Connection failed: internet still a luxury for many Americans

As schools put emphasis on computer use in class, school-age children without internet access at home suffer.

by: Jana Kasperkevic

Whenever homework was assigned in school, Destinyjoy Balgobin would be filled with anxiety. Not because she wasn't familiar with the material or that she had better things to do. Rather, it was that she had no way to do it.

As with most homework assignments today, Balgobin’s often required the use of a computer and internet, whether it be to do light research, read material, or type up an essay. With no computer or internet at home, Balgobin, who recently graduated high school, had to rely on publicly available resources to complete her homework. Often, she would end up doing it with the internet on her cellphone.

Among households with incomes of $30,000 and less, only 54% have access to broadband at home, says Kathryn Zickuhr, a research associate with Pew Research Center’s Internet Project. Members of these households are most likely to use internet access outside home – at work, school or a public library. Similar to Balgobin, about 13% of these household report accessing the internet on their cellphones.

A further look into poverty reveals more and more unconnected Americans. According to Pew Research, one-third of those making less than $20,000 a year do not go online at all. Another third go online, but do not have internet access at home. Of those making $30,000 or less, 45% of mobile internet users go online mostly with their cellphones.

The lower-income population that lacks internet access can be divided into two main groups: the elderly and the young, says Zickuhr. While the elderly deem internet irrelevant or feel that it's too late and too difficult to adapt, those in the younger generation like Balgobin struggle to keep up with their peers.

About 15% of 18 to 29 year olds have a smartphone, but no internet at home. Photograph: Michael Melia/Alamy

Just consider President Barack Obama's goal to bring internet to schools nationwide.

[I]n an age when the world’s information is a just click away, it demands that we bring our schools and libraries into the 21st century. We can't be stuck in the 19th century when we're living in a 21st century economy.

Even as some schools forge ahead by incorporating computers, many students are left behind due to the lack of connection at home. In a February 2013 survey conducted by Pew Research, College Board Advanced Placement program and National Reading project, 54% of teachers said that all or almost all of their students had access to digital tools such as computer and internet connection at school. Only 18% said the students had similar access to such tools at home. More than half of the teachers of the lowest income students, at 56%, said that students' lack of resources presents a major challenge to incorporating computers into their teaching. For teachers of students from mostly lower-middle income, that number was 48%.

Despite understanding that students face limited access, 79% of teachers said they have their students access or download assignments from an online site and 76% have students submit those assignments the same way. Other ways teachers ask their students to use internet include posting their work to a website or a blog (40%), participating in online discussions (39%), and editing their classmates' work through web-enabled sharing tools such as Google Docs (29%).

It’s difficult to make people understand how important internet access is when they aren’t without it, says Balgobin. In order to complete her homework, she often used the computer lab at school or at the public library.

Overall, two-thirds of those using internet at public library said that they did research for school or work, revealed a survey conducted by Pew Research. Out of all age groups surveyed, 16 to 17 year olds were the group to access the internet the most. About 39% of them said that they had used a library computer or Wi-Fi in the last 12 months. For 18 to 29 year olds, that number was 38%. For 30 to 49, it was 31%. For parents of minors, that number was 34%.

There are, however, limitations when it comes to using computers and internet at library. Oftentimes, the demand for computers in the library exceeds the number of devices available. As a result, public libraries require members to sign up for 30-minute windows in which they can use the computer. When it comes to completing certain homework assignments, 30-minute windows are hard to navigate and might not be enough time to actually complete the assignment, says Balgobin.

With some libraries closing as early as 6pm, parents and students have had to come up with alternate places to access internet. For those who have access to a computer, but lack internet connection at home, coffee shops like Starbucks and even fast-food restaurants like McDonald's have become after-school haunts. Other parents use their cellphones to create Wi-Fi hot-spots at home.

Do you want Wi-Fi with that? As early as July 2003, many McDonald's restaurants in San Francisco began providing high-speed wireless access. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Unwilling to leave unconnected students behind, some schools have chosen to only assign homework that does not require use of computers and internet. Yet such policies are challenging, says Danielle Kehl, a policy analyst in the Open Technology Institute at the New America Foundation. By cutting out these tools from part of their homework, kids are losing out on valuable education.

Keeping up with Mooresville ...

So, how should the US handle this predicament? Are there proven policies that could be replicated nationwide?

“I wish there was a simple answer,” said Kehl.

Local efforts on a municipal level might prove more effective than a nationwide campaign. “Some communities have decided to make [connectivity] a priority,” said Kehl, pointing to Mooresville as a perfect example.

Mooresville came into national spotlight after it was highlighted by President Obama. Out of 115 school districts in North Carolina, Mooresville ranked in the bottom 10 when it came to spending but ranked second in student achievement. “You’re spending less money getting better outcomes,” said Obama, noting that “there is no reason why we can’t replicate the success you've found here.”

Yet keeping up with Mooresville won’t be easy. Thanks to a partnership with One-to-One institute, a national non-profit dedicated to implementing one-to-one technology in K-12 settings, the district began implementing a six-year digital conversion plan. By fall of 2009, all students in grades four through 12 received laptops for their use 24/7. By fall of 2010, the program was expanded to include third grade as well. In February of 2012, the New York Times declared Mooresville “a shining example” – a laptop success story.

Obama was shown digital learning programs during a visit to Mooresville, North Carolina. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

When speaking at Mooresville last year, President Obama laid out a lofty goal in the form of a ConnectED initiative, promising that in five years’ time, FCC will have connected 99% of US students to high-speed broadband internet. According to Kehl, other lawmakers like West Virginia senator John D Rockefeller IV, California congresswoman Anna Eshoo and FCC commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel have previously called for providing schools nationwide with one gigabit connection, something that almost none of the school have right now.

... and South Korea

“Only around 20% of our students have access to true high-speed internet in their classroom,” said Obama.

By comparison, South Korea has 100% of its kids with high-speed Internet. We've got 20%; South Korea 100%. In countries where – in a country where we expect free Wi-Fi with our coffee, why shouldn’t we have it in our schools?

If catching up to Mooresville seems difficult, catching up to South Korea might be impossible. More densely populated than the US, South Korea faced much lower costs in setting up its internet infrastructure, according to CNN. Furthermore, the country made internet connection its priority as early as 1990s.

One of the main obstacles facing US in its effort to catch up to South Korea is the funding necessary to make ConnectED a reality. The low-end estimates for the cost of the program are $4bn, according to The Washington Post. The White House has suggested raising the funds through imposing higher cellphone service fees, a plan that does not sit well with Republicans.

It's not just South Korea that seems to have a leg up on the US. Compared to the most cities around the world, US cities provide slower-speed internet for higher prices, says Kehl. According to her research, "the best deal for a 150 Mbps home broadband connection from cable and phone companies is $130/month, offered by Verizon FiOS. By contrast, the international cities we surveyed offer comparable speeds for less than $80/month, with most coming in at about $50/month." Same goes for mobile data plans, which cost twice as much in US as they do in UK. With prices like these, it's no surprise that many low income families opt to go without internet.

Ultimately, getting better internet access in schools won't make things easier for students like Balgobin, who have no access to computers and internet at home.

In fact, putting emphasis on digital tools in classrooms makes it even more likely that we will see likes of her in our local library, coffee shop or McDonald’s attempting to do the homework that many can and do at home.

from: Guardian