Exploring the impact of digital and data poverty on black, Asian and minority ethnic learners

Jisc’s shaping the digital future of FE and skills programme last year reinforced digital and data poverty as a pressing concern for the sector requiring further understanding and action. The COVID-19 pandemic has widened the digital and social divide, and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities have been disproportionately impacted by the virus, hence the focus of this research.

This is a complex social issue; we have only been able to ‘scratch the surface’ and large-scale empirical data linking digital poverty with learning experience/ outcomes of different demographic groups is lacking. An early analysis of data from Jisc’s FE learner digital experience insights survey 2021 is helping to bridge this gap, however.  

The purpose of the deep dive is to understand better:

• The impact of digital and data poverty on black, Asian and minority ethnic learners’ educational experience and outcomes
• The extent to which black, Asian and minority ethnic learners are disproportionally affected
• What steps can be taken to address digital and data poverty