Renae Sze Ming Loh of the National University of Singapore explains the results of her recent study looking at whether the use of information and communication technology in schools tends to decrease or increase the digital skills divide.
Digital skills are indispensable in today’s highly digitalised world. We’ve all heard some version of this truism at one point—whether in discussions on education, employment, or social participation. Yet, not all students are digitally skilled or enjoy the same opportunities to develop such skills. These differences begin at home, where socioeconomic disparities shape access to digital technology, usage, and skills development. Sonia Livingstone and Alicia Blum-Ross’ book Parenting for a Digital Future illuminates how parenting of digital technology is shaped by socioeconomic background. Key points of the book are presented in an earlier LSE blog post.
But can these gaps be closed later in schools? Are schools as democratising as we hope they are?
Do schools and their ICT resources help narrow digital skills inequalities, or do they reinforce them?
Our study turns to look at schools and their information and communication technology (ICT resources), using International Computer and Information Literacy Survey (ICILS) data on 14,183 8th grade students (approximately 14 years of age) in 751 schools across seven OECD countries. We examined three key dimensions of school information and communication technology (ICT) resources:
- ICT infrastructure – the availability of devices (namely computers) in schools.
- Students’ use of ICT for educational tasks – the extent to which students engage with technology in learning activities (e.g., project work).
- Availability of technical expertise – whether students have access to personnel (e.g., an ICT coordinator) for assistance.
The study enabled us to reflect not only on whether students have access to digital devices on the premises, but also on how these are used and whether they are supported.
The answer to whether schools help narrow inequalities in digital skills is not straightforward. Let’s begin on an optimistic note.
The Good News: Schools Foster Digital Skills
Encouragingly, our findings suggest that schools do play a role in fostering students’ digital skills. Specifically, students who use ICT for a wider range of educational tasks demonstrate higher levels of digital competency. This highlights that integrating technology into structured learning environments, where students have clear goals and objectives, can enhance digital skills. It also reinforces existing research on skill development, emphasising that active, meaningful use is what truly matters.
The Challenge: ICT Resources Are Not Equally Distributed
However, not all students benefit equally from school ICT resources. Those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to attend well-resourced schools with better ICT infrastructure, have more opportunities for ICT-integrated learning, and greater access to technical expertise. As a result, these students develop higher digital skills, widening the digital divide rather than closing it.
That the well-to-do tend to send their children to better resourced schools is not a new phenomenon. This may dampen spirits in trying to tackle inequalities, as it seems like an unbudging fact of life. This may also bolster gumption to keep trying in equal measure, as we at least know where to start.
An obvious solution is to invest in ICT resources for under-resourced schools, particularly those serving disadvantaged students. However, we must avoid the technological determinist trap—the assumption that simply providing more devices and internet access will solve the problem.
Digital skills inequality is a social issue, and skills acquisition has a social component. We’ve all learned digital skills thanks to the help of warm experts, those who are (even slightly) more digitally skilled than us, who guide and support us in navigating digital environments and activities.
A Hopeful Twist: Technical Expertise as an Equaliser
The presence of technical expertise in schools can make a significant difference in narrowing digital skills inequalities. Schools with more technical support—whether from experts like ICT coordinators or warm experts like teachers —help students, especially those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, develop their digital skills. Why? They are often the warm expert at home, with limited support networks, and having warm experts in school to learn from will prove valuable in supporting the development of their digital skills. This finding suggests that digital literacy support, teacher training, and accessible spaces of learning and consultation could be powerful avenues for reducing digital skills disparities.
Whether this takes the form of an after-school programme, or an ICT helpdesk, what is important is the social support. One cannot simply learn digital skills in isolation. In practice, students may well lean on their teachers most.
The implication of more teacher responsibility and training may illicit a groan, as it asks yet more of teachers. It is simply that teachers are an important part of the equation, and equipping them with the necessary skills (both digital skills and the skills to teach them to students) is crucial.
Policy Implications: Beyond Hardware, Towards Human Support
Our research underscores the need for policymakers and educators to look beyond simply providing ICT hardware and software in schools in charting the course to close digital skills divides. Equalizing access to devices and internet is important, but just as crucial is investing in educator training and ensuring students use technology effectively for learning. Policies that prioritise digital pedagogy, technical expertise, and equitable resource distribution can help schools serve as equalisers rather than amplifiers of digital inequality.
As digital skills become ever more essential for education and career success, schools must ensure that no student is left behind. While the study is on schools, the conversation on closing the digital skills could and should extend beyond schools. The key lies not just in providing access to technology but in empowering students to use it effectively—especially those who need it most.
This post gives the views of the author and not the position of the Media@LSE blog, nor of the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Featured image: Photo by Compare Fibre on Unsplash
