Charles Moran: "Access: The A-Word in Technology Studies"
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| "The study of technology needs to be grounded in the material as well as in the pedagogical, cultural, and the cognitive if it is to be intellectually and ethically responsible." (206) |
Moran’s article argues that the much-neglected topic of access is linked to our own inability to equate technology to wealth, status, gender, and class. In other words, technology is not a neutral benefactor invented to cure all of humanity’s ills—lack of social privileges can limit technological options. Although issues of gender and pedagogy are discussed and researched, Moran calls for the interwoven nature of these topics “to be addressed in the context of the relationship between wealth/class and access to technology” (206). Instead of ignoring problems in access or pretending they don’t exist, we need to be hyper aware of those who are able to get online as well as those who are not.
By drawing on works that view technology as beneficial as well as ones that see technology as causing detrimental changes, Moran seeks to find any work that addresses issues of access and the increasing “digital divide.” He finds very few that deal specifically with this topic, making him acutely aware of the pervading silence. The few voices discussing lack of access, most notably Gomez, LeBlanc, and Barton, accept the inevitability of the wealth/technology gap, offering ways for teachers/students to work within the existing conditions, despite their inequity.
Instead of accepting the status quo, Moran seeks a practical change in conditions. Most notably, he argues for the use and study of low-end, less expensive technology in the classroom. By asking if all the bells and whistles truly make a difference in learning, Moran wonders about the underlying assumptions behind our push for the most technologically fast and up-to-date computers, questioning why we really need new computers every two to four years. Related to this is his call for studying the effects on students and teachers who must learn and teach in situations with less than ideal or up-to-date technology. Included in this group are graduate assistants and adjunct faculty who because of income may not be able to afford the latest technology and students who cannot afford a computer of their own and must creatively find a way to use one.
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