Awareness and Use of Digital libraries with Digital Divide in colleges and Universities
DAYAGUNESHA M
Librarian
Govt. First Grade College, Hosadurga, Karnataka
ABSTRACT
The literature shows that the digital divide is a challenge that is impacting on students’ academic performance. Students with little or no exposure to technology prior to joining the College and University often face challenges that include the use of application programs (e.g. MS Word, Spreadsheet), downloading of informative materials, conducting online tasks and navigating the Internet. The findings also show that time of access/ownership to technology (before or after joining the university), technology skills and computer anxiety affects student’s computer self-efficacy. Students are faced with the technological challenges that include insufficient technological resources (e.g. printer, computers, scanners), power interruption, poor Wi-Fi connectivity and lack of technology assistants. We may recommend that College and universities organize frequent orientation and IT training programs for the students. Such programs should focus on the effective use of technologies for learning purposes. In addition, Colleges and universities should ensure the availability of administrative and technical support whenever students are performing technology related learning tasks. Furthermore, Colleges and universities should setup a team that will focus on continuous monitoring of whether students are coping with technology or not. This team should also evaluate the available resources on monthly basis to identify the possible or required maintenance.
Keywords: ICT, Digital Divide, Digital Libraries
Introduction
The integration of technology into the educational system has brought about changes in the style of teaching and learning. Nowadays, institutions are adopting technologies such as computers and the Internet to enhance their teaching and learning activities. Students that grew up using computers and related technologies are often at an advantage with their learning because they would have developed the skills required for using technological resources to enhance their learning. However, students that have not been exposed to any form of technology are often at a disadvantage with their learning because they often lack or do not possess sufficient technological skills. The disparity between students that have been exposed to technology and those that have not, is often referred to as digital divide.
It is well recognized that libraries all over the world are undergoing transformation, especially owing to the development in information and communication technologies. Traditional libraries are changing to digital libraries and new libraries that are being set up are increasingly of the digital kind. As a result, there is widespread interest and consequently, a lot of research and development activities are being carried out in this area world over. In India a number of institutions are also in the process of setting up digital libraries and many scholars and practitioners are conducting research on digital libraries.
It has being recognized that libraries are important supporting agencies in improving the quality of education and learning process. This can be a achieved by systematic development of resources, manpower, physical, technological base, resource sharing management system and the information services. Among these, the design and planning of library and information services are of vital importance for dissemination and providing access to the relevant information available in all formats including electronic publications. Therefore it is useful in this context to review the availability of resources information, financial,manpower and physical facilities including use of computers and to identify the current range of services that College Library consider the issues involved in electronic information and networking environment. The internet has enabled global connectivity of computers and the development of various tools and techniques for networked information provision and access.
Research Questions
This study sought answers to the following questions:
Digital libraries is an evolving area of research, development and application and multiple definitions have been offered by workers in this area. Based on common aspects among these definitions, digital libraries may be defined as electronic information collections containing large and diverse repositories of digital objects, which can be accessed by a large number of geographically distributed users. Such repositories would exist in locations physically near or remote from the users. Digital objects include text, images, Maps, sounds, videos, catalogues, and indexs and scientific, business, and government data sets as well as hypertextual multimedia compositions of such elements.
Digital libraries will be network based distributed systems with individual servers responsible for maintaining local collections of digital documents ranging from sets of electronic text to video on demand services. From the user point of view, there should appear to be single digital library system, integrating personal information, work group and organizational information collections and public digital libraries. Key components of digital libraries are Geographically distributed digital information collections, Geographically distributed users, Information represented by a variety of digital objects, Large and diverse collections, Seamless access.
Requirements of technologies for digital libraries.
Digital libraries are considered by many to be a very challenging research area, as it requires development and integration of several highly sophisticated hardware and software technologies and polling together of multi-disciplinary expertise. While many of the technologies required for the development and deployment of digital libraries and their access are available today. It is expected that several digital library projects currently underway will result in technologies that may be used readily to develop new digital libraries. Some of the major areas of focus are Multimedia object storage, retrieval and transmission, Data Compression, Digitisation (Multimedia data capturing and conversion),Hypermedia navigation, Authoring tools for creating electronic documents, Multimedia object representation (e.g.HTML, SGML),Meta databases, Display technologies, User interfaces, Search, retrieval and routing software.
