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This paper reports on the progress of a current PhD research study. The research study will evolve through four phases and eventually develop a conceptual framework for effective teaching and learning approaches that influence digital inclusion and exclusion of students from diverse backgrounds. It will also seek to identify differences in learner characteristics and how these characteristics impact on needs, experiences and engagement with technology for learning, specifically within a blended learning programme. The research will move away from traditional definitions of diversity and explore the differing characteristics of a varied learner population. The research adopts a critical realist perspective, using a qualitative multi-phase methodology that will evolve sequentially in the future. The focus of this paper is to outline the research to date. Phase 1 and Phase 2 have been completed and are reported in this paper. Findings suggest that digital exclusion cannot be predicted or dealt with by categorising students into groupings of: gender, age, ethnicity, geography, socio-economic status and educational background. Additionally, the findings indicate that digital exclusion is influenced by organisational factors, such as elements of the course content or navigation of the virtual learning environment rather than intrinsic factors such as individual technological skills.

Adapting information and communication technologies (ICTs) to countries' development is one of the important criteria for economic and social progress and public policy priorities. However, implementing this ambitious concept faces social inequalities in the use of ICT, or digital exclusion. Lithuania has several decades of experience in utilizing the potential of ICT in managing strategic initiatives. Studies on the development of information society and digital exclusion show that attention is being focused on reducing the digital exclusion, but there is a lack of detailed analysis of the measures applied, the results achieved, the impact on specific social risk groups. The aim of the paper is to assess the strategic priorities and specific measures in Lithuania for reducing digital exclusion. The state approach to the digital exclusion is explored through qualitative and quantitative analysis of document content, which allows focusing only on the issue of digital exclusion reflected in them. The sources of this research data are Lithuanian strategic information policy documents. The most visible and consistent solution to the digital exclusion in Lithuania is the physical availability of ICTs in the regions. Significantly less is the problem of the digital exclusion associated with motivation, ability, and opportunities to benefit from ICT disparities. The priorities and directions of the Government and non-governmental organizations are very different in this area. In spite of the high level of gaps in the data found on analyzing the results and achievements of government-EU NGO programs and projects, the research presents some insights for future digital exclusion reduction programs and projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital exclusion is perceived as the form of social exclusion. Social stereotypes refer this form mainly to the category of seniors. The presented study critically exams this image pointing the statistical data related to the activities of seniors in the cyberspace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Scientific Papers of Silesian University of Technology. Organization & Management / Zeszyty Naukowe Politechniki Slaskiej. Seria Organizacji i Zarzadzanie is the property of Silesian Technical University, Organisation & Management Faculty and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives: Although prisons aspire to rehabilitate offenders, they fail to prepare prisoners for release into our modern digitally sophisticated society. The objectives of the current study were to assess the impact of digital technology on the culture of prisons, and on prisoners' ability to self-manage their behavior and reoffending. Method: Using a natural stepped-wedge design, 13 prisons in the UK were examined that had installed self-service technology over a period of 7 years. A longitudinal multi-level model was used to analyze frequencies of disciplinary proceedings within and between the prisons before and after installation. Reoffending was examined in comparison with a control sample. Quantitative results were supported by a prisoner survey and usage data. Results: Prison disciplinary offenses were significantly reduced over a two-year period, and reoffending in the first year after release was reduced by 5.36% compared to a 0.78% reduction in comparison prisons. The prisoner survey and usage data suggested that prisoners felt much more in control of their lives in prison and much more confident in coping with technology in the outside world. Conclusions: The changes created by the introduction of digital technology offer the opportunity to make prisons more efficient for staff, and places of improved learning and rehabilitation for prisoners, contributing to a safer society. This study offers an important contribution to the field of corrections, providing the first quantitative assessment of the effect of prisoner self-service technology on prisoner behavior and reoffending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we interrogate how digital technologies and practices contribute to imaginaries of counter cities by telling the stories of people who navigate digital inequality. Digital inequality offers a lens onto the ways in which the privatised provision of services reshapes opportunities for collective organising. Digital technologies are commonly viewed as useful tools for collective organising, overlooking the fact that digital products