Digital Diversity (dDEI) Lab
Diverse Technologies, for Diverse Peoples
Digital Diversity Lab Success Stories
About Digital Diversity Lab
Our Story
This lab and its projects started from a desire to bridge the Digital Divide. As a Jamaican immigrant, Dr. Kimberley Hemmings-Jarrett left a “developing country” to live in a “developed country” and quickly realized the differences in technologies between the countries. Many individuals like herself have struggled with crossing the divide read more on Google Scholar. This coupled with her background in Information Systems motivated her to look deeper at the divisions that exist between access and aptitude regarding different technologies and the implications to equity and inclusion, hence dDEI.
However, it was not until 2022 that Dr. Hemmings-Jarrett, began teaming with interdisciplinary professors and students from varying socio-technical backgrounds and together focused their attention on emerging technologies, specifically Virtual Reality.
What we do?
To date we have created tutorials for integrating virtual reality in classroom and research activities and are actively training student, staff and external stakeholders on creating and using VR content, allowing for greater accessibility and inclusion of previously digitally marginalized people/communities.
Our projects have included building VR content to promote various UN sustainability goals and partnering with international universities to engage students in VR travel abroad experiences and collaborating in new curriculum and platform development.
Why we do it?
Although the work is still in its infancy, the team is intent on bridging the gap between what we call the digitally privileged (those who are experienced with technology) and the digitally marginalized (those who lack experience with the technology). Ideally, narrowing this divide will encourage more equitable participation in a society and economy that is greatly dependent on technology.
Meet our faculty mEntors
Dr. Kimberley Hemmings-Jarrett
Human-centered, grounded-theorist, focused on deepening our understanding of and application to topics related to Digital Diversity (also known as the Digital Divide) and its potential impact on the future digital economy.
Dr. Katrina Black Reed
Dr. Black Reed's research focuses on the role of out-of-school time programs in promoting justice-oriented youth in marginalized populations and how these programs can foