Digital poverty in social work education during COVID-19
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18060/24859Keywords:
social work education, digital poverty, digital literacy, COVID-19, pandemicAbstract
The use of technology in social work education is neither new nor without its debates. The conversation has been gradually informing us of the challenges and controversies, as well as benefits in education, practice, policy and research. Yet, in the face of COVID-19 and associated quarantine measures, social work education has been tasked with a fast-paced adjustment to online, and where feasible, hybrid learning. This reflection raises the argument that the pace of organisational adjustment is not always the same as those studying social work. This leaves many students in digital poverty and generates inequality gaps that may need addressing.
References
Barrantes R (2007) Analysis of ICT demand: what is digital poverty and how to measure it? In: Galperin H and Mariscal J (eds) Digital Poverty: Latin American and Caribbean Perspectives, Rugby, UK: Intermediate Technology Publications, pp.29-53.
Beaunoyer E, Dupéré S and Guitton MJ (2020) COVID-19 and digital inequalities: Reciprocal impacts and mitigation strategies. Computers in Human Behavior 111: 106424.
Chen T, Peng L, Yin X, Rong J, Yang J and Cong G (2020) Analysis of User Satisfaction with Online Education Platforms in China during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Healthcare 8(3): 200-226.
Crawford J, Butler-Henderson K, Rudolph J, Malkawi B, Glowatz M, Burton R, Magni P and Lam, S. (2020). COVID-19: 20 countries' higher education intra-period digital pedagogy responses. Journal of Applied Learning & Teaching 3(1): 1-20.
Gibson A, Bardach SH and Pope ND (2020) COVID-19 and the Digital Divide: Will Social Workers Help Bridge the Gap? Journal of Gerontological Social Work, online: 1-3.
Kurzman PA and Littlefield MB (eds) (2020) Online and distance social work education: Current practice and future trends. London, UK: Routledge.
Taylor A (2017) Social work and digitalisation: bridging the knowledge gaps. Social Work Education 36(8): 869-879.
