Advancing Digital Opportunity: A Higher Education Toolkit

How to Use This Toolkit

This toolkit serves as a resource for Louisiana's colleges and universities in developing and implementing holistic and sustainable digital opportunity initiatives. It is not intended to be prescriptive. Instead, anyone working in higher education, from first year experience to continuing education, can locate useful resources to assist in addressing barriers to digital opportunity on campus or in surrounding communities. This includes:

• System-wide policies and initiatives to close the digital divide on campus, in surrounding communities, and across Louisiana.
• Institutional or departmental programs focusing on strategies to address digital access and adoption barriers for students, faculty, staff, or community members.
   

The toolkit is divided into two main sections: "Building a Foundation for Digital Opportunity" and "Resources by Topic". Users can navigate the entire "Building a Foundation" section sequentially or jump to specific stages based on their needs. Alternatively, they can explore the topical resources directly. This flexible approach allows institutions to tailor their use of the toolkit to align with their unique goals and priorities in addressing the digital divide.

Building a Foundation for Digital Opportunity

This section provides a structured approach to establishing a comprehensive digital inclusion ecosystem within higher education institutions. It guides users through the following stages:

Stage 1: Research

• Conduct needs assessments to understand digital divide impacts
• Identify existing assets and resources related that support internet access, device availability, and digital skills development

Stage 2: Develop Sustainable Programs

• Design holistic strategies to address internet access, device availability, and digital skills development
• Foster partnerships with campus units and community organizations

Stage 3: Implementation

• Communicate initiatives and conduct outreach to stakeholders
• Collect data and evaluate program effectiveness

Each stage includes tools, guiding questions, recommended strategies, and case studies to support implementation.

Resources by Topic

This section offers a curated collection of resources organized by specific digital opportunity topics, allowing users to quickly locate relevant information. It includes:

Tools for Digging Deeper: Tools for conducting deeper research and data analysis.
Digital Divide Research: Research on the digital divide, encompassing both broad overviews and studies focused on the specific effects on covered populations.
Digital Navigator Programs: Models and best practices for implementing digital navigator programs.
Access to the Internet: Resources related to internet access and affordability.
Device Access: Strategies for ensuring device access and technical support.
Digital Skills: Frameworks and resources for digital skills development and instruction, including AI literacy, information literacy, and news literacy.
Digital Accessibility: Guidelines for creating accessible digital content and technologies.
Digital Privacy & Internet Safety: Training resources for digital privacy and internet safety.
Grant Opportunities: Information on grant funding opportunities and requirements.