are inequitable in their functioning and availability. In Australia, internet connections are offered as a for-profit service and digital inequality is persistent. The paper presents focus groups and participatory mapping interviews with residents of a Melbourne public housing estate. The study reveals that public housing residents pay relatively more money and receive lower quality service from internet providers. We identify three forms of dependency that arise as residents endeavour to stay connected to an essential infrastructure that was designed without their needs in mind: strategic alliances with community organisations to secure a digitally connected future; household strategies for meeting digital needs; and collaborative troubleshooting with technological 'experts'. In the conclusion we stress that digital infrastructures both require and enable collective organising and we argue that the political projects of counter cities must protect those infrastructures that support the relationships that can lead to more equitable cities. • Public housing residents pay more for internet and receive less reliable connections. • Telecom providers do not communicate barriers nor provide solutions within their ability. • Individualisation of services inhibits collective action for just provision. • Concept of counter publics needs to be critical of inequitable internet provisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In digitized welfare countries, an increasing number of services to fulfill essential needs related to finances, housing, health care, social security, and mobility have been moving from physical to internet services. Scholars, policy makers, and social practitioners are interested in monitoring who cannot use these essential internet services and, therefore, are excluded. Drawing on a media literacy perspective and capability theory, this study applies an alternative way to investigate digital exclusion or the third level of the digital divide. Using a survey administered among a sample of adults (n = 674, 57% female, M age = 49.93, SD age = 14.44) in the Flemish region of Belgium, this study empirically examined the associations between exclusion from essential internet services, socio-economic resources, and internet resources. Overall, the study found that people living in poverty, without a secondary education, experiencing loneliness, or having a poor health status were three to five times at a greater risk of digital exclusion compared with their counterparts. This association between socio-economic resources and digital exclusion can be partially explained by the individuals' levels of internet access, skills, and use frequency. In addition, we also found that people with high socio-economic resources can still be digitally excluded, and vice versa, people with low socio-economic resources can be digitally included. Therefore, digital inclusion initiatives should avoid stereotypical targeting and must target all citizens. Furthermore, internet skills and use experience are highly important for preventing digital exclusion, but other social mechanisms that may preclude people from using essential internet services should be explored in the future. • People who cannot use essential internet services are excluded in digital societies. • This article applies a media literacy perspective to study digital exclusion. • Internet skills and experience can protect people from digital exclusion. • Income and education play a significant role in digital exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the issue of digital skills in polish society in the light of the latest data and their impact on the development of e-services. First is shown a definition and basic conditions of talking about e-services. Next, attempt to analyze the availability of ICT and digital literacy in society in 2015-2016. In the end, there is devoted to the causes oflack of access to the internet, low digital literacy and digital exclusion. An important component of each of these chapters is a reflection on the state of e-government in Poland.

Copyright of Sociologia, Problemas e Práticas is the property of Centro de Investigacao e Estudos de Sociologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A presentation of findings from the evaluation of the Future Digital Inclusion programme funded by the UK Government Department of Education. Data show the effectiveness of embedding digital inclusion support within wider social inclusion services at the local level, mediated by institutions and organisations which have established pathways to engage socially excluded people, including disabled people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital inequalities research adopted the idea that exclusion is compound and multifaceted. Nevertheless, digital exclusion theory and empirical research often takes an individual, static approach; assuming that personal characteristics such as socioeconomic status consistently influence how individuals engage with information and communication technologies across different contexts. This article makes a theoretical contribution by looking at the value of relative deprivation theory ( RDT) in understanding digital inequalities. RDT argues that evaluations of personal circumstances depend on social and temporal contexts and are, therefore, relative. Digital inequalities research could benefit from a shift toward this relative approach in both theorization and empirical research by incorporating explanations based on context and social group processes into existing individual and structural explanations of digital inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Internet can bestow significant benefits upon those who use it. The prima facie case for an urban-rural digital divide is widely acknowledged, but detailed accounts of the spatial patterns of digital communications