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Whose Responsibility is Digital Inclusion?

Date & Time:
14:00:00 - 17:00:00,
Monday 11 April, 2005

About

The Internet has been a part of everyday life in Western societies for the best part of a decade. From very early on, warnings of a ‘digital divide’ have elicited many of the Government’s most significant Internet-related policy interventions, such as UK Online centres. Britain has now reached an enviable situation, in which 96% of people know of somewhere where they can get online for free if they wish.

Yet around a third of the population chooses not to use the net. Meanwhile, the Government appears to have weakened its focus on digital inclusion, with no department holding ultimate responsibility for it. This half-day seminar will explore the very latest evidence from the Oxford Internet Survey (OxIS), discuss whether Government still has responsibilities to increase uptake, and, if so, which Department should be responsible.

Agenda

Time

Session

14:00

Welcome and Introduction: William Dutton

14:15

Latest evidence on users and non-users

Chair: Helen Margetts

Panellists: William Dutton, Corinna di Gennaro, Helen Normoyle and Ben Anderson

The annual Oxford Internet Survey (OxIS) is the most authoritative analysis of the role of the Internet in British society. In this panel, researchers will outline the evidence from the 2005 survey for the first time. In particular, they will discuss the motivation to use or not use the Internet, and whether or not lack of interest in the web can still be conceived as a form of exclusion.

15:30

Coffee

15:50

Whose responsibility?

Chair: Will Davies

Panellists: Gail Bradbrook, Neil Selwyn and Mike Hughes

As we develop a more subtle understanding of what contributes to digital inclusion, we have to question which are the suitable agencies for promoting it. For instance, is it better entertainment content that will draw people online? Or is this a skills and learning issue, which is the rightful concern of the DfES? This panel will explore policy aspects of digital inclusion, and assess how the Government could revive its agenda.

17:00

Close

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Speakers

  • Professor William H. Dutton,Professor Helen Margetts
  • Name: Professor William H. Dutton|Professor Helen Margetts|Dr Corinna di Gennaro|Ben Anderson|Gail Bradbrook|Will Davies|Mike Hughes|Helen Normoyle|Neil Selwyn
  • Affiliation: OII|OII|OII|Chimera, University of Essex|Citizens Online Alliance for Digital Inclusion|IPPR|Head of CSR and Environment, BT Group|Ofcom|University of Cardiff
  • Role: ||||||||
  • URL: http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/people/?id=1|http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/people/?id=2|http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/people/?id=5|http://www.essex.ac.uk/chimera/team/bena.html|http://www.citizensonline.org.uk/conline/aboutus/display?contentId=2791||||http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/schoolsanddivisions/academicschools/socsi/staff/acad/selwyn/bio.html
  • Bio: ||||||||

Papers