Bridging Digital Inequalities in Rural Schools in Germany: A Geographical Lottery?

Education Sciences

Christina Rundel¹  Koen Salemink¹ 

[1] Department of Cultural Geography, Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen, 9712 Groningen, The Netherlands;

关键词: rural schools;    digital inclusion;    small schools;    digital developments;    digital literacy;    ICT equipment;   

DOI  :  10.3390/educsci11040181

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Repeatedly, it has been argued that advancements in digitalisation could be beneficial for rural areas. However, digital inequalities persist and affect rural communities as well. Schools can play a key role in bridging digital inequalities, but little attention has been paid to the specific conditions rural schools find themselves in when facing continuous digital developments. Therefore, we apply the digital inclusion lens and explore the impact of digital developments on rural schools in the German context. In 2019, we conducted 16 in-depth interviews with heads and teachers from rural elementary and secondary schools in Baden-Wurttemberg and Lower Saxony. We found that smaller rural schools especially can experience difficulties and conclude that the contribution of schools to a digital-included society is subject to a geographical lottery. This could eventually increase existing rural–urban digital inequalities and these findings are also relevant in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing a sudden switch to distance learning.

【 授权许可】

Unknown