New Report Addresses Challenges Faced by Black Students Related to Technology and College Access

The report calls out a need for renewed attention to developing digital literacy in a way that directly addresses the relationship between digital literacy and college knowledge

Technology and College Access: Understanding the Unique Challenges and Opportunities Black Students Face is the first report generated from research funded by the one of five inaugural Pullas Center Equity Alumni Awards created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Pullias Center.

Sharla Berry (USC ‘17), the publication’s author, received her PhD in Urban Education Policy from the University of Southern California and is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at California Lutheran university. Berry’s report examines the barriers Black Students face in attaining college access. The project explores how technology plays an imperative role in providing students with the right opportunities and resources to attain college access.

“Black youth are less likely to enroll in college than the youth of other races. The disparity in college access, and subsequently, in degree attainment, is due to many systemic and structural factors,” explains Berry in the report.

Technology such as computers, the Internet, and social media have become  vectors for college knowledge. Thus, Berry highlights the relationship between technology and college knowledge by exploring the barriers that Black youth may encounter while preparing for college.

By outlining the experience of Black youth and their use of technology in college preparation, Berry highlights how nuanced these issues/experiences are. The report identifies the need for greater collaboration between students, educators, policymakers, and technology leaders when designing and implementing both high-tech and low-tech solutions for technology that center around Black students’ needs.

Download the report or visit the project page for more information.