infrastructure are rarely reported. In this paper we present original analysis of data published by the UK telecommunications regulator, Ofcom, and identify and reflect on the entrenched nature of the urban-rural digital divide in Great Britain. Drawing upon illustrative case vignettes we demonstrate the implications of digital exclusion for personal and business lives in rural, and in particular remote rural, areas. The ability of the current UK policy context to effectively address the urban-rural digital divide is reviewed and scenarios for improving digital connectivity amongst the ‘final few’, including community-led broadband, satellite broadband and mobile broadband, are considered. A call is made for digital future proofing in telecommunications policy, without which the already faster urban areas will get ‘faster, fastest’ leaving rural areas behind and an increasingly entrenched urban-rural divide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Adeptus is the property of Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Slavic Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Access and efficient use of ITI techniques, especially the Internet, are fundamental for development not only in economic sense but also civilization sense in modern society. Meanwhile, there is no general knowledge about the number of people who have access to the computer and the internet and how to use these media. In addition, there is no public knowledge of the resources facilitating or hindering the use of these media by average Poles, while functioning stereotypes are based more on prejudice (eg ageism) than on real facts. For a pedagogue this is an unacceptable situation that requires not only a diagnosis, but an urgent intervention as to what is being discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LAN Houses1 have featured as key locations for thousands of Brazilians who otherwise would have no access to the internet. Thus, the scope of this study is to investigate the implementation and sustainability trajectory of a LAN House from an actor-network theory (ANT) perspective. In order to achieve this, single-case study methodology was adopted to address the implementation and sustainability of a LAN House in Jardim Catarina, city of São Gonçalo in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The result of this investigation supports the importance of government programs and actions as key actors to implement and sustain these endeavours. Lastly, it becomes clear that a LAN House is not actually a digital inclusion agent, despite its relevance to regions with lower rates of income, since the owner performs the role of 'digital dealer', whereby most of LAN House users are precluded from being digitally included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continued spread of digital technology and the digitalization of public services influence the human agency of individuals by requiring new ways and forms of action. In this article, we describe the digital inclusion and digital agency of people belonging to vulnerable groups, based on focus group interviews of rehabilitation professionals working with the target groups. The theory-driven content analysis of six focus groups consisting of a total of 26 interviewees is based on (Jyrkämä, 2008) [1] framework of modality-based agency. The results highlight that the digital agency of the clients belonging to the vulnerable groups is constructed in shared actions with the rehabilitation professionals. The rehabilitation setting creates an agentic space that enables the clients to act in the digital world. The study contributes to the discussion of the digital inclusion and exclusion of vulnerable groups. In a digitalizing society, the digital agency of the people belonging to vulnerable groups should be acknowledged and addressed in policy practices, as well as in designing and providing digital services. Particularly, given that agency has been mainly studied from a personal point of view, in this respect the current study adds a new dimension to the studies on agency. • The study examines digital agency and digital inclusion of people belonging to vulnerable groups. • The study highlights the importance of institutional practices, namely rehabilitation in promoting digital agency of people belonging to vulnerable groups. • Digital agency of vulnerable people should be acknowledged and addressed in policy practices and in designing and practicing digital services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Informed consent is essential for surgical procedures, and using electronic consent (e-consent) has many benefits, including improved patient understanding and digitally enabled care. Following e-consent implementation at Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow, UK, we aimed to compare staff and patient satisfaction scores for the first time. Methodology Voluntary feedback was obtained via online questionnaires for patient and staff users. Average satisfaction scores were calculated, and comments were analysed using grounded theory and thematic analysis. Results Eight hundred and fifty-three counts of patient feedback and 36 counts of staff feedback were received. An average rating of e-consent for patients was 4.5 out of 5 and for staff was 2.8 out of 5. Fifty-one percent of patient comments and 25% of staff comments were positive. The main themes identified were information for patients, digital concerns, user experience, and functionality. There were conflicting positive and negative views from both groups within these themes. Conclusions E-consent enables informed consent for procedures, with greater satisfaction amongst patients than staff. The main factor that was appreciated by patients and staff is the ability of e-consent to facilitate fully informed consent., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Fraser-Govil et al.)

