Digital Literacy Disparities and Educational Equity in Post-Pandemic Remote Learning Environments

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly interfered with the classical educational systems, increasing the pace at which remote learning was adopted. Nevertheless, this change has illuminated the continuing differences in digital literacy levels between students, especially in low-resource contexts. Digital literacy is currently considered to be the prerequisite of participation in contemporary education, but its distribution is uneven, and the issue of educational equity is of concern. This paper examines the online learning digital gap challenges in post-pandemic learning and how this gap affects student academic engagement and outcomes. The mixed-method approach was used, and 500 students in urban and rural areas were involved in the implementation of this study, and they were assessed using surveys, interviews, and secondary data analysis. The statistical tests (chi-square test and regression analysis) indicated that 68 % of students residing in rural regions had poor access to the required devices and internet connectivity, as opposed to 25 % of those living in urban regions (0.01 = 145.23). The additional regression analysis revealed that academic performance in the rural areas was explained by digital literacy by 35 %, compared to 12 % in the cities (R2 = 0.35, p < 0.05). The paper also found the importance of digital competencies of teachers and institutional support as being critical in alleviating these disparities. The findings highlight that it is necessary to implement specific interventions to close the digital divide, including the policy changes that would enable people to gain equal access to digital resources and the integration of digital literacy education into the curricula. The paper ends with the message on the need to foster inclusive online learning that will allow every student, irrespective of their socio-economic background, to be able to engage fully in the learning world of tomorrow. Digital literacy inequity is a critical issue in achieving academic achievements, but also social mobility in the moving digital world.