On February 3, 2016, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center and Rutgers University presented Digital Equity: Technology and Learning in the Lives of Lower-Income Families at a forum co-hosted by New America in Washington, D.C. The event highlighted the release of "Opportunity for All? Technology and Learning in Lower-Income Families" by Victoria Rideout and Vikki S. Katz. Recent research on digital media use points to two important gaps in educational opportunity for low-income families with young children. First, there is an access gap. Second, there is what scholars refer to as a participation gap, in which digital resources are not well guided or supported to ensure educational progress. Despite these barriers, many low-income families are using media and new technologies in creative ways to support their children’s pathways to success and to strengthen family relationships. In this report, media and policy expert Victoria Rideout and Rutgers University scholar Vikki Katz explore the current uses of digital technologies to help promote educational opportunities for all through a national survey of nearly 1,200 low-income parents of school-age children and in-person interviews with lower-income, Hispanic families in three communities located in Arizona, California, and Colorado. Find the full report here: http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/publication/opportunity-for-all-technology-and-learning-in-lower-income-families/

1. Digital Equity
Technology and Learning in the Lives of Lower-Income Families
February 3, 2016
A forum presented by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at
Sesame Workshop, Rutgers University, and New America
www.joanganzcooneycenter.org
www.digitalequityforlearning.org

2. Opportunity for All?
Michael H. Levine
Executive Director, Joan Ganz Cooney Center
February 3, 2016

3. The Families and Media Project

4. The LIFE Center: Stevens & Penuel, 2010
The Families and Media Project

5. Ecological Perspective on Learning
5
Bronfenbrenner (1979); Takeuchi
(2011)
Governme
nt
Agencies
Digital
Media
Market
Local
School System
Church, Library,
After-school
Spaces
Digital
Media
Spaces
The
Neighborhoo
d
Dominant
Beliefs
Cultural
Values
Mass
Media
Parents’
Work
Home,
Parent
s,
Sibling
s
Attitudes & Ideologies
National &
State Policy
School,
Teachers,
Peers

6. The Families and Media Project
Project Priorities:
• Research in real life settings
• Quantitative and qualitative methods
• Underserved populations (especially Hispanic-Latino families)
Research Partners:
• The Joan Ganz Cooney Center
• LIFE, AARP, Northwestern, Rutgers, Stanford, Arizona State, Sesame Workshop

7. DIGITAL EQUITY
Technology and Learning in the Lives of Lower-income Families
February 3, 2016
A forum presented by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame
Workshop, Rutgers University, and New America
www.joanganzcooneycenter.org
www.digitalequityforlearning.org

8. SURVEY RESULTS
Opportunity for all?: Technology and learning in lower-income families
February 3, 2016

9. Opportunity for all? Technology and learning in lower-income families. February 2016
 Nationally-representative telephone survey
 Nearly 1,200 respondents
 All parents with children ages 6-13
 All below national median income ($65,000)
• 31% below federal poverty level ($24,000/family of 4)
• 42% >FPL but <185% FPL
• 24% >185% FPL but =/< median ($65,000)
METHODOLOGY

10. Opportunity for all? Technology and learning in lower-income families. February 2016
 Race/ethnicity of this population:
• 47% White, 30% Hispanic, 16% Black, 7% Other
 Among Hispanic population:
• 62% are immigrants
• 53% are primarily Spanish-speaking
METHODOLOGY

11. Opportunity for all? Technology and learning in lower-income families. February 2016
 “Any internet access” means have a home computer with Internet
service, or a smart mobile device
 “Home access” means have a home computer with Internet service
(laptop or desktop)
 “Mobile-only access” means have a smartphone or tablet, but no home
computer
METHODOLOGY

12. Opportunity for all? Technology and learning in lower-income families. February 2016
VAST MAJORITY ARE CONNECTED
 Among parents of 6-13 year-olds, percent who have some type of Internet access:
94%
91%
90%
Among all
Among those below FPL
Among Immigrant Hispanics

13. Opportunity for all? Technology and learning in lower-income families. February 2016
 Among parents of 6-13 year-olds, percent who have each type of Internet access:
MANY ARE UNDER-CONNECTED
66%
5%
23%
48%
8%
33%
35%
12%
41%
High-speed home access
Dial-up home access
Mobile-only access
Among all Among those < FPL Among immigrant Hispanics

14. Opportunity for all? Technology and learning in lower-income families. February 2016
33%
51%
64%
Among all
Among those below FPL
Among Immigrant Hispanics
 Among parents of 6-13 year-olds, total percent who have dial-up, mobile-only, or no access:
MANY ARE UNDER-CONNECTED

15. Opportunity for all? Technology and learning in lower-income families. February 2016
 Among those with home access, percent who have experienced each problem during the
past 12 months:
EVEN THE CONNECTED HAVE LIMITATIONS AND
INTERRUPTIONS IN SERVICE
33%
26%
20%
Service too slow
Too many people share computer
Service cut off due to inability to pay

16. Opportunity for all? Technology and learning in lower-income families. February 2016
EVEN THE CONNECTED HAVE LIMITATIONS AND
INTERRUPTIONS IN SERVICE
 Among those with mobile-only access, percent who have experienced each problem during
the past 12 months:
29%
24%
21%
Hit data limits
Service cut off due to inability to pay
Too many people share device

17. Opportunity for all? Technology and learning in lower-income families. February 2016
IMMIGRANT HISPANICS ARE THE
MOST LIKELY TO BE UNDER-CONNECTED
 Among parents of 6-13 year-olds below the median income, percent who:
20%
41%
44%
4%
16%
17%
2%
25%
17%
4%
17%
19%
Don't go online at all
Have mobile-only Internet access
Don't use computers at all
Immigrant Hispanics Whites Blacks US-born Hispanics

