As we all know, there is no absolutely equity, especially in education environment, there never was and possibly never will be. However, gradually, online education environment is getting better and better in many ways.

 

Accessibility Equity

When we discuss about accessibility equity, we have to consider the situation that not every learner or family is able to access to digital devices. If those devices are required for education, how to guarantee the equity of education.” As major shifts unfold, education the world over faces considerable change, but many of the problems that have long blighted education systems stubbornly persist. Schools around the world continue to face deficiencies in resourcing, significant inequalities of educational opportunity, alongside poor-quality teaching, curriculum and school organisation. These are all issues that pre-date the first ‘computers in the classroom’ and the subsequent forays into ‘digital education’. Indeed, the simple goal of securing access to basic primary education for all children looks unlikely to be realised by 2030 (if ever at all). Such fundamental problems have haunted education for centuries and are likely to remain long beyond 2030 even though many of the ways education is organised may change. All told, these are worryingly familiar and unfamiliar times for everyone in education.” (Selwyn et al. 2019. p. 1).

 

Possible Solution

“To date, policy makers have tried to ‘fix’ these problems by focusing on improving technology access in schools and homes, and/or supporting the development of digital skills. These responses are problematic for two fundamental reasons. Firstly, they encourage a focus that problematises individuals and makes them responsible for their position in society, thus ignoring inequalities in wider social structures. Secondly, these responses treat technology as an inherently ‘good thing’ that merely offers educational opportunities, thus ignoring the complex socio-cultural aspects of technology and the strong neo-liberal ideology that drives much of what is developed for education. As the 2020s progress, there is a significant risk of offering more of the same. Initiatives that focus on access and skills are likely to remain an ‘easy’ way for policy makers to signal that they are ‘dealing with’ inequality. Instead, the 2020s need to be a decade when researchers spearhead a change of approach. It is time to better theorise the links between developments in technology, inequality and education, while also striving to actively design technologies that facilitate more equitable futures for all.” (Selwyn et al. 2019. p. 2). One possible mode could be commercial manner like mobile cinema, it can’t be implemented by individuals, it has to be a wider range manner that can cover the most of learners. Back to 2000, it is mostly likely a Learning Objects trend. “E-learning was accompanied by new approaches, often derived from computer science. One of these was learning objects. The concept can be seen as arising from programming: object-oriented programming had demonstrated the benefits of reusable, clearly defined pieces of functional code that could be implemented across multiple programs.” (Weller,M., 2018)

 

 

Reference

Selwyn, N., Hillman, T., Eynon, R., Ferreira, G., Knox, J., Macgilchrist, F., & Sancho-Gil, J. M. (2019). What’s next for Ed-Tech? Critical hopes and concerns for the 2020s. Learning, Media and Technology, 1–6. https://edtechuvic.ca/edci339/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/03/What-s-next-for-Ed-Tech-Critical-hopes-and-concerns-for-the-2020s.pdf

Weller, M. (2018, August). Twenty Years of Edtech. EDUCAUSE Review, 53(4). Retrieved from https://er.educause.edu/articles/2018/7/twenty-years-of-edtech