3.1.1 Access to the Digital Community

Obviously the state of Georgia often gets lumped into two categories; Atlanta and the rest of Georgia. Unfortunately this means many students are often over looked. As a state we have a vast student population setting ranging from suburban, urban, and rural. Not all school systems are created equal and have the same opportunities for students. The same goes for internet access or even cell access. As you travel throughout the state you will see a vast difference in internet availability and speed.
 
As a mode of education for young adults we must realize they might not always have internet in the traditional sense such as a computer. According to the Pew Research Internet Project over 85% of young adults access the internet via wireless devices. I think it is an important question to ask ourselves about the format of our classes. Are they tablet and smart device friendly? Is cell service a better source of internet options for students than the traditional computer broadband concepts?

As a previous virtual school educator I can think of numerous barriers to students and online course access. Here are a few:
1. School knowledge, promotion, and acceptance of students taking online courses.
2. Internet availability (high speed internet needed for synchronous interactive learning)
3. The format of our courses. Are they tablet/smart device friendly?
4. Home computer accessibility. Does the student have access to the resources at home, a library, or school?

There are a lot of ways to overcome these issues. The biggest is to provide students and teachers the education about our courses and what it means to them. The word must get out there that online options for course students are readily interested in are available. The courses need to be delivered in a platform to meet all settings of students.