Coronavirus: On the wrong side of the digital divide

On March 23, the UK government announced a national lockdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic. All normal daily activities disrupted, education of a whole generation of young people interrupted.

When schools closed and in-person instruction for most children ceased, schools turned to educational technology. Although the use of digital technology is an intrinsic part of teaching and learning, delivering online lessons to children remotely is not.

Teachers suddenly found themselves not only having to find the software or applications for online teaching, but also having to deal with new technology for delivering the lessons. Teachers also had to think about safe platforms to use for posting work, pictures, feedback and having conversations/messages with individuals or groups, with national resources becoming popular, such as the Department for Education-funded Oak National Academy website and a dedicated BBC Bitesize service.