Section IV: Barriers around Access to ICT and E-Literacy
Likely Barriers
50. We have only limited information about the New Zealand situation in relation to access to ICT. However this, combined with the analyses contained in overseas reports on the digital divide, suggests that the key barriers to access in New Zealand are likely to be quite diverse, and multiple for some groups. The key barriers can be classified similarly to the dimensions used to define access and e-literacy, such as:
- Attitudinal: Lack of awareness or understanding of the potential of the Internet to improve personal and economic well being. This includes the perception or reality of there being little, if any, content relevant for certain groups/communities; Lack of confidence about ability to use new technologies; Language difficulties, either because of the techno-speak that is often used in association with ICT or potential users' limited English language skills;
- Financial: Cost of equipment, connectivity and skill development, including lack of community-based access points which would provide cheap or free access and training;
- Skills: Insufficient training and education, and professional development, of educators and community advisors to support their advocacy of ICT, and to train people in ICT skills;
- Infrastructure: Lack of new product developments which would encourage specific groups to go online;21 Inadequate technology infrastructure in many areas, particularly smaller provincial and rural areas;22
Attitudinal
Lack of Awareness or Understanding of the Potential of the Internet to Improve Personal and Economic Well Being
51. Information from the United States suggests that even where people are able to afford access to ICT, particularly the Internet, they will often choose not to use it because they do not perceive that the content or the functionality is meaningful for them.23 This is particularly true for ethnic minority communities but can extend also to other groups in society. In not using the Internet, such groups are missing out on access to information, knowledge, products and services that could enhance their well being and increase their ability to make a greater economic contribution.
52. It is likely that, as in the United States, commercial enterprises in New Zealand will recognise the returns to be made from creating content of interest to these groups. However, as Heppel notes if Internet use is largely passive consumption of entertainment or consumer products, it is unlikely to provide the best value for either the individual concerned or the nation.24
53. A recently released Irish report also indicates that late adopters are not only different to early adopters in key demographic features (gender, income, employment status, location) but also express less interest in accessing and using ICT.25
Lack of Confidence in Using New Technologies
54. Many people who prove well able to use ICT after tuition need support initially to overcome a lack of confidence, particularly if they did not do well in previous learning situations, or it is a long time since they learned anything new. An Irish report on telecentres and telework currently being compiled for the National Telework Advisory Council revealed that before any technical skills were taught to trainees much effort has to go into building confidence and encouraging them to believe they could master the equipment and software.
55. While people are becoming more familiar with ICT terminology, assistance is often needed for them to overcome barriers around the use of jargon, with particular assistance being needed by people from a non-English speaking background, or with limited education.
Financial
56. The price of hardware, software and Internet access has decreased markedly in the last year, and will likely continue to decline.26 However, while some people on low incomes will prioritise expenditure to acquire access to the internet, others will not be able to regardless of how positively they view ICT: there is a large difference between cheap and free for these groups given trends in earnings inequality.27
57. Some countries have established Community Technology Centres as a way of providing poorer individuals and communities with access to ICT. In New Zealand however currently there is no integrated strategy for ensuring that there are adequate public ICT access points in low income areas, either commercially or community operated,. Officials report that what community access exists has developed organically and is likely to suffer from inadequate funding and technical support.
58. It should be noted that while Community Technology Centres provide a means for poorer citizens to access ICT, the costs of providing the equipment, connectivity and training are similar to what are called the "total costs of ownership" of PCs in major business firms. This means that the costs of getting the initial equipment and training are a fraction of the costs of maintaining the equipment, upgrading, and reconfiguring, and training staff, and are often beyond the means of communities or users to provide themselves.28
59. A recent New Zealand study indicates that nearly 100 percent of public libraries will now be connected to the Internet and providing some form of public access.29 However, libraries signalled that they have difficulties in obtaining the resources to provide both hardware and software, find time to train library staff and provide support to users. Given the trend towards staff cuts in libraries the report indicated that these problems seem likely to continue and therefore constrain libraries' ability to expand their public access to the Internet: notwithstanding their view of its importance as a vehicle for accessing information.
60. As part of their community online strategy the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has established CommunityNet Aotearoa. This Website enables community groups to link to an information library, take part in discussion forums, advertise jobs and community events and keep up to date with consultation documents open for public submissions. While no comprehensive data is available it appears that many community organisations see the benefits of being "wired" both to them organisationally and to the communities they serve. However it seems that many community groups are struggling to improve their ICT connectivity, for reasons of cost and lack of skill/technical support.
Skills
Insufficient Training and Professional Development in ICT Skills for Education Professionals and Community Advisors
61. The issue here relates to the inadequate provision of both teachers and tutors who can teach ICT skills in schools and community locations, and of technicians to support increased use of ICT by schools and community organisations.
62. Many community organisations which could be advocates for ICT, and train people in their community, find it extremely difficult to afford to employ or contract technical support staff, and train their own people in technical skills.
63. An important and successful aspect of the Ministry of Education's ICT in Learning strategy is the professional development of current teachers. However, at this stage there is still some way to go before all teachers have the skills in this area to enable students to make optimal use of computers to assist learning. In addition, school principals' comments to officials would indicate that insufficient attention is being paid to ensuring that students in pre-service teacher training are developing a good understanding of and facility with ICT.
64. While this paper focuses on enabling disadvantaged people to improve their e-literacy for a variety of reasons, an important reason for encouraging the widest range of people to develop e-literacy is to increase the overall number of people who train to become IT professionals.
65. This is critical as New Zealand currently faces a skills shortage of IT professionals, which is likely to be exacerbated by their increased emigration due to increasing demand from other countries which offer more attractive remuneration. 30
Infrastructure
Inadequacy of Technical Infrastructure in Small Towns and Rural Locations
66. Small towns and rural communities, who stand to gain much from the Internet's ability to diminish the negative impacts of distance, may in fact be unable to benefit fully from this technology because of their lack of suitable infrastructure. Much of the most significant value of ICT to less populated areas is to be found in applications requiring broad bandwidth such as video conferencing, interactive television and multi media tools.31 However, many less populated areas do not have the bandwidth to support such optimal e-government or e-commerce services or access information.
67. While narrow bandwidth is sufficient for largely text-based applications such as e-mail, access to applications such as electronic reference material, community bulletin boards, business data transfer, public information service, teleworking, home banking and shopping, would be increased by broad bandwidth.
68. In small population areas, particularly those with significant topographical constraints, there is little incentive for current telecommunication service providers to improve or extend their service, or for new players to enter the market: to provide broad bandwidth connectivity. Recent evidence of this is the decision by Saturn and Telstra to enter the high-speed connectivity market only in large population centres.
69. Rural areas are also less likely to receive the benefits of market driven new technologies or have suppliers improve existing technologies. While satellite connectivity can overcome terrestrial limitations, it is not a cheap option. In addition, unlike service providers who use satellite to send large amounts of information quickly, users send out their information by landline, which is slower and more limited in capacity.
70. Infrastructure in rural areas can be a problem in other respects. In addition to broad bandwidth connectivity to the Internet, users need services which are not always consistently available such as:
- Constant and clean electricity supply
- Quality telephone connectivity
- IT support services a relatively short distance away.
Lack of New Product Developments
71. Increasingly the Internet and computers are seen as providing people with disabilities with the means to generate income, manage their own well being, and communicate with others regardless of distance. However, many groups who would benefit from using ICT are constrained in doing so because there is little software or content readily available that meets their needs. Similarly, the economic and social well being of speakers of other languages would be increased by a wider range of content and software in languages other than English.
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