Abstract

This chapter will begin by looking at popular notions of a digital divide and the most current data on hardware and Internet access and use at home and in school. After looking at the current data, we discuss how the idea of a digital divide has evolved to conceptions of social inclusion, identify tensions and conflicting viewpoints surrounding the notion of a digital divide, and outline related current and emerging theories. Implications for educational practice are organized around a brief outline of related national policy initiatives and an exploration of practical implementation issues such as workability, complexity, and performativity. Finally, we conclude with some recommendations for education researchers and thoughts on the future of the digital divide.