Report: US announces 2024 National Educational Technology Plan to address digital divide

The U.S. Department of Education has unveiled the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan, titled “A Call to Action for Closing the Digital Access, Design, and Use Divides.” This initiative, rooted in the Educate America Act of 2000, has undergone several updates since its inception, with the most recent prior revision in 2016.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona highlighted the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to bridging the digital divide through substantial investments, as part of their wider educational strategy. The 2024 NETP is set to revolutionize educational technology, aiming to narrow achievement gaps and bolster student learning. Central to this plan is the empowerment of educators, enabling them to create dynamic learning environments through effective technology use.

The 2024 NETP departs from its predecessors by identifying and addressing three critical divides:

1. The Digital Use Divide: the 2017 National Educational Technology Plan highlights a significant divide in student experiences with technology. While some students engage actively and creatively with technology, utilizing it for critical media analysis, video and podcast creation, and global sharing, others, particularly from marginalized backgrounds, are restricted to passive uses like digital worksheets and locked-down devices.
   This gap not only limits their creative and critical skills but also reinforces their role as passive technology users, often missing out on modern educational practices. Addressing this divide requires a comprehensive approach, including a clear vision for all graduates, along with strategic guidance and recommendations for states and districts to ensure every student benefits from transformative and critically engaging technological experiences in their education.To bridge this gap, a clear vision and reimagined support systems are essential, with teachers actively participating in designing their professional learning. The following guidance and recommendations outline strategies to support teachers overwhelmed by time constraints and unclear technological expectations. In environments where teachers can access thousands of digital tools, basic training is inadequate. Overcoming the design divide means empowering teachers to create diverse and effective learning experiences using a broad spectrum of digital resources.
2. The Digital Design Divide: the concept of the digital design divide, a new aspect intersecting school culture, professional development, and educational technology. This divide separates systems that provide adequate support and time for educators to enhance their digital skills from those that don’t. Unlike the digital use and access divides, socio-economic status does not predict a school’s position in the design divide. Inconsistent support and vision lead to varied effectiveness in integrating technology in education, even among adjacent classrooms or schools. Equitable, active student engagement through technology requires teachers to have the necessary time, support, and skills.
3. The Digital Access Divide: to achieve the comprehensive, active learning experiences discussed above, a critical focus for states and districts is bridging the digital access divide. Traditionally, this divide is about ensuring equitable access to high-speed internet, quality hardware, and digital resources. Moreover, factors like digital health, safety, and responsible citizenship are vital in addressing this divide.

   Image Source: The Digital Access Divide

   Significant progress has been made since the 2017 NETP, but challenges like geographical obstacles and local skill capacity still demand urgent attention at all levels to fulfill the objectives of digital design and usage. This section provides recommendations and showcases examples of learning environments that have been successfully (re)designed to facilitate continuous, ubiquitous learning opportunities for all students.

   Linking these divides to the instructional core—students, teachers, and content—the NETP outlines how schools, districts, and states can leverage educational technology to improve access to educational opportunities and outcomes. It provides practical recommendations and showcases examples from across the United States, including all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and various Territories, for overcoming disparities in educational technology.

   Complementing the NETP, the Department also plans to release guidance to deepen understanding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act’s stipulations regarding assistive technology for children with disabilities. Additionally, a collection of federal resources aimed at supporting students’ digital health, safety, and citizenship will be released, reinforcing the Department’s holistic approach to digital integration in education.

   This strategic plan symbolizes a significant step forward in harnessing technology to reshape the educational landscape, focusing on inclusivity, innovation, and improvement in student learning outcomes.