow the users change the font type, size, and
color while enabling other modifications features (Wald et al., 2009). Altogether, E-
Learning instructors should consider the learners’ abilities and limitations when
designing the E-Learning materials.
Ethical and Legal Concerns
The digital divide also involves some ethical issues. Weadon (2009) pointed out
that etiquette is one of the important factors that should be considered while
communicating and learning online. In such cases, an effective instructional strategy
may be to provide guidelines while stating the expected behaviors from online learners.
Weadon further added that some legal issues related to the learners’ cultures should also

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be taken into consideration. For instance, some families might prefer not to post their
children’s pictures or projects on the web. E-Learning mentors should ensure that they
have the permission for posting students artifacts or pictures on the internet. The
following video contains information about ethical issues in E-Learning:
http://youtu.be/N134hn-KfDo
Summary
There are a number of digital divide concerns that E-Learning educators should
cogitate when offering online courses. Some online learners might have limited or no
internet access at home. Some other learners might have problems related to technology
and internet familiarity. Learners with disabilities or other health conditions might
require special technical support. The other concerns include ethical and legal issues in
E-Learning. In all of the above mentioned cases, E-Learning instructors should ensure to
provide support and accommodations to meet the diverse students’ learning needs while
facilitating online learning.

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References
Henderson, R. (2011). Classroom pedagogies, digital literacies and the home-school
digital divide. International Journal of Pedagogies & Learning, 6(2), 152-161.
Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1022283005?accountid=28180
Hill, J. R., Song, L., & West, R. E. (2009). Social Learning Theory and Web-Based
Learning Environments: A Review of Research and Discussion of Implications.
American Journal Of Distance Education, 23(2), 88-103.
doi:10.1080/08923640902857713
Milheim, K. L. (2006). Not just an access issue: Further analysis of the digital divide
from a socio-economic perspective. Harrisburg: Penn State University
Mullen, R., & Wedwick, L. (2008). Avoiding the digital abyss: Getting started in the
classroom with YouTube, digital stories, and blogs. The Clearing House, 82(2),
66-69. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/docview/196844606?accountid=28180
Sun, J., & Metros, S. E. (2011). The digital divide and its impact on academic
performance. US-China Education Review A, (2a), 153-161. Retrieved from
http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=7333b720-8983-4782-
b1da-5e95acfd348f%40sessionmgr112&vid=4&hid=23
Wald, M., Draffan, E. A., & Seale, J. (2009). Disabled learners' experiences of E-
learning. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 18(3), 341-361.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/205848003?accountid=28180
Weadon, M. (2009, January 13). Ethical issues in elearning [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://youtu.be/N134hn-KfDo