Closing the digital divide: using digital technologies for incarcerated students

Higher education institutions are increasingly relying on digital technologies that require internet access to support learning and teaching, particularly from a distance. Disadvantaged student groups that are financially unable to afford technology and broadband access or are prohibited from accessing the internet, such as incarcerated students, are often excluded as a result. This paper describes four projects that attempt to overcome these difficulties by using eBook readers and tablet computers, but also by developing and trialling a sustainable and innovative learning management system (LMS) called Stand-Alone Moodle (SAM), that is able to operate without internet access for use by incarcerated students. These technologies enable institutions to provide these students with similar course materials, activities and support available to traditional students, thereby improving the quality of the student learning experience. These technologies were trialled within select Queensland correctional centres and evaluated using a design-based research methodology. The findings and recommendations from the project are being disseminated to learning institutions and correctional centres across Australia to encourage equitable access to education for disadvantaged students.