Student Technology Access in an Urban STEM High School: The Missing Variable

Abstract: This paper is co-authored by Brian L. Sersion, Cincinnati Public Schools and Douglas M. Stevens, University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Public Schools and is part of the conference proceedings for the ASQ 2012 Advancing the STEM Agenda Conference.

This case study focuses on school technology access for low-income students enrolled in Hughes STEM High School, a large urban science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) secondary school. In order to meet the high expectations of the STEM curriculum, students need access to information and communication technology (ICT) outside of school, especially at home. Our objective is to develop a better understanding of the expectations that schools have for students regarding the use of technology, the level of access students have outside of school, and whether students feel they have adequate access to and training in the appropriate technologies to meet the expectations of their teachers and school. Teachers, staff, and school administrators need to be aware of the technology access limitations of their students to complete work. Our findings describe the technology access gap (TAG), a missing variable in educational technology research, and highlight results from an innovative student technology survey and school administrator interview.

Keywords: STEM - Conference Proceedings