Process Post 1 — My Inquiry Proposal

Topic: Equity & Access in Online Education: How do socioeconomic factors shape digital learning experiences?
Format: Research Paper

Why I Chose This Topic

When I first thought about what to learn for this project, I kept thinking about how not everyone gets the same chance to learn online. During COVID-19, I saw students struggle because they didn’t have good internet, a working laptop, or even a quiet place to study. It made me wonder how much a person’s background or income changes their online learning experience. Education is supposed to be for everyone, but that’s not always the case when learning depends on technology. I want to understand what causes these differences and what can be done to make online education more fair for all students.

What I Want to Learn

With this project, I want to:

• Find out what researchers say about equity and access in online learning.
• Learn how money, internet quality, and home environment affect students.
• Look at what schools and governments are doing to fix these problems.
• Think about what “open learning” really means if not everyone can join equally.

How I’ll Work on This

I’ll start by reading articles, studies, and reports from Canada and around the world. I’ll also check what organizations like UNESCO are saying about the digital divide. Each week, I’ll post updates here on my blog – what I found, what I think about it, and any new questions I have. I’ll try to include links, short notes, and maybe some visuals to show my progress.

My Thoughts So Far

I feel excited about this topic because it connects technology, education, and fairness – all things that matter to me. I know it’s a big topic, but I’ll take it one step at a time and narrow my focus as I learn more. By the end of this inquiry, I hope to better understand how we can make online learning truly equal for everyone, no matter where they come from or what they have access to.