Reframing Equitable Access to Technology and Social Justice Discourses in South African Higher Education

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-521-8_11How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Equitable access; digital inequality; social justice; centre periphery; digital pedagogy in South Africa

Abstract

Considered a panacea for economic growth digital technology and internet connectivity have recently dominated higher education both globally and in South Africa. Digital technology and internet connectivity were specifically embraced to widen access to education especially during COVID19 period and beyond. They were also accepted to advance equity and social justice, narrow gaps between students from advantaged backgrounds, and those from marginalised environments. Despite these good intentions, digital technology tends to exacerbate inequalities and inequities between countries. They recreate and reinforce inequalities and inequities between historically advantaged institutions, and those in enrolled in historically disadvantaged institutions in South Africa. This paper deploys the “centre periphery” analogy to reframe the discourses of digital technology and internet connectivity in higher education discourses. It explores how digital modes either widens or constrains access to higher education for students from different backgrounds, and how these digital technologies enhance cultural and spatial backgrounds, equity, social justice, diversity, and inclusion, or constrains them in higher education in South Africa. It is concluded that rather than benefiting students, digital technology and interconnectivity may undermine social justice, equity, widening access and inclusion goals. It is proposed that institutions consider their geographical locations, and students’ backgrounds and locations, strengths of internet connectivity, efficacy, fairness, and just assessment.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Rivalani Xenon Masonto
AU  - Isaac Ntshoe
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/29
TI  - Reframing Equitable Access to Technology and Social Justice Discourses in South African Higher Education
BT  - Proceedings of The Focus Conference (TFC 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 144
EP  - 159
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-521-8_11
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-521-8_11
ID  - Masonto2025
ER  -