Changes in the digital divide: a case from Belgium

Introduction A major concern about the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in adult education is that the digital divide may reinforce the already existing learning divide, because it runs along the same lines of socio-economic class, gender and ethnicity (eg, Gorard & Selwyn, 2005). Many researchers report a socio-economic digital divide, as well as a gender gap, although the latter seems to be closing slowly. However, it can be noted that often, several years lie in between the publications and the data on which the research is based, which may be problematic in an area evolving rapidly. Nevertheless, any programme designed for adult e-learning, should consider carefully if and how the use of ICT may exclude specific subgroups of its targeted population, particularly when addressing less prestigious occupational groups (Selwyn & Gorard, 2003).