Poverty and the Digital Divide in Developing Nations

Abstract

Is there a digital divide between students living in poverty in developed and developing nations with respect to readiness for online learning? This study examines three components of online learning readiness including psychological, technological, and overall readiness for learning. We find that students living in poverty in the developing nation of Thailand were less equipped for online learning than students living in poverty in the developed nation of the U.S.A. This differential readiness is indicative of the developed-developing world digital divide. We provide practical suggestions for narrowing this digital divide.