1. Poster Print Size: This poster template is 36” high by 48” wide. It can be used to print any poster with a 3:4 aspect ratio. Placeholders: The various elements included in this poster are ones we often see in medical, research, and scientific posters. Feel free to edit, move, add, and delete items, or change the layout to suit your needs. Always check with your conference organizer for specific requirements. Image Quality: You can place digital photos or logo art in your poster file by selecting the Insert, Picture command, or by using standard copy & paste. For best results, all graphic elements should be at least 150-200 pixels per inch in their final printed size. For instance, a 1600 x 1200 pixel photo will usually look fine up to 8“- 10” wide on your printed poster. To preview the print quality of images, select a magnification of 100% when previewing your poster. This will give you a good idea of what it will look like in print. If you are laying out a large poster and using half-scale dimensions, be sure to preview your graphics at 200% to see them at their final printed size. Please note that graphics from websites (such as the logo on your hospital's or university's home page) will only be 72dpi and not suitable for printing. [This sidebar area does not print.] Change Color Theme: This template is designed to use the built-in color themes in the newer versions of PowerPoint. To change the color theme, select the Design tab, then select the Colors drop-down list. The default color theme for this template is “Office”, so you can always return to that after trying some of the alternatives. Printing Your Poster: Once your poster file is ready, visit www.genigraphics.com to order a high-quality, affordable poster print. Every order receives a free design review and we can deliver as fast as next business day within the US and Canada. Genigraphics® has been producing output from PowerPoint® longer than anyone in the industry; dating back to when we helped Microsoft® design the PowerPoint® software. US and Canada: 1-800-790-4001 Email: info@genigraphics.com [This sidebar area does not print.] Digital Divide – Experimentation and Application Robert S. Wilbanks, Undergraduate Student Western State Colorado University, Department of Computer Science Email: robert.wilbanks@western.edu Website: www.western.edu Contact 1.Public Broadcasting Service - http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/india/thestory.html 2. The American Library Association 2013 BTOP Review - http://www.districtdispatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/uspl_btop_4.30.13_large.pdf 3. The Department of Commerce – National Telecommunications & Information Association http://www2.ntia.doc.gov/ References The Digital Divide is a barrier that impedes the utilization and application of information technology. The lack of hardware and social and educational support creates a gap between those who experience substantial hardship from digital deficiency and those who have the benefit of electronic resources and internet connectivity. Third world nations in Asia and Africa are systematically disenfranchised from the global economy because of the inability to incorporate modern commerce which takes place on a digital conduit. Over the past two decades there have been international efforts to identify divide and employ solutions. We shall examine the two main deficits, hardware and software, and how they relate to social and economic factors, drawing from initiatives in India and in the United States. Abstract The BTOP is sponsored by the Federal Government. This gives resources to provide technological determinism and helps to create social and community informatics. This initiative put computers and staff to assist and teach people in libraries across 29 states. The Federal Government allocates funds to libraries in excess of 4 billion dollars to assist people in becoming computer literate. Students that choose to take advantage of these public assistance programs often bring other students, and they learn together and help each other. Hole in the Wall Hardware is a physical device which aids in computing information, which is passed electronic instructions through a specific set implementations in the form of code. Those instructions are called software. Poor areas lack sufficient hardware and supporting software and the ability to have social support, called community informatics, which create a context in which people can assimilate into the modern age of computing. In order to perform tasks on a computer there must be knowledge. Literacy is paramount in understanding how to use a computer. In addition to literacy there must be a computer literacy which depends on societal influence and appropriation of systems and support. Next we will examine two initiatives that have taken place over the past two decades in rural regions in India as well as here in the United States. Hardware and Software Reports of success in India have been the subject of debate over the efficiency of methods employed in educating people in third world nations. Many argue that the lack of support for the individual as well as the society make these types of initiatives futile. However there has been a high success rate in the United States in the reporting of students who have taken part in the BTOP. This gives merit to the argument that if you give people the systems to use and the education they need to use them you can create a social context in which people can make the transition from computer illiteracy to computer friendly. MIE v. BTOP The overwhelming majority of the some 25,000 people who took part in the 2012 Colorado BTOP initiative reported that they both learned a valuable skill they could employ in the pursuit of employability and success. The comprehensive state wide effort spanned over 88 Colorado communities with over 4,000 projects and workshops. An international effort would be far less costly to employ the same strategy and tactics to bridge the gap in the digital divide. In some regions of India, where people live off of less than one dollar per day, the could be given proper instructions so they could integrate themselves in regional and global commerce. The gap in the digital divide is not absolute and can be reduced. In order to bridge the gap the effort must include both systems and support. There must also be a strategy of proven methods to recognize barriers and remove economic and social barriers. Conclusions Broadband Technology Opportunity Program Figure 1. Hole in the wall terminal. Courtesy of pbs.org Figure 2. BTOP & NTIA. Courtesy of the ALA & NTIA Figure1 REPLACE THIS BOX WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION’S HIGH RESOLUTION LOGO REPLACE THIS BOX WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION’S HIGH RESOLUTION LOGO Sugata Mitra developed a method of bridging the digital divide by employing MIE or Minimally Invasive Education. He placed hole in the wall computers with mouse and keyboard interfacing for children in poor regions of India with sparse populations. The idea behind this experiment was to see if children could utilize these systems to educate themselves independently. The children quickly figured out how to use simple applications like text editors and paint to play around with the features. Figure2