OTI Finds Social Support and Program Offerings Linked to Adoption

The Open Technology Institutes’s preliminary analysis of the digital literacy programs within the Freedom Rings Partnership (FRP) shows that staff, training, and public computers centers provide crucial support to city residents who are going online for the very first time.  

An estimated 55 percent of Philadelphia households do not have home access to the Internet. The FRP works to bridge this gap by managing more than 70 federally-funded KEYSPOTS—or public computer centers and digital literacy trainings that provide low-income communities with skills and computer access needed to become full participants in the digital age.   

As the FRP’s program evaluator, the Open Technology Institute (OTI) conducted a focus group in May with 15 KEYSPOT participants. Three trained OTI analysts reviewed the focus group transcript, classified the text by themes, reconciled coding differences by deliberation, and then created a standardized codebook for analyzing the complete transcript.

The analysis demonstrates two main findings: first, KEYSPOT participants say they have adopted broadband technologies by attending trainings at public computer centers and using facilities on an ongoing basis (versus via getting a home subscription, which remains too expensive for many); and second, KEYSPOT participants depend on and benefit from the social support of knowledgeable staff who increase participants’ comfort with learning technology and foster a sense of community among peers.

Finding #1: Adopting Broadband

Focus group participants shared how little they knew about computers before coming to KEYSPOTS. One participant talked about not knowing how to turn on a computer. Another mentioned misunderstanding basic hardware: “[The instructor] asked me, 'Do you know how to use a mouse?’ and I look at the floor—‘mouse?!’”

They described feeling excited about learning new skills as well as frustrated trying to keep up with the pace of technological changes. They also expressed an urgency to learn digital skills in the context of a global economy:

"I’m going to have to utilize the computer more in depth, because I honestly believe that the workforce is going to be a global workforce, and you’re going to have to utilize technology."

The accomplishments participants acquired as a result of basic digital literacy skills seemed important for their livelihoods and, they said, opened up a new world to them. One woman shared, “I got a job coming through here ‘cause I didn’t know the first thing to do about putting my application online or posting my resume. And you know I had my resume drawn up here on this floor right here. I got everything I need through this building.”

Others used the KEYSPOT and their new skills to find educational information, do research, file taxes, manage personal finance, apply for unemployment benefits among other online government services, shop, or to access general entertainment.

In addition to gaining online job search and application skills, several participants recounted stories of reconnecting with family and friends through social media. Several expressed interest and joy in getting to interact with others and bridge intergenerational gaps through social media. One participant explained:

"[I have] connected with a lot of my relatives on Facebook. We keep in contact. You know, some of them live in Washington State. We don’t see each other, but I connect with them on Facebook. The ones that live in New York and all, South Carolina. I connect with all them. So I learned all that since I’ve been here."

Desired Skills

Participants expressed eagerness to keep improving and learning new digital literacy skills through KEYSPOTS. They stressed the importance of becoming comfortable in using Microsoft Office applications and wanting additional trainings that focus on scanning and uploading documents to email, using Skype, installing iPod software, and doing video-to-digital transfer. Participants also wanted to understand online security education like use of anti-virus software and detection of spyware. Two participants described entrepreneurial aspirations. For example, one of the older adults said she wanted to apply her new skills towards creating a seniors’ dating website.

Home Subscription

When asked about places where they access the Internet, the majority of focus group participants talked about the high cost of—and low enrollment in—home broadband services. For many participants earning a fixed income limits cash flow. Referring to the difficulty of meeting monthly bills, one participant explained, “You got to have a job to pay everyone.”

Another participant explained that she only pays $17.99 per month for an Internet-only home subscription. Though others in the room expressed interest in learning more about this type of subscription, the majority affirmed the importance of free, unlimited access to the Internet.

Focus group participants explained that KEYSPOTS have facilitated their adoption of technology and the Internet towards such key goals as gaining jobs, advancing their education, or making connections with organizations and their community.The importance of KEYSPOTS and the free, supportive environment they provide were strong themes. When asked if they would recommend the KEYSPOTS, the room filled with a resounding and unanimous “Yes!”

Finding #2: Comfort and Program Effectiveness at KEYSPOTS

While focus group participants generally preferred computer centers near their homes, other considerations factored into decisions of which KEYSPOT to frequent. First and foremost, participants identified instructors’ style of interaction as a key determinant in the choice of a KEYSPOT. Instructors who exhibit patience while students learn and who can be trusted to answer students’ questions and concerns draw students to a particular public computer center. One participant described patience as the hallmark of “professionalism.”

Instructors and their style of interacting with students also play a role in retaining students. “And here, I love it here.  I came one time, and I said, ‘Ooh I like this place. I like what’s going on here.’ Very patient with the people,” explained one focus group participant.

For another focus group participant, KEYSPOTS functioned as a lifeline. She described moving into a shelter and visiting a KEYSPOT, which helped her create a resume, then apply for and get a job. She described her local public computer center and its staff as providing more than just job help. “A person like me can’t afford any computer at all,” explained the participant. “I lost my computer right before I got put out and it was something that was out of my control. And I came here, and I felt refuge.”

Though all KEYSPOTS function as vital sites of access, the most effective ones welcome residents into new digital worlds and, often, new communities. One woman said, “I met two of my best friends down here, so we learn together.” Another built on this social aspect by saying, “Coming to the computer class it’s like extended family. I’m loving my extended family.”  

Rather than staying in the comfort of her home, one person said she preferred KEYSPOTS so that she could connect with others onsite. The downside of onsite social engagement, as another participant explained, is that sometimes noisy surroundings can make focusing on work difficult. Based on these observations, it seemed that participants generally enjoyed coming to the KEYSPOTS not only to use the computers for their online needs but also to interact with and learn from other people at the site.

The quality of KEYSPOT offerings also mattered to participants, which helps to clarify what constitutes “feeling comfortable” at a public computer center. Participants expressed a preference for KEYSPOTS with updated technology over other sites with slower computers or Internet, reporting that at “other labs, their technology is still behind.”

Lastly, participants contrasted some of their KEYSPOT experiences to those at city libraries or other social service agencies not affiliated with the Freedom Rings Partnership/KEYSPOT program. For them, a 1-hour limit, which is the standard time limit at many places that provide public access to the Internet, seems too short to complete any meaningful tasks. “I got tired of going to places and them kicking me off,” explained a focus group participant. “I start an application and couldn’t finish the application, and they want me to come back the next day. And then the computer was too slow, and then I was too slow too!”

Beating the Digital Divide

Overall, this focus group demonstrates that Philadelphians who were once on the wrong side of the digital divide are now adopting new technologies most frequently in the comfort of KEYSPOTS, as opposed to in their homes. The comfortable, supportive setting of these KEYSPOTS enables broadband adopters to acquire digital literacy skills that help them reach what they need or want to accomplish in their lives.  

As OTI continues collecting focus group data, we will explore how KEYSPOTS best meet the needs of the people they serve. From these initial findings, OTI recommends that KEYSPOTS continue to provide participants with welcoming and patient staff and instructors, relevant curriculum, and smooth running technology. If they can allow for extended time of use for the computers, this seems to attract participants as well.Several participants also expressed interest and joy in getting to interact with others and bridge intergenerational gaps through social media.

For digital inclusion programs more broadly, these findings suggest that individuals new to technology need and benefit from centers that can create a comfortable learning environment comprised of encouraging staff, high-quality technology, and opportunities to engage with community online and on-site.