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the relationship between digital exclusion, such as neither mobile payments nor WeChat use, and cognitive impairment in Chinese individuals aged 45 and older., Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study utilizing data from the fourth national survey of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). In the fourth wave of CHARLS, 10,325 participants aged 45 and older with complete information were included in this analysis. Self-reported mobile payments and WeChat usage constituted our exposure. Cognitive impairment was the primary outcome. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to assess the relationships between cognitive impairment risk and digital exclusion., Results: Data were analyzed from 10,325 participants [mean (SD) age, 60.3 (9.1) years; 44.8% women], including 1,232 individuals with cognitive impairment and 9,093 cognitively normal individuals. The overall proportion of users who did not use either mobile payment or WeChat and those who only used WeChat were 81.3 and 6.7%, for cognitively impaired individuals 95.0 and 3.1%, and for cognitively normal individuals 79.5 and 7.2% [neither WeChat nor mobile payments vs. control unadjusted odds ratio (OR), 8.16; P < 0.001; only WeChat use vs. control unadjusted OR, 2.91; P < 0.001]. Participants who did not use either WeChat or mobile payments had an elevated risk for cognitive impairment after adjusting for a number of covariates (neither WeChat nor mobile payments vs. control adjusted OR, 3.48; P < 0.001; only WeChat use vs. control adjusted OR, 1.86; P = 0.021)., Conclusion: Our study reveals a positive correlation between digital exclusion and cognitive impairment in Chinese adults, providing insights for promoting active digital integration among older adults. Further longitudinal research is needed to further validate this hypothesis., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Liu, Wang, Zhang, Pei and Li.)

Background: The rapidly increasing role of the internet in obtaining basic services poses challenges, especially for older adults' capabilities of getting the services they need. Research on the predictors of older adults' internet use and digital competence is especially relevant given that people are living longer than before, and the age profile of many societies is changing rapidly., Objective: We aimed to examine the associations of objective measures of physical and cognitive impairment with the nonuse of the internet for services and low digital competence among older adults., Methods: A longitudinal population-based design was used that combined data from performance tests and self-rated questionnaires. Data were gathered in 2017 and 2020 among 1426 older adults aged between 70 and 100 years in Finland. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations., Results: Those who had poor near (odds ratio [OR] 1.90, 95% CI 1.36-2.66) or distant vision (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.21-2.71), restricted or failed abduction of upper arms (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.28-2.85), and poor results from the word list memory (OR 3.77, 95% CI 2.65-5.36) or word list delayed recall (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.48-3.02) tests had greater odds for nonuse of the internet for services than their counterparts. Moreover, those who had poor near (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.57-3.02) or distant vision (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.43-3.19), poor results from the chair stand test (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.06-2.31), restricted or failed abduction of upper arms (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.10-2.76), and poor results from the word list memory (OR 3.41, 95% CI 2.32-5.03) or word list delayed recall (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.39-3.04) tests had greater odds of low digital competence than their counterparts., Conclusions: According to our results, older adults' impaired physical and cognitive functioning may hamper their possibilities of accessing internet services such as digital health care services. Our results should be considered when planning digital health care services intended to be used by older adults; that is, digital solutions should also be suitable for older adults with impairments. Furthermore, face-to-face services should be provided for those who cannot use digital services, even if they are assisted properly., (©Tarja Heponiemi, Emma Kainiemi, Lotta Virtanen, Petra Saukkonen, Päivi Sainio, Päivikki Koponen, Seppo Koskinen. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 05.05.2023.)

This article discusses the digital inequalities experienced by prisoners and the potential opportunities that providing ‘new’ media in prisons offer for offender rehabilitation and resettlement. Currently denied access to online and social media that most of us take for granted, and unable to communicate in ways that have become ‘ordinary’ in the wider community, it is argued that prisoners experience profound social isolation and constitute one of the most impoverished groups in the digital age. In prisons which provide selected prisoners some access to information and communication technologies, their high socio-cultural status and consequent construction as a ‘privilege’ frequently results in them being used in the exercise of ‘soft’ power by prison officer gatekeepers. Moreover, when prisoners come to the end of their sentences, they not only are faced with prejudice and poor job prospects due to their criminal record, but their digital exclusion during a period of incarceration may have compound effects and lead to long-term and deep social exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing evidence that some digitally excluded groups of learners are receiving more attention than others. Discussions regarding why some digitally excluded learners are more visible than others and therefore worthy of more committed digital inclusion interventions raises important questions about how we define and conceptualise digital inclusion and digital inclusion practice; particularly in relation to empowerment. In this article, we draw on a range of research, practice and policy literature to examine two important questions: what is empowerment and in whose hands does empowerment lie? We argue that empowerment involves making informed choices about technology use, but that learners often require support- human intervention- to make these choices. However, current digital inclusion research has failed to produce a detailed critique of what constitutes empowering support from educational institutions and their staff. A lack of open and reflexive accounts of practice means that we are no closer to identifying and understanding the kinds of empowering practices that are required to challenge the kinds of prejudices, stereotypes, risk-aversiveness and low aspirations associated with the most invisible of digitally excluded learners.