Results of data from a 2003 national computer-assisted telephone interview random sample survey (n= 478 completed surveys were returned) are reported. Adult respondents living in Colorado, Iowa, and Pennsylvania were eligible for participation. Of respondents 55 and older, 49% had a home computer, 46% used e-mail, and 43% used the Internet. For seniors 75 and older, 19% had a home computer, 15% used e-mail, and 19% used the Internet. A fully saturated structural equation model with observed variables was estimated. Our survey results leave little doubt that demographics (age, education), attitudes toward the role of technology (IT advantages, computer apathy), and behavior (use of technology in daily life) play a role in determining patterns of electronic citizenship. Most (74%) of the negative total effect of age on e-politics was indirect, as was nearly half (47%) of the effect of education on e-politics. Since attitudes toward technology are formative barriers to digital citizenship, service-learning may be a key ingredient in challenging technological attitudes and increasing electoral participation of marginalized groups.

Digital disparity exists among those who differ in socioeconomic status, educational background, gender, race, and age. As part of a digital citizenship course, students in a private Midwestern university participated in a semester service-learning lab tutoring senior citizens about Information Technology (IT). Students studied the ethics of volunteerism and the impact of digital citizenship. In a two-year study of student reflections (N = 67), data were analyzed with ATLAS-ti for Search Institute Internal Assets[c]. Findings reveal commitment to IT instruction, value of human interaction, new understanding of reciprocation, and the significance of an intrinsic motivation for volunteerism. Introduction Digital disparity exists in access to and use of computer technology among populations who differ in socioeconomic status, educational background, gender, minority status, and age (Wilson, Wallin, & Reiser, 2003). Access to home computers is dependent on income and education with increased use among males (Beisser, 1999; NTIA, 2002, 2000; UCLA, 2000; Roblyer, 2000; Wilhelm, 2000). Educational level increases desire for technological skills (Shelley et al., forthcoming; Shelley et al., under review). Seventy-five percent of individuals with a college degree have a home computer, compared to only thirteen percent of those with a high school education or the equivalent. In addition, race, age, language, and disabilities are significant predictors of technological access and familiarity, even when the influence of socioeconomic status is accounted for (Cooper, 2000; Goslee, 1998; Novak & Hoffman, 1998). Computer ownership and Internet access have steadily increased for all racial and ethnic groups, yet African Americans and Latinos lag behind (NTIA, 2000). For instance, over half of Whites have home computers, compared to one-third of both African Americans and Latinos. Most notably, senior citizens over the age of sixty-five, representing the gray gap, are unlikely to use digital technology. Older persons were less supportive of technology, desired less public access to IT, and were less likely to participate in e-politics (Shelley et al., under review). Reservations include concerns about privacy, irrelevance, cost, and perceptions of the steep learning curve required to use computers and the Internet (Lenhart, 2000; Seiden, 2000). Seniors are often an economically vulnerable group lacking disposable income to purchase hardware and software. Digital inequality is further compounded as new technologies transform exponentially. Elderly persons, not growing up in the Information Age, are unable to draw on the existing skills and competencies required to learn new IT applications. However, given an opportunity to learn, senior citizens in this study came forward. Development of a Service-Learning Computer Lab Students in the Digital Citizenship course had a challenge to confront the digital divide. Students initially explored the impact of digital communication and citizenship. They learned that political parties interact online, interest groups use websites and e-mail, and government distributes information via the WWW. As a group, the elderly are not e-citizens, but when invited to come to free computer classes, they arrived eager to learn from college students in the service-learning lab. Students studied the ethics of volunteerism, different types of service, and the meaningful delivery of service-learning (Conrad & Hedin, 1991; Beisser, 2002). is a pedagogy that promotes mutually beneficial partnerships between academic institutions and communities, requiring reflection on particular challenges posed in the delivery of service, in this case information technology literacy (ITL) to an underserved, elderly population. According to Jacoby, Service-learning is a form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs. …

This study presents results from a 2002 Midwest urban random sample survey (N = 167 adults). It is proposed that attitudes toward technology have a direct impact on digital citizenry and are colored by racial and educational differences. A path model showed several key results. Desire for computer skills increased among respondents with lower levels of educational attainment. Respondents with higher levels of education were more likely to use computers at home and work. Non-Whites were more likely than Whites to agree that technological information is key to citizen empowerment and that computers should be accessible to all citizens, as well as reporting increased interest in learning computer skills. Interest in developing computer skills was positively associated with digital citizenship. Viewing technology as a source of informational power was positively related to support for digital government and to support for computer access equity.

This paper reports preliminary first year results from an "itr"-funded National Science Foundation (NSF) grant enabling two central Iowa universities--Drake and Iowa State--to assess the efficacy of service-learning interventions in the dissemination of Information Technology Literacy (ITL) beyond the campus gates. It introduces service-learning, a pedagogy that promotes mutually beneficial partnerships between academic institutions and communities, and reflects on the particular challenges it poses in practice. After the first eight months, a number of lessons learned are emerging that will significantly impact implementation in years two and three.

Digital disparity exists among those who differ in socioeconomic status, educational background, gender, race, and age. As part of a digital citizenship course, students in a private midwestern university participated in a semester service-learning lab tutoring senior citizens about Information Technology (IT). Students studied the ethics of volunteerism and the impact of digital citizenship. In a two-year study of student reflections (N = 67), data were analyzed with ATLAS-ti for Search Institute Internal Assets©. Findings reveal commitment to IT instruction, value of human interaction, new understanding of reciprocation, and the significance of an intrinsic motivation for volunteerism.