Critical Reflections on the “Digital Divide” in Educational Digital Transformation

Abstract Book of the 2nd International Conference on Social Sciences

Year: 2025

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Critical Reflections on the "Digital Divide" in Educational Digital Transformation

Xiao Lu, Yang Aihua, Jia Zhenzhen

ABSTRACT:

Nowadays, the digital transformation of education has emerged as a significant trend. Digitalization provides new paths for optimizing resource allocation and improving teaching quality and efficiency in education, while also promoting systematic changes in teaching methods, educational concepts and management models. However, the digital transformation process has also intensified the issue of the “digital divide.” It is characterized by the differentiation of digital infrastructure and teaching quality, the “mismatch of supply and demand” for educational opportunities and digital resources, the “Matthew Effect” in information literacy and cognitive capabilities, and the “information silos” in data management and governance. Moreover, the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence, such as DeepSeek and ChatGPT, has introduced an upgraded version of the “intelligence divide” in education. Understanding and analyzing its essence and patterns is a prerequisite for bridging the divide.

Keywords: Digital Transformation, Digital Divide, Generative Artificial Intelligence