(In)Equitable Access
A comprehensive examination of the equity of access balances concerns for access and implementation with the possible benefits. In the classroom, teachers should consider how equitably students will have access to the selected technology. If the technology requires Internet access or specialized hardware, which students would be disadvantaged or unable to work at home?
On a broader scale, Warshauer (2012) has raised concerns about the uses of technology for different populations of students, arguing that "simply passing out laptops can exacerbate inequality rather than reduce it" (p. 132). Equity then must include the ways students are taught and encouraged to engage with technology, not just access to the hardware.
While Clark (1983) is reluctant to view technology itself as capable of transforming learning, he does acknowledge that "certain elements of different media...might serve as sufficient conditions to facilitate the learning of students who lack the skill being modeled" (p. 453). Meyer, Rose, and Gordon's (2014) Universal Design for Learning framework echoes the potential for technology to provide diverse students with "multiple means of engagement," "representation," and "action and expression" (p. 59). Technology, including multi-media enhanced ebooks may provide students with disabilities access to the curriculum and simultaneously improve the outcomes for all students.