Increasing Broadband Internet Penetration
In the OIC Member Countries
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the one-to-one relationship between the young tutor and the trainee (a concept called
“intergenerational learning”) improves the learning experience,
• Focus on teaching material that is immediately transferable and applicable to the
senior everyday life.
As Hilding-Hamann et al. (2009) concluded in their extensive review of digital literacy
programs, a large portion of these programs are targeted to the unemployed, with the
objective of increasing their employability. In this context, these programs tend to provide a
certification to provide a proof of skill. On the other hand, digital literacy programs focused on
adults with a low education level represent an opportunity to provide a second chance
instruction, thereby enhancing their personal development. Some of the best practices
captured in the assessment of adult digital literacy programs include the following:• Consider delivering courses in mobile settings (e.g. trucks equipped with computers,
servers, and mobile broadband) to make it easier for people to participate in different
geographies, thus enlarging the reach of the program; the mobile unit and instructors
can arrive in one town, install the equipment in a library, a city hall or any community
center, offer the five day courses, and then move on to the next location,
• Allow participants to borrow equipment and take it home to continue practicing after
the training sessions (although this could face some logistical difficulties),
• The formal course should last approximately five days and be delivered to groups not
larger than 12 individuals, so each of them gets proper attention,
• After completion of the formal course, users can enroll in a web-based program; and
• Waive enrollment fee for unemployed adults, but consider charging for others.
Given the modern day economic shift away from low-skilled manufacturing jobs to high-skilled
services jobs, lack of workplace opportunity is particularly heightened as a result of the digital
divide. Additionally, economic, educational, and geographic disparities tend to impact ICT
exposure, further exacerbating this cycle. Thus, successful digital literacy programs many
times target the disadvantaged groups that are less likely to have prior knowledge of
computers or the Internet and face more hurdles as a result (the unemployed, older citizens,
welfare recipients, and rural population).
Training can be provided in a variety of ways, so long as it is offered in an easily accessible,
affordable manner to encourage participation. Many training sessions, for example, are offered
at local community access centers or schools, where citizens already feel comfortable, while
others are offered online. Sessions can cover a variety of topics, but tend to focus on the
development of ICT skills with “real world” application, including, but not limited to e-mail,
internet inquiry, job search, and CV creation. Many programs also offer certification options,
providing participants with tangible evidence of their acquired skillset. Further, as training
programs become more popular, they create more economic opportunity through the demand
for citizens to serve as trainers or project managers.
Digital divide based on gender differences has been studied in the emerging world with a
varying set of evidence about its level of importance. Most of the digital literacy programs
targeted to women have as primary objectives, reduce the digital divide, promote social