18. Opportunity for all? Technology and learning in lower-income families. February 2016
COST IS THE MAIN FACTOR
DRIVING LACK OF ACCESS
 Among those without home Internet access, percent who say each of the following is the
main reason why (open-ended question):
42%
13%
12%
9%
5%
Too expensive
Don't need it
Access through mobile devices instead
Service too slow in their community
Use computers/Internet elsewhere

19. Opportunity for all? Technology and learning in lower-income families. February 2016
VERY FEW HAVE BEEN REACHED
BY LOW-COST OPTIONS
Have ever used
6%
Have never used
94%
 Among those below 185% of poverty, percent who have ever used low -cost Internet service
plans designed for those with income eligibility:

20. Opportunity for all? Technology and learning in lower-income families. February 2016
USE OF COMPUTERS AND INTERNET
AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES
 Among those without a computer or home Internet access, percent who use those
services at public libraries:
14%
8%
29%
21%
Among children
Among parents
Often Sometimes
43%
29%

21. Opportunity for all? Technology and learning in lower-income families. February 2016
FAMILIES COLLABORATE TO LEARN
WITH TECHNOLOGY
 Among families in which parents and children both use computers or the Internet, percent
in which:
77%
53%
81%
Parents help their children use
digital technology
Children help their parents
Children help each other
+ If more than one child in age group
+

22. Opportunity for all? Technology and learning in lower-income families. February 2016
COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IS STRONGEST
IN LOWEST-SES HOMES
 Percent of children who have helped their parents with tech, by parent education:
62%
45%
Less than high school
College degree
 Percent of children who “often” help each other, by family income:
53%
33%
Less than $25,000
$45,000 - $65,000

23. Opportunity for all? Technology and learning in lower-income families. February 2016
WHAT PARENTS USE THE INTERNET TO DO
 Among families that use the Internet, percent of parents who say they use it to:
95%
83%
78%
67%
58%
52%
Look for information
Stay in touch with family/friends
Get news
Bank or pay bills online
Shop
Apply for jobs or services

24. Opportunity for all? Technology and learning in lower-income families. February 2016
WHAT CHILDREN USE THE INTERNET TO DO
 Among families that use the Internet, percent of children who use it to:
81%
81%
81%
70%
46%
40%
Do homework
Play educational games
Look up things they're interested in
Make art or music
Collaborate with other students
Connect with teachers
+
+
+
+
+ Among 10-13 year-olds

25. Opportunity for all? Technology and learning in lower-income families. February 2016
 Percent who use the Internet for each purpose, by type of access:
THOSE WITH MOBILE-ONLY ACCESS
LESS LIKELY TO USE IT
82%
74%
66%
56%
52%
51%
70%
49%
36%
42%
35%
31%
Get news
Online banking/bill pay
Shop
Apply for jobs/services
Children look up things they're interested in
Children use every day
Among those with home access Among those with mobile-only access

26. Opportunity for all? Technology and learning in lower-income families. February 2016
 Percent who use the Internet for each purpose, by type of access:
THOSE WITH MOBILE-ONLY ACCESS
LESS LIKELY TO USE IT
82%
74%
66%
56%
52%
51%
70%
49%
36%
42%
35%
31%
Get news
Online banking/bill pay
Shop
Apply for jobs/services
Children look up things they're interested in
Children use every day
Among those with home access Among those with mobile-only access

27. DIGITAL EQUITY
Technology and Learning in the lives Of Lower-income Families
February 3, 2016
A forum presented by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at
Sesame Workshop, Rutgers University, and New America
www.joanganzcooneycenter.org
www.digitalequityforlearning.org

28. QUALITATIVE RESULTS:
Leveraging Technology for Learning in U.S. Latino Families
Vikki Katz Rutgers University ■ February 3, 2016

29. Study Overview

30. Qualitative Phase
(July 2013 to Feb 2015)
 Three predominantly Mexican-heritage, high-poverty school
districts in AZ, CA, and CO
 In-depth, open-ended interviews with parents and children
(N=336)
 Member checks with administrators and families
 Thematic data analysis
 Inductive survey questionnaire development

31. Family Decisions about Adopting
Technology

32. Family tech adoption: motivations and strategies
 Creative strategies and
parental sacrifices to
provide tech and
broadband connections
for their children
 Calibrated conceptions of
connectivity’s risks and
rewards: varied by district

33. Assessing Available Digital Equity
Programs

34.  Programs like C2C
broadly under-utilized
 Mismatch between
family needs and
service providers’
perceptions of adequate
connectivity
Family tech adoption: perceptions and realities

35. Technology as a Catalyst for
Family Learning

36. Parents and Children
as Digital Learning Teams
Father of a 5th grader
(age 10)
We’re a team, and we
achieve things together.
When I don’t know something,
my wife helps, or we ask our
other son.
We solve the problem together.
In that aspect, technology has
helped us, because it has
made us closer.

37. Qualitative Phase:
Veronica and Teresa
Sometimes when
I have homework on
the computer, I ask
my mom and she
helps me—and she
learns a little bit
more.
- Veronica (age 12)
When I can’t find a
website, they take the
computer from me and
do it themselves….I
have to ask them to
teach me [how to find it
myself], and that’s when
they help me.
- Teresa

38. digitalequityforlearning.org

39. DIGITAL EQUITY
Technology and Learning in the lives Of Lower-income Families
February 3, 2016
A forum presented by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame
Workshop, Rutgers University, and New America
www.joanganzcooneycenter.org
www.digitalequityforlearning.org