As Australia tries to keep up with global technological innovation, those who do not have internet access fall behind (Rennie et al. 2016, p.22). One such example is the digitisation of Australia’s national standardised test, NAPLAN, which aims to give a snapshot of Australian students’ literacy and numeracy skills (ACARA 2015, p.18). Digitisation will disadvantage students, particularly in remote areas of Australia, who do not have the resources to participate. The solution to this digital divide, however, is not as simple as giving every Australian a computer and internet connection – the issue goes much deeper.
The internet has become the default medium through which people interact and is an important aspect of many Australians’ daily lives (Ewing et al. 2014, p.5). Activities that once involved physically leaving the house, such as shopping, banking and even sending a letter can now all be done more efficiently online. In this sense, it could be seen as a natural step forward for NAPLAN to also become digitised. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), the governing body for NAPLAN, stated in a report, “Digitisation will result in better assessment, tailored testing, more precise results and faster turnaround of information for parents and teachers” (ACARA 2015, p.v). But there is strong opposition as well, as Kevin Donnelly, co-reviewer of the national curriculum, pointed out:
“Some schools and children could be disadvantaged because they just don’t have the family background or school resources in terms of being up to speed with computers and keyboards.” (Cobbold 2016).
This is definitely a concern for students living in remote communities, where indigenous Australians are highly represented (Rennie et al. 2016, p.14). But connecting these communities to the internet is not enough, as it fails to recognise that individuals must be taught digital literacy skills.
A study in Mungalawurru, a small Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory, tested the effect of connecting these remote households to satellite broadband on their digital inclusion (p.13). In theory, satellite broadband should be accessible by people from anywhere in Australia (p.21). However, the process of connecting to the internet requires at least some technological skill and knowledge, or a phone for customer support (Meese 2016). But Mungalawurru only had one out-of-order payphone, no mobile phone reception and one laptop with no internet connection (Rennie et al. 2016, p.13). This is an immediate structural issue and an inherent cause of the digital divide.
Furthermore, once connected to the internet, researchers found that the community mostly used it as an extension of their daily activities, rather than taking advantage of the fact that they could do more – such as online courses (p.25). And while the community’s digital literacy skills did improve initially, this development came to a halt after the first year. For instance, while individuals could use social media, they were not aware of privacy settings and some websites were too complex for them to navigate (Meese 2016).
Policy-makers need to understand that digital literacy is not a skill that can be learned once, rather, it is a constant process of learning and practicing (Meese 2016). Digital inclusion is about the social and economic participation of all Australians, which requires easy access to affordable resources and digital literacy knowledge and skills (Swinburne Institute for Social Research et al. 2015, p.3). How can Australia continue to digitise national programs, such as NAPLAN, without ensuring that every Australian has the ability to be included?
Reference List
ACARA, 2015, Annual Report 2014/15, Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, Sydney, viewed 15th August 2016, <http://www.acara.edu.au/_resources/Annual_report_2014-15_-_PDF_accessible_version.pdf>
Cobbold, T. 2016, Save Our Schools: Fighting for Equity in Education, viewed 16 August 2016, < http://www.saveourschools.com.au/equity-in-education/naplan-online-test-of-writing-could-widen-the-achievement-gap>
Ewing, S.,Van Der Nagel, E. & Thomas, J. 2014, The Internet in Australia, CCi, Melbourne, viewed 16th August 2016, <http://apo.org.au/files/Resource/cci_digital_futures_2014_report.pdf>
Meese, J. 2016, Week 3 Lecture: Digital Literacy, Public Policy and Indigenous Communities, UTS Online Subject 54001, Lecture notes, UTS, Sydney, viewed 18th August 2016, <GET LINK>
Rennie, E., Hogan, E., Gregory, R. Crouch, R., Wright, A. & Thomas, J. 2016, ‘Introduction’, in Internet on the Outstation: The Digital Divide and Remote Aboriginal Communities, Institute of Networked Cultures, Issue 19, pp.13-27
Swinburne Institute for Social Research, Centre for Social Impact, & Telstra Corporation Ltd, 2015, Australian Digital Inclusion Index: Discussion Paper, Melbourne, viewed 17th August, <http://digitalinclusionindex.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/ADII_DiscussionPaper_Final_Web8.pdf>
Digital Literacy 