Publication details
Život a vzdělávání dospělých v éře informačních a komunikačních technologií
| Title in English | ICT and lives of present-day adults in the age of information and communication technologies |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2008 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | The chapter focuses on information and communication technologies (ICT) in lives of adult people, dealing specifically with the digital divide as a relatively new issue associated with the process of integration of ICT into the life of the society. The text itself is structured into several parts. In the first one, the author deals with the theoretical concepts of information society and knowledge society, his aim being to identify the most important aspects of social change associated with ICT integration by the society. The next part deals with socio-economic and educational aspects of ICT use in adult lives. The issue of the digital divide is discussed in the following part, where the author analyzes data from a representative questionnaire survey on a sample of adult population in the Czech Republic. Two groups of computer users were identified within the sample: they are referred to as "computer-proficient" and "computer unproficient". The following parts of the paper analyze both groups in terms of responders individual and socio-economic characteristics, the goal being identification of important factors determining the digital divide among these groups of adults. Some determining factors have proved as of major importance (age, place of residence, achieved level of education, level of ICT skills, economic status) while other seem to be less important (gender). The results are also compared with findings of several published research projects. In the final part of the chapter, the author deals with the relation of "computer-proficient" and "computer unproficient" people to non-formal education at two levels, at the level of completed non-formal education and the level of future non-formal education. The author seeks to identify whether there are differences between the two groups as to achieved level of education or intention to participate in this kind of education. The findings suggest that the digital divide between the two groups is likely to widen. It can be concluded that not only achieved level of formal education, but also participation in non-formal education may become a factor determining the digital divide in the Czech Republic. |
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