Native American Indian tribal college and university students: A qualitative study of the digital divide

Access to quality computers and Internet connections are integral tools that provide the opportunity to compete, communicate, and gather information globally. The digital divide is an integral wedge that separates individuals and groups from quality access to computers and Internet. This process can be accentuated by a lower socioeconomic status at an individual and group level. The specific problem on which this study was focused concerned the negative effects of the digital divide on Native American Indian Tribal College and University (TCU) students. This qualitative, phenomenological study explored the perceptions and experiences of a sample of Native American Indian TCU students and the digital divide that affects them and their community. Students participated in structured face-to-face interviews where eight open-ended questions were posed. Using NVivo8(TM), resulting data were analyzed to identify common themes. The results of this study indicated inconsistent quality access to high-speed Internet, underlying perceptions of a racial infrastructure divide, inconsistent linkage of computers and Internet to the classroom experience, and the introduction of the expectations divide as a new limiting factor within the digital divide. The sample TCU was viewed as a positive force for both student and community access to computers and the Internet. Detailed results, conclusions, and analyses of the research are discussed.