It’s time to embrace digital equity

Rewind to March 2020. Within weeks, many of us transformed our engagement with digital tools. We went from being universities with limited online curricular and pedagogical presence to offering many of our classes online; we went from paper-based approaches to scheduling, admissions, or financial management to managing that work digitally; and in many cases, we shifted from print materials to using open education resources. 

In our rush to adapt, we often settled for “good enough for most people” instead of focusing on the inclusion and equity consequences of the changes we implemented. Sure, we tried to provide laptops for students who could not afford them, but we couldn’t easily control the myriad apps or software that professors would use in their courses (and whether those would be accessible on whatever single device a student might have). We picked online platforms that would quickly get us teaching and learning online, but we didn’t always make sure assistive technology would work correctly or offer easy alternative options. We also couldn’t easily address the digital dead zones many of our students and staff faced because of inadequate digital architecture in our cities, towns, provinces, states and countries.

• Advice on digital strategy in higher education
• Resources on equity in higher education
• Building equitable learning pathways in higher education

This is the time to embrace digital equity. There are many great institutions that have risen to the call for inclusion in their use of digital technologies. We have a long way to go at Dalhousie University, but we are trying to step up to the challenge. Here are five suggestions to consider if you’re keen to join us in this work.

Just-in-time learning. Becoming competent in digital literacy is like any other form of learning. Most people need some external input for it to be relevant and to stick. In 2020, when many of our institutions offered training, people took it and they put what they learned to work immediately, leading to longer-term recollection. We need to accept a “ready to wear” approach to digital learning. Adopting new learning technologies and digital tools for work should be mandatory, and upskilling and re-skilling modules for staff and students need to be readily available the moment one of those members of our communities needs to use the technologies for the first time.

1. Less is more. The proliferation of tools can be a resource challenge for staff and students. Most universities realistically cannot support multiple learning systems, polling apps, laptop computers and classroom scheduling systems. From 2020 to 2022 it was a victory to have our communities move to online learning and working. But now that we have had some time to regroup, it makes sense to narrow our institutionally-supported programs and hardware. Most students will tell you that one of their greatest digital irritants is that every class relies on different digital tools, some of which they cannot access on whatever device they have purchased. IT staff will tell you that they cannot effectively support and troubleshoot for a community that works on 75 different types of hardware or software platforms. We should prioritise choices that facilitate accessibility. 

2. Wi-fi and broadband. It’s expensive. But ensuring that our communities can get effective wi-fi in the places where they work and study matters. And we need to be advocates with our governments to ensure that broadband enables people to access learning and opportunities that come with education and collaboration, no matter where they live. It is essential to advocate for broadband as a driver of economic growth and to encourage partnerships with communications companies to ensure full network coverage.

3. Curricular reform. Digital literacy is a core competency, yet we have been slow to integrate it into most of our programmes. That literacy includes not just technical skills, but critical thinking about digital tools (including artificial intelligence), ethical uses of technology and information literacy to ensure our community knows how to recognise and research credible information.

4. Open sources. Most controversially, perhaps, universities should be developing an open-source strategy. Many of us are publicly-funded universities, but the research we produce or the materials we rely on in our teaching are expensive to access. That cost creates a bottleneck to dissemination and transformation, as well as to learning and accessibility. There are myriad ways to take concrete steps. For instance, small grants can enable faculty to co-develop open educational resources with students, creating immediate impact and providing valuable research employment. Or, working through existing higher education industry groups in libraries, information technology and teaching and learning can spread materials and lead to drastic improvements in this area. Look for the pioneers who want to lead in this space – others will follow!

Universities are places where we provide knowledge, wisdom, connections and leadership to address global challenges and create new possibilities. Technology and digital access are essential for fulfilling this mandate. When every student and staff member has equitable access to digital tools, resources, relevant materials and skills that they need for success, regardless of their socio-economic or geographic status or their physical ability, we will fully fulfil our roles as inclusive institutions. 

Kim Brooks is president and vice-chancellor, Jody Couch is the chief information officer, and Ben Tait is the executive director for the Centre for Learning and Teaching at Dalhousie University. 

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