Conclusion

Covid-19 exacerbated an already existing disparity between availability and access to technology. China and the US are two very different countries, with different governments and different resources for dealing with Covid. They also had different availability to educational technology before Covid complicated the situation. The United States is 9th in GDP according to the World Bank. The Unites States Federal Government made decisions during COVID that were often times changed or ignored by individual States. This made dealing with COVID more difficult because there could not be one uniform plan for dealing with providing access to broadband internet, hardware and software the pandemic made necessary. China, on the other hand, is 81st in GDP according to the World Bank, but is the world’s most populous country. This means China is trying to get technology to 4 times as many people as the United States on 1/6th of the financial resources.  Both countries had to deal with getting their students who were now learning remotely, usually from home, access to internet capable devices and an internet connection. Factor in some of the complications families had with connecting unfamiliar hardware with new software, and a lack of IT support, and there were a lot of students missing class time. In China, TV stations provided “Classrooms on Air” via satellite where cell reception could not reach. With a bad combination of physical distance for some families from the nearest internet or cell connection, a lack of money for those families to pay for these resources even if they are available, and teachers responsible for large areas, 2 out of 10 rural students had no interaction with their teachers. (Li et al., 2020). US families, on the other hand had more resources in their neighborhoods but lacked money to purchase hardware, software or internet access. These families often resorted to public wifi for their children, but even that was an imperfect plan. Less places were open for seating due to COVID, and it meant the student was away from home most of the day. Younger children did not have that option to be left unsupervised for 8 hours a day. Teachers lack of preparedness was an issue for both countries. Teachers were used to teaching in-person with the student in the class. At home, the students were often distracted by other things in the house or on their phone. The style of presentation was also different and took some adjusting. Some teachers would teach a lesson, then set aside time to work individually with the students who needed help or had questions. Despite online learning being used at the college level for over two decades, online education for K-12 was for most teachers and students, a completely new experience. Technology inequity is a two-fold problem. The first problem is access to the resources in the first place. The second problem is being able to afford these resources. The steps to providing equitable access to educational resources, both online and offline, is a four step process. 1. Develop a Systematic Technology Plan. 2. Liaise schools with local libraries. 3. Implement and Invest in Digital Tools that are Easily Accessible Offline to Promote Inclusiveness 4. Prioritize equity in Learning Initiatives.