New program aims to boost digital skills for child, adult learners

On Tuesday, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan hailed a new initiative that seeks to provide affordable broadband Internet service to low-income Americans, noting that the effort could reap substantial benefits for both child and adult education.

In a partnership with numerous prominent industry stakeholders, the Federal Communications Commission joined in the launch of the Connect to Compete initiative, through which the cable industry, led by its trade association, will offer families eligible for the free school lunch program a baseline broadband service billed for two years at $9.95 a month.

Microsoft and the technology refurbishment outfit Redemtech have each pledged to introduce low-cost computers that could help child and adult learners attain basic digital skills and participate in distance learning programs. Morgan Stanley has committed to develop a microcredit program that could help families afford to purchase a computer.

"Children live in an ever-more interconnected world where their success in competing for the jobs of tomorrow will increasingly depend on their ability to understand, operate and adapt to computer-based technology and online environments," Duncan said in a statement. "And, we are seeing that smart use of technology can improve the opportunity to learn for people of all ages."

Making Internet more accessible for everyone

The FCC-backed initiative is a component of its wider broadband agenda, through which it is seeking to devise policy measures that will stimulate demand for high-speed Internet service and make it more highly available and affordable. At present, some 18 million Americans live in areas with no broadband service, according to the FCC.

It's a short walk from broadband to higher education, given the spike in enrollments in online college programs, which dramatically outpaced the rate of college enrollments across the board last year, according to a recent study from the Babson Survey Research Group. In 2010, 6.1 million students enrolled in at least one fully online course, representing an increase of 650,000 enrollments over the previous year.

The Connect to Compete endeavor, slated to launch community outreach activities next spring, will feature support from Best Buy, Microsoft and U.S. public libraries to foster digital literacy. Microsoft is also preparing an online digital-literacy program.

For its part, the Department of Education is backing its own technology agenda, the National Education Technology Plan, released last year. That initiative aims to expand educational opportunities at all levels through the use of technology, including the expansion of broadband infrastructure.

Included in the FCC's broadband plan was an initiative to partner with schools and libraries to launch a digital literacy corps to boost basic computer skills

"In the coming weeks and months, we are going to work with school and libraries and tap their experience and wisdom to develop the best ways those institutions can help to close America's digital skills gap," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said in announcing the Connect to Compete initiative, which will be organized through the nonprofit group One Economy.