Process Post 4 – Free Inquiry Project

What I Did This Week

This week, I focused on understanding the bigger systems that shape digital equity, rather than only looking at student-level experiences. I revisited two reliable and openly available sources: the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report (2023) and Catherine Middleton’s Digital Infrastructure for the Post-Pandemic World (2021). My goal was to connect what I already know about student access and skills with the structural issues that influence how students participate in online learning.

What I Learned

One thing that stood out clearly is that digital equity does not begin in the classroom. It begins with larger structures—like broadband infrastructure, affordability, and how digital tools are designed.

The UNESCO report helped me understand why technology in education often benefits students who already have stable conditions at home. It points out that many digital systems assume strong internet, personal devices, and a quiet study environment. Students who live in crowded homes, or who have unstable connectivity, fall behind even if they are motivated to learn. This helped me see that “access” is more than just owning a device—it’s about whether a student’s daily life supports the use of that device for learning.

Middleton’s work added a clear Canadian perspective. She explains that broadband access across Canada is uneven and shaped by geography and market conditions. Many rural, northern, and low-income communities still lack affordable high-speed internet. This means that even when students have devices or school support, their ability to stay connected depends heavily on the infrastructure around them. I realized that digital equity is partly a structural problem—it is shaped by national investment, local infrastructure gaps, and the decisions made by internet providers.

Together, these sources showed me that student experiences are deeply connected to broader systems. Online learning challenges do not appear out of nowhere—they are shaped by the network a student relies on, the cost of staying connected, and how digital platforms are designed.

How My Thinking Shifted This Week

At the start of my inquiry, I thought mostly about digital equity in terms of students’ personal circumstances: access to laptops, digital skills, and home environments. Now I understand that these are only part of the picture. Structural issues—like internet affordability, regional infrastructure gaps, and the design of educational technologies—play just as important a role. This made my topic feel more complete. Instead of thinking about “student barriers,” I now think about “systems and environments that create barriers.”

Having this broader view helps me see why digital inequality persists, even when schools try to help. It also makes my upcoming research paper more balanced, because it combines student-level challenges with the larger social and technical systems that shape their experiences.

Next Steps

My next step is to start building the structure of my academic-style paper. I will continue looking for openly available, peer-reviewed research that connects student experiences to broader digital policies or infrastructure challenges. I also want to look for Canadian examples that show how improvements in connectivity or community programs have affected students’ online learning. This will help me link the broader ideas from UNESCO and Middleton to real outcomes for learners.

References

Middleton, C. A. (2021). Digital infrastructure for the post-pandemic world. Future Skills Centre. https://fsc-ccf.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Digital-Infrastructure-For-The-Postpandemic-World-May2021-EN-1.pdf

UNESCO. (2023). Global Education Monitoring Report 2023: Technology in education — A tool on whose terms? https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000385723