According to Hulser some of key functions of digital library are to manage large amounts of digital contents of information, Preserve unique collections through digitization, Perform searches that are impractical manually, Protect contents owners information, Improve access to information, Deal with data from multiple locations, Enhance the distributed learning environment. Digital Library and Digital learning has many advantages in itself like digital learning has no physical boundaries, it has more learning engagement experience rather than the traditional learning, it is also cost-effective and students get to learn in the confines of their comfort zone. However, digital learning is not without its limitations and challenges, since face-to-face interaction is usually perceived as the best form of communication as compared to the rather impersonalized nature of remote learning.
Digital Divide
The World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) defines the digital divide as the unequal access to information and communication technologies. ―The Digital Divide separates those who are connected to the digital revolution in ICTs and those who have no access to the benefits of the new technologies (WSIS, 2005).Digital divide can be seen as the growing gap between those parts of the world which have easy access to knowledge, information, ideas and works of information through technology and those who do not (Deschamps, 2001). In the same( vein,Salina 2003) sees digital divide as that disparity between individual and or communities who can use electronic information and communication tools, such as the internet, to better the quality of their lives and those who cannot. Initially the ‘divide’ referred to the gap that was forming between the richer and the poorer sections of society. However, some people were talking about the digital divide as a complex and dynamic phenomenon’ while some denied the existence of a digital divide.
The Role of the college and University Library in Bridging the Digital Divide.
One of the values of the college and university library enshrine in the Strategy to improvement, a Strategy for Excellence : the College and University library is equity by ensuring equal opportunity and non-discrimination on the basis of personal, ethnic, religious,gender or other social characters. It is this lack of equity in the treatment of students studying SC/ST/OBC/GENERAL that is of concern. Lack of equity in access to resources that is reflected by fewer library. Lack of equity in the provision of ICT facilities at College and University library; lack of equity in the provision of information literacy skills that would create gap in digital.
Library professionals interact with staff, to learn how to use these resources and to be empowered with the necessary information and communication technology skills. This is supported by (Aqili and Moghaddam2008 : 229) who are of the view that librarians have a responsibility to train their patrons in modern retrieval strategies; particularly in the use of the internet, World Wide Web, electronic databases so that they are able to access information, communication and technologies. By so doing they will be bridging the digital divide.
Digital learning management systems
The list of educational applications, platforms and resources below aim to help parents, teachers, schools and school administrators facilitate student learning and provide social care and interaction during periods of Covid 19. Most of the solutions curated are free and many cater to multiple languages. While these solutions do not carry UNESCO’s explicit endorsement, they tend to have a wide reach, a strong user-base and evidence of impact. They are categorized based on distance learning needs, but most of them offer functionalities across multiple categories. We have many Digital learning apps, software and tools are in the world. We should access and adopt our academic endeavors.
CenturyTech – Personal learning pathways with micro-lessons to address gaps in knowledge, challenge students and promote long-term memory retention.
ClassDojo – Connects teachers with students and parents to build classroom communities.
Edmodo – Tools and resources to manage classrooms and engage students remotely, offering a variety of languages.
EkStep – Open learning platform with a collection of learning resources to support literacy and numeracy.
Google Classroom – Helps classes connect remotely, communicate and stay-organized.
Moodle – Community-driven and globally-supported open learning platform.
Nafham – Arabic language online learning platform hosting educational video lessons that correspond with Egyptian and Syrian curricula.
Paper Airplanes – Matches individuals with personal tutors for 12-16 week sessions conducted via video conferencing platforms, available in English and Turkish.
Schoology – Tools to support instruction, learning, grading, collaboration and assessment.
Seesaw – Enables the creation of collaborative and sharable digital learning portfolios and learning resources.
Skooler – Tools to turn Microsoft Office software into an education platform.
Cell-Ed – Learner-centered, skills-based learning platform with offline options.
Eneza Education - Revision and learning materials for basic feature phones.
