Examining the Digital Divide in Haryana, India: Insights for Implementing a STEM Learning App across school systems

• In Event: Challenges and opportunities of digital technology for multilingual education: comparative studies across India, Mexico, and Canada

Proposal

India’s new education policy emphasizes the crucial role of digital education in transforming the educational landscape, particularly through enhancing learning experiences and bridging educational disparities (National Education Policy, 2020). However, disparities in technology access persist across various regions and school systems in India (Byker, 2014; Thakur, 2014). To fully capitalize on the benefits of digital education, there is a need for targeted efforts to bridge this digital divide, ensure the availability of affordable computing devices, and address equity concerns to make technology accessible to all (National Education Policy, 2020; Sahayam & Rathnasabapathy, 2021). The first step toward achieving equity in digital access is to understand the factors responsible for the lack of technology reach in India. However, there is a lack of recent research, as most research was published at least ten years before (Byker, 2014; Dinesha & Agarwal, 2011; Thakur, 2014), revealing information on the nature of digital divide in Indian schools especially based on location, school system, and the socio-economic background of students. Understanding the factors such as socioeconomic background, and geographical location of students and their impact on technology access is crucial for creating plans that would ensure equitable educational opportunities.
This study is part of a bigger project, funded by Mitacs, aiming to understand India's geographical, cultural, linguistic, socioeconomic, technological, and educational factors that significantly influence the feasibility of implementing a STEM learning app for multilingual students called Binogi from grade 4 to 9. Within the scope of this proposal, we will focus on the Indian state of Haryana to investigate how access to digital tools and resources differs across urban and rural areas, as well as between private and government-run schools. This analysis will provide insights into the extent of the digital divide within the state. Also, by examining the socioeconomic profiles of Binogi users, we aim to understand how factors such as income, and parental education influence their access to technology. This will help identify barriers and opportunities for improving technology integration in education.
Research Question:
How does access to technology vary across different school systems such as private and public schools, socio-economic class and geographic regions in Haryana, India?
Methodology:
As part of the bigger study, Binogi app will be introduced in schools in both urban and rural areas in Haryana. Data for this paper will be collected through surveys administered to students, teachers, parents, and school administrators from these schools. This data will then be analyzed to uncover patterns and correlations between technology access, school types, socioeconomic status, and geographical location.
Significance:
Findings will offer actionable recommendations for policymakers and educators to address the digital divide and improve technology integration in education. Insights from the study will help optimize the Binogi app and similar digital resources to better meet the needs of diverse student populations.

Author

• Sudhashree Girmohanta, O.I.S.E. University of Toronto