Lesson video

Hello.

My name is Mrs. Holbrough and welcome to Computing.

I'm so pleased that you've decided to join me for the lesson today.

In today's lesson, you'll be exploring digital inclusion.

What do we mean by the digital divide and how can we make sure that everybody has equal access to technology?

Welcome to today's lesson from the unit, School Blog, Digital Inclusion.

This lesson is called What Is Digital Inclusion?

And by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to identify factors that affect access to the digital world.

Shall we make a start?

We will be exploring these keywords throughout today's lesson.

Let's take a look at them together now.

Inclusion, inclusion, ensuring everyone can take part.

Digital divide, digital divide.

The difference between those who have access to digital devices and tools and those who do not.

Connectivity, connectivity.

Being able to connect to a network, especially the internet.

Look out for these keywords throughout today's lesson.

Today's lesson is broken down into two parts.

We'll start by defining digital inclusion and digital exclusion.

And then we'll move on to identify factors that affect access.

Let's make a start by looking at defining digital inclusion and digital exclusion.

Digital inclusion means ensuring a quality of access to digital tools.

A digital tool may be a device or it may be a software application.

Digital exclusion happens when people cannot fully participate in the digital world.

The difference between those who have access to digital devices and those who do not is often called the digital divide.

Okay, let's do a quick check of your understanding.

Which of the following best describes digital inclusion?

Is it A, only allowing a certain group of people to access the internet?

B, spending too much time online.

Or C, making sure everyone has access to technology, the internet, and the skills to use them.

Pause the video whilst you think about your answer.

Did you select C?

Well done.

Making sure everyone has access to technology, the internet, and the skills to use them is the best description of digital inclusion.

Laura says, "So does digital inclusion mean ensuring everyone has access to the internet?

" That's partially correct, Laura.

The internet is one factor that can affect digital inclusion, but there are others too.

Let's have a look at them over the next few slides.

Digital inclusion means ensuring that everyone has equal access to digital devices.

So for example, a computer, a tablet or a smartphone, something they can use to get online.

Reliable internet connectivity.

This could be broadband at home or it could be a mobile internet connection.

And also, the skills needed to use the technology.

Alex says, "I don't have access to the internet at home.

" What would it be difficult for Alex to do if he doesn't have the internet at home?

Maybe pause the video whilst you have a think.

Without access to the internet at home, Alex may find it difficult to complete homework, especially if the homework requires research or the use of an online learning platform or app.

Alex may also find it difficult to speak to friends or socialize, especially if his friends communicate using instant messaging or online games.

Were there other things that you thought of that Alex may find difficult if he didn't have access to the internet at home?

I'm sure you did, well done.

Why does digital inclusion matter?

We live in a world where many essential services are online.

These include education and homework platforms, banking and shopping.

So for example, many users now need to have a banking app to be able to transfer money or make payments, healthcare advice and appointments.

Quite often now, you can be seen quicker by a GP if you have access to an online app and can do a video call.

Not having access to devices or the internet can make it difficult to apply for jobs or places on college or university courses.

This can prevent individuals from having the equal access to opportunities.

Okay, time to check your understanding.

Have a true or false question for you now.

Having internet access is not very important for participating fully in society.

Is this statement true or false?

Pause the video whilst you have a think.

Did you say false?

Well done.

Many essential services such as education, healthcare appointments, job applications and banking are now done online, so that is important for people to have internet access to participate fully in society.

Okay, we're moving on to our first task of today's lesson, and you've done a fantastic job so far, so well done.

For task A, I would like you, in your own words, to define the terms digital inclusion and digital exclusion.

Pause the video whilst you have a go at the task.

Okay, for part two of task A, I'd like you to read the scenarios below.

For each one, identify if it's an example of digital inclusion or digital exclusion.

So the first one is, a local library offers free wifi and computer access.

The second one, a student cannot complete their homework on time because they share one device with their siblings.

The third, a family cannot access the internet because they live in a rural area.

And the last one, a local charity offers internet banking classes for over 60s.

Pause the video whilst you have a go at completing the table.

Okay, how did you get on?

I'm sure you did a fantastic job, so well done.

Let's have a look at some sample answers together.

So for part one, you were asked in your own words to define the terms digital inclusion and digital exclusion.

Here's a sample answer.

Digital inclusion means making sure everyone can use technology and the internet.

It's about having devices like laptops and phones, having wifi, and knowing how to use them properly.

It also means getting help if they're stuck.

Digital exclusion is when someone can't use technology properly because they don't have a device, don't have internet, or don't know how to use it.

This can make it harder for them to do things like homework, apply for jobs, or talk to people online.

Did you have some similar ideas in your answer?

Remember, you can always pause the video and make any corrections if you need to.

For part two, you were asked to read the scenarios and identify if it was an example of digital inclusion or digital exclusion.

The first one, a local library offers free wifi and computer access.

This is an example of digital inclusion because it's gonna help more people to get online.

The second one, a student cannot complete their homework on time because they share one device with their siblings.

This is an example of digital exclusion.

A family cannot access the internet because they live in a rural area.

This is also digital exclusion.

