Being Prepared

Adopting a values-based approach to digital inclusion.

Awards and spent a few days and some late nights meeting rap, R&B and kuduro superstars from across Africa: names like Banky W, Fally Ipupa, Daddy Owen, Cabo Snoop and Radio & Weasel, from Angola to Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo and beyond, all huge stars in their own countries, selling truckloads of records despite rampant piracy and a rickety music industry. These guys are kind of the Jay Zs and Snoops of Africa, basically.

All members of society are able to access the affordances that technology offers

(Seale, 2009, Selwyn and Facer, 2007). 

What do we mean by digital inclusion?

Defining digital inclusion is challenging as research and debates are often embedded in specific contexts. Most definitions converge around the idea that everyone is able to access the benefits of technology.

The Government believes that helping people go online can also help tackle wider social issues, support economic growth and close equality gaps.

You can find this here: Government Digital Inclusion Strategy. 

The Government has identified four main barriers to going online.

Access - the ability to actually go online and connect to the internet

Skills - to be able to use the internet.

Motivation - knowing the reasons why using the internet is a good thing

Trust - a fear of crime, or not knowing where to start to go online

Reference box - where to find information quoted

Cabinet Office (2014) Government Digital Inclusion Strategy, 13 April 2014 [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-digital-inclusion-strategy

Seale, J. (2009). Digital Inclusion. A research briefing by the technology enhanced learning phase of the teaching and learning research programme. [online] Available at: http://www.tlrp.org/docs/DigitalInclusion.pdf

Selwyn, N., & Facer, K. (2007). Beyond the digital divide. Opening Education Reports. Bristol: Futurelab. [online]. Available at: http://www2.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/opening_education/Digital_Divide.pdf