Funzi – Mobile learning service that supports teaching and training for large groups.
KaiOS – Software that gives smartphone capabilities to inexpensive mobile phones and helps open portals to learning opportunities.
Ubongo – Uses entertainment, mass media, and the connectivity of mobile devices to deliver localized learning to African families at low cost and scale,available in Kiswahili and English.
Ustad Mobile – Access and share educational content offline.
Alison – Online courses from experts, available in English, French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese
Canvas Network – Course catalogue accessible for free for teachers in order to support lifelong learning and professional development.
Coursera – Online courses taught by instructors from well-recognized universities and companies.
European Schoolnet Academy – Free online professional development courses for teachers in English, French, Italian and other European languages.
EdX – Online courses from leading educational institutions.
iCourse – Chinese and English language courses for university students.
Future Learn – Online courses to help learners study, build professional skills and connect with experts.
Icourses – Chinese language courses for university students.
TED-Ed Earth School – Online lessons about nature made available continuously during a 5-week period between Earth Day (April 22nd) and World Environment Day (June 5th).
Udemy – English, Spanish and Portuguese language courses on ICT skills and programming.
XuetangX – Online courses provided by a collection of universities on different subjects in Chinese and English.
ABRA - Selection of 33 game-like activities in English and in French to promote reading comprehension and writing skills of early readers.
British Council – English language learning resources, including games, reading, writing and listening exercises.
Byju’s – Learning application with large repositories of educational content tailored for different grades and learning levels.
Code It – Helps children learn basic programming concepts through online courses, live webinars and other kid-friendly material. Available in English and German.
Code.org – Wide range of coding resources categorized by subject for K12 students offered for free by a non-profit.
Code Week – List of online resources to teach and learn computer coding, available in all EU languages.
Discovery Education – Free educational resources and lessons about viruses and outbreaks for different grade levels.
Duolingo – Application to support language learning. Supports numerous base and target languages.
Edraak - A variety of resources for K-12 education in Arabic, targeting students, parents and teachers.
Facebook Get Digital - Lesson plans, conversation starters, activities, videos and other resources for students to stay connected
Feed the Monster – Android application in multiple languages to help teach children the fundamentals of reading, available in 48 languages.
History of Africa – A nine-part BBC documentary series on the history of Africa based on UNESCO’s General History of Africa book collection.
Geekie – Portuguese language web-based platform that provides personalized educational content using adaptive learning technology.
Khan Academy – Free online lessons and practice in math, sciences and humanities, as well as free tools for parents and teachers to track student progress. Available in 40+ languages, and aligned to national curriculum for over 10 countries.
KitKit School - Tablet-based learning suite with a comprehensive curriculum spanning early childhood through early primary levels.
LabXchange – Curated and user-created digital learning content delivered on an online platform that enables educational and research experiences.
Madrasa – Resources and online lessons for STEM subjects in Arabic
Mindspark – Adaptive online tutoring system that helps students practice and learn mathematics.
Mosoteach – Chinese language application hosting cloud classes.
Music Crab – Mobile application accessible for music education.
OneCourse – Child-focused application to deliver reading, writing and numeracy education.
Profuturo – Resources in different subject areas for students in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
Polyup – Learning content to build math and gaining computational thinking skills for students in primary and early secondary school.
Quizlet – Learning flashcards and games to support learning in multiple subjects, available in 15 languages.
SDG Academy Library - A searchable library of more than 1,200 educational videos on sustainable development and related topics.
Siyavula – Mathematics and physical sciences education aligned with South African curriculum.
Smart History – Art history site with resources created by historians and academic contributors.
YouTube – Huge repository of educational videos and learning channels.
African Storybook - Open access to picture storybooks in 189 African languages.
Biblioteca Digital del Instituto Latinoamericano de la Comunicación Educativa – Offers free access to Spanish language works and book collections for students and teaching staff in schools and universities
Global Digital Library – Digital storybooks and other reading materials easily accessible from mobile phones or computers. Available in 43 languages.
Interactive Learning Program – Mobile app in Arabic to advance reading, writing and numeracy skills created by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
Reads – Digital stories with illustrations in multiple languages.
