8:00 am - 9:00 am (AZ TIME/MST/GMT -07:00)

WATCH THE PLENARY ADDRESS (RECORDED PRESENTATION).

Plenary speaker: Dr. Samina Murad

Bridging the Digital Divide in the New Normal

Ever Since the COVID-19 crisis, pedagogy around the world has seen a complete overhaul in the transition from face-to-face to a virtual learning platform (Khatija, 2020; Teras et al., 2020). This transition has not been similar for the haves and have-nots (Ramij & Sultana, 2020). In this scenario, students of low-resource educational contexts, especially from developing or undeveloped countries, have been forced to suddenly adopt online learning environments. Although, online learning carries its long term fruits for the learners as it is a new skill in itself to learn to study virtually (Davison et al., 2017; Hardin et al., 2007); yet it has highlighted the issues of technology access and digital divide (Lloyd Morrisett, n.d.) more pungently. In this situation, inclusion and access is the key to empowerment (Graf, 2020).

Based on the post-pandemic research on the future of educational technologies in the developing world and the real life experience of the speaker, the talk will encompass the issues of technology access, empowerment through diminishing the digital divide, and the actual face of this new normal for those who have little to no access to technology. It will also briefly talk about two research projects that viewed technology access and acceptability among English language learners and teachers before and after the virtual transition due to the COVID-19. Both projects show the change in the perceptions of the participants and its possible implications for pedagogy, policymaking, and innovation design. There appears a need for a global change in treating this disruption (Davison, 2020) as an opportunity of implementing the goal of leaving no on behind and empowerment through technology for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) 2030.