The missing link: Reclaiming connectivity through human rights
Despite decades of global efforts to bridge the digital divide, 32% of the world’s population remains offline, with the most marginalised communities disproportionately affected. While multilateral organisations and governments recognise internet connectivity as fundamental to human rights – particularly freedom of expression and access to information – their solutions persistently fail to match the scale and urgency of the challenge.
The World Internet Project in New Zealand (AUT)
This report presents the findings of the ninth iteration of the World Internet Project – New Zealand (WIP-NZ 2025), a nationally representative study that explores the evolving role of the internet and digital technologies in the lives of New Zealanders. The survey was conducted between March and May 2025 and collected responses from over 2,000 internet users. The report examines internet accessibility, artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, attitudes towards digital technologies, and awareness of their broader societal and environmental implications.
Challenging the Myth of the Digital Native: A Narrative Review
Nurses are increasingly engaging with digital technologies to enhance safe, evidence-based patient care. Digital literacy is now considered a foundational skill and an integral requirement for lifelong learning, and includes the ability to search efficiently, critique information and recognise the inherent risk of bias in information sources. However, at many universities, digital literacy is assumed.
Creating a Connected Future Through Information and Digital Literacy: Strategic Directions at The University of Queensland LibraryFootnote
As knowledge-intensive institutions, universities face many challenges resulting from today’s highly dynamic technological environment. While the ways in which learners and researchers engage with digital information resources are complex and diverse, there is a keen awareness of the varying levels of information and digital literacy skills amongst students and academic staff. A university-wide approach to skills development, involving all stakeholders, has been recommended as a valid approach to addressing some of the issues. At the University of Queensland, the Library has led the way with the development of a future-focused strategic framework for information and digital literacy to help shape the University’s academic policies and practices. After reviewing the principles that underpin the strategic framework (collaboration, alignment, innovation, sustainability and evaluation), the paper presents some of the key strategies which have been introduced to encourage the development of digital skills in the contexts of undergraduate teaching and learning, digital scholarship and eResearch. It is argued that there is great potential for library staff to extend their reach and serve as digital facilitators, connectors and collaborators, making a significant contribution to successful outcomes in many areas of contemporary academic life.
Digital Inclusion and Digital Divide in Education Revealed by the Global Pandemic
The global pandemic has brought about fundamental changes in education. The abrupt closing of schools has disrupted the teaching and learning processes and presented challenges for schools worldwide. This Special Issue explores “digital inclusion” through the use of technology-facilitated learning platforms and modalities within the multicultural environment of schooling. It especially gives attention to cases that highlight the responses of parents, teachers, administrators, and students in countries that have the digital infrastructure and technological advancement and in those that do not in order to question the “digital divide” and the challenges and implications that this disparity brings to education.
How digital are ‘digital natives’ actually? Developing an instrument to measure the degree of digitalisation of university students – the DDS-Index
Young People are still referred to as digital natives, although numerous studies have shown differences in their access to digital devices, Internet usage and attitude towards digitalisation. Such differences can lead to digital inequalities. In higher education digital inequalities among students are scarcely researched as it is assumed that university students possess crucial digital competencies which they have acquired at school and in everyday life through the use of digital devices and applications. However, research findings suggest that students cannot directly transfer their digital skills to their study situation. The presented study aims to measure the degree of digitalisation by means of an index, the DDS-Index, which was developed in the context of a large-scale survey among first-semester students in Austria (n=4,822). The DDS-Index maps the degree of digitalisation of students on a range of 0 to 100 points. This paper outlines the development and assessment of the DDS-Index and uses it to analyse differences in the degree of digitalisation of students in order to draw conclusions about a digital divide at universities.
What do Nursing Students’ Stories Reveal about the Development of their Technological Skills and Digital Identity? A Narrative Inquiry
Rapid developments in information technology and social media have revolutionized the nursing profession. E-learning, which is the use of technology in education delivery, is arguably the most significant change in nursing education since the move from training in hospitals to post-secondary institutions (Button, Harrington & Belan, 2014). Due to the time-sensitive delivery of effective and precise decisions, nurses entering the profession are required to demonstrate high adaptability and proficiency in the latest technologies. Today’s nursing students will graduate into a workforce that will require them to not only skillfully navigate information systems and social media, but also be able to consolidate their research findings into a superior point-of-care practice (McKenzie & Murray, 2010). Exploring nursing students’ technological skills and digital identities during their education is a vital aspect of determining their preparedness in becoming competent and capable nurses upon graduation.
The Digital Divide Is a Human Rights Issue: Advancing Social Inclusion Through Social Work Advocacy
Imagine your day-to-day life without reliable, consistent, and rapid access to the Internet. What kind of impact would this have on your ability to communicate with others, stay in touch with family and friends, complete your schoolwork, look for a job, keep up on current events, or take care of your daily financial transactions? What kind of impact would this have had on your life during the pandemic of 2020? The role and importance of technology has become glaringly obvious in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, where society has been forced to rely even more heavily on technology for basic daily living including accessing basic goods, maintaining connections with others, working from home, and having the ability to complete schoolwork.
Cognitive influences in second-hand markets: from perception to purchase in rural smartphone consumption
This study aims to examine how rural consumers make second-hand purchase decisions beyond economic necessity. Using schema theory, we explore how perceived price fairness, product features, product quality and sustainable community influence drive purchase intentions in the rural second-hand smartphone market.
Foundations to thrive: Policy briefs for child and family wellbeing
Understanding how events in early life shape an individual’s destiny, in terms of their physical and mental health and their cognitive and emotional development, is at the heart of informing us about our future society. Human flourishing has therefore been a distinct theme of Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures since it was founded over five years ago. Over that time, we have produced many evidence briefs that were initially aimed at health professionals but increasingly at the policy and philanthropic communities. Our work was given impetus by the late Chloe Wright, who recognised the importance of linking the science of parental and infant health to policymaking, and encouraged us to focus on the sciencepolicy interface. After her untimely death in 2023, the Wright Family Foundation supported us to expand our work, particularly within the policy domain; that work is now encompassed within the Chloe Wright Policy Unit of Koi Tū. The Chloe Wright Policy Unit focuses on the life course between conception and young adulthood. It analyses and summarises the evidence from biomedical, social, educational and psychological sciences to suggest integrated approaches to improving the outcome for the next generation. This is central to the concept of informing our society’s future.