Room to Read – Resources to develop the literacy skills of children and youth with specialized content to support girls.
StoryWeaver – Digital repository of multilingual stories for children.
Worldreader – Digital books and stories accessible from mobile devices and functionality to support reading instruction. Available in 52 languages.
Dingtalk – Communication platform that supports video conferencing, task and calendar management, attendance tracking and instant messaging.
Lark – Collaboration suite of interconnected tools, including chat, calendar, creation and cloud storage, in Japanese, Korean, Italian and English
Hangouts Meet – Video calls integrated with other Google’s G-Suite tools.
Teams – Chat, meet, call and collaboration features integrated with Microsoft Office software.
Skype – Video and audio calls with talk, chat and collaboration features.
WeChat Work – Messaging, content sharing and video/audio-conferencing tool with the possibility of including max. 300 participants, available in English and Chinese.
WhatsApp – Video and audio calls, messaging and content sharing mobile application.
Zoom – Cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, collaboration, chat and webinars.
Thinglink – Tools to create interactive images, videos and other multimedia resources.
Buncee – Supports the creation and sharing visual representations of learning content, including media-rich lessons, reports, newsletters and presentations.
EdPuzzle – Video lesson creation software.
EduCaixa - Courses in Spanish language to help teachers develop the skills and competencies of learners in areas such as communication, entrepreneurship, STEM and big data.
Kaltura – Video management and creation tools with integration options for various learning management systems.
Nearpod – Software to create lessons with informative and interactive assessment activities.
Pear Deck – Facilitates the design of engaging instructional content with various integration features.
Squigl – Content creation platform that transforms speech or text into animated videos.
Trello - A visual collaboration tool used by teachers and professors for easier coursework planning, faculty collaboration, and classroom organization.
Brookings – A catalogue of nearly 3,000 learning innovations. Not all of them are distance learning solutions, but many of them offer digital education content.
Common Sense Education – Tips and tools to support school closures and transitions to online and at-home learning.
Commonweatlh of Learning – List of resources for policymakers, school and college administrators, teachers, parents and learners that will assist with student learning during the closure of educational institutions.
Education Nation – Nordic countries have opened up their learning solutions for the world for free, supporting teachers and learners during the school closures.
EdSurge – Community-driven list of edtech products, including many distance learning resources for students, teachers and schools, covering primary to post-secondary education levels.
European Commission Resources – A collection of online platforms for teachers and educators, available in 23 EU languages.
GDL Radio: a collection of radio and audio instruction resources.
Global Business Coalition for Education – List of e-learning platforms, information sharing platform and communication platforms.
Keep Learning Going – Extensive collection free tools, strategies, tips and best practices for teaching online from a coalition of USA-based education organizations. Includes descriptions of over 600+ digital learning solutions.
Koulu.me – A collection of apps and pedagogical solutions curated by Finnish edtech companies to facilitate distance for pre-primary to upper secondary learners.
Organisation internationale de la Francophonie: Resources for primary and secondary school students and teachers for learning and teaching French.
Profuturo Resources: Spanish language resources in different subject areas for primary and secondary school students.
UNEVOC Resources – Tools, guides, MOOCS and other resources collected by UNESCO’s International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training for continued learning in the area of TVET.
UNHCR – An extensive list of over 600 distance learning solutions from the United Nations agency for refugees.
Recommendations
Conclusion
There is no doubt that Information is a primary good that everybody needs in order to function ( Bornman,Elirea 2016). However, people also need the social and cultural ‘capital’ to use information appropriately, namely, the skills to select and process information and to use it in one’s social position and networks (Bornman, Elirea 2016). It has proved that the critical role of the library in bridging the digital divide both as the place where access to ICT is assured and also as a place where there are information professionals trained in enabling people access, select, evaluate and use it effectively (Van Dijk, 2007).This paper has discussed the role played by ICT, libraries and library professionals in bridging the divide and also it is believed that educational systems need to be restructured in order to accommodate the new digital world into all spheres of learning. This entails an understanding of the digital divide challenges that exist and further increasing the digital skills among students.
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