Meeting People Where They Are: Customizing Digital Literacy Education

Despite high levels of broadband adoption and digital device usage across economic divides and geographic location, the so-called digital divide remains a persistent issue. In the US state where this study is conducted, Maryland, there were 520,000 households that were not subscribed to wireline broadband services, above the US average by approximately 6%. Despite being above the national average, this still translates to 23% of the Maryland population lacking adequate internet capabilities in their home. This study utilizes a nuanced, qualitative approach to determine how residents of Maryland are or are not seeking, leveraging, and using digital literacy (DL) education venues and resources/training to build and enhance their digital literacy skills. The findings were used to create a typology of learners and illustrative personas that educators can use to identify what type of learning experience is best suited to their community members. The findings support the recommendations that educators need flexibility in their DL educational approaches by fostering the luxury of ambivalence among learners. This can be done by prioritizing transferable skills that allow learners to be self-sufficient in their future DL skills educational needs.