Conceptualizing and Measuring High-Speed Broadband Deserts in K–12 Schools: A New Approach to the Digital Divide

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Bridging the Digital Divide in a Global Pandemic

Abstract

The primary goal of this project is to examine the neighborhood demographic characteristics of high-speed broadband deserts in California’s K-12 schools in the time of a pandemic. The first phase of this study seeks to define, examine, and visualize the observed neighborhood contextual variables that are bounded within the sociodemographic context of schools in high-speed broadband deserts. California’s deep pockets of minority and low-income communities and longstanding disparities in education offer a fertile context for studying the phenomenon of highspeed broadband deserts. Findings suggest how pockets of high-need areas are bounded within the sociodemographic context of high-speed broadband deserts. As a template for future research, this study has potential to be used in various other contexts.

Author

• Charisse Atibagos Gulosino, University of Memphis