And then the final one, a local charity offers internet banking classes for the over 60s.

This is an example of digital inclusion that's going to support more people to use online tools.

Did you get those correct?

Well done.

Okay, we're now moving on to the second part of today's lesson where we're going to identify factors that affect access.

What factors do you think affect access to digital tools and devices?

Maybe pause the video whilst you make some notes.

How did you get on?

Did you manage to think of some factors?

Let's have a look at some examples we've got on the slides.

So, knowledge and skills.

If you don't know how to use a device, you're going to find it very difficult to access that device and any digital tools that are stored on it.

Confidence, some people are not confident using digital tools and devices, and this may prevent them from using them.

Age, some older people who haven't grown up with some elements of technology may find it more difficult to use digital tools and devices.

Younger people may also need support.

Location, if you are based in certain areas which have limited access, you might find it more difficult to access digital tools.

And then lastly, affordability.

Digital tools and devices are expensive, and this means that they can be unaffordable for some people.

Let's now have a look at each of these in a bit more detail.

Affordability, devices are expensive.

Broadband and mobile data cost money.

Not all families can afford devices or access to the internet.

Some families have to prioritize essentials such as food, rent, or childcare over internet access.

Some families share devices, so they will only have a limited amount of time because they have to share the device between them.

Let's look at Laura, for example.

Laura says, "During the COVID-19 pandemic, I had to share a smartphone with my four siblings.

So we only had an hour each to complete our work online.

" In 2021, 6% of households did not have access to the internet at home.

This equates to around 1.

7 million households.

Location, rural areas can suffer with poor broadband infrastructure.

This means some areas may have slow or unreliable internet connectivity.

Okay, let's check your understanding.

Why might people living in rural areas experience digital exclusion?

Is it A, rural areas often have slower and less reliable internet connectivity?

B, all rural areas have high speed wifi.

Or C, people in rural areas do not need the internet.

Pause the video whilst you think about your answer.

Did you select A?

Well done.

People living in rural areas may experience digital exclusion because rural areas often have slower or less reliable internet connectivity.

Age, older adults can sometimes feel less confident using technology, as they will have not grown up using it in their daily lives.

Young children will depend on adults for access and support when using digital devices.

Knowledge and skills, some people have not had the opportunity to learn digital skills.

Without training and education, people may struggle to use digital devices or to complete online tasks.

Around 2.

4 million adults are unable to complete a single basic task to get online.

An example of this would be something like connecting to the Wi-Fi network or updating a password.

Confidence, some people lack confidence going online or using digital tools.

The threat of cyber attacks or misuse of information can deter people from participating in the digital world.

In 2025, over a third of UK adults reported feeling less confident going online since the rise of artificial intelligence or AI tools, such as ChatGPT and Gemini.

Okay, a check for understanding now, I've got a fill in the gaps activity for you.

Fill in the gaps in the sentence using the words provided.

So the sentence reads, "A number of factors can affect access to digital tools and devices.

Not all families can, blank, devices or access to the internet.

Some people live in rural, blank, which may suffer from limited internet connectivity.

Some people lack the digital, blank, and confidence to participate in the digital world.

" And the words provided to fill in the gaps are locations, afford and skills.

Pause the video whilst you have a go at filling in the gaps.

Okay, how did you get on?

Did you manage to fill in the gaps correctly?

Well done.

Let's read through the answer together.

A number of factors can affect access to digital tools and devices.

Not all families can afford devices or access to the internet.

Some people live in rural locations, which may suffer from limited internet connectivity.

Some people lack the digital skills and confidence to participate in the digital world.

Did you get all of those correct?

Well done.

Okay, we're now moving on to the final task of today's lesson, Task B, and you've done a fantastic job so far, so well done.

I'd like you to list three factors that might stop someone from accessing digital technology.

Explain how each factor creates a barrier.

Pause the video whilst you have a go at the task.

How did you get on?

Did you manage to identify some factors that affect access to the digital world?

Well done.

Let's have a look at a sample answer together.

So the first factor is money.

Technology can be expensive.

If someone can't afford a device or connectivity to the internet, they won't be able to go online at home.

This makes it harder to do homework, apply for jobs, or use online services.

Two, location.

Some people live in rural areas where internet connectivity is slow or doesn't work properly.

Even if they have a device, a bad signal can stop them from joining video calls or using websites properly.

Three, lack of digital skills.

If someone doesn't know how to use technology, they might feel confused or worried about doing something wrong.

This can stop them from using online banking, filling in forms, or even sending emails.

Remember, this is just a sample answer, so you might have identified some different factors in your answer, and that's absolutely fine.

Okay, we've come to the end of today's lesson, and you've done a fantastic job, so well done.

Let's summarize what we've learned in this lesson.

What is digital inclusion?

Digital inclusion means ensuring a quality of access to digital tools.

Digital exclusion happens when people cannot fully participate in the digital world.

The digital divide describes the gap between those who have access to technology and those who do not.

Access to devices, internet connectivity, affordability, location, and digital skills can all affect digital inclusion.

I hope you've enjoyed today's lesson, and I hope you'll join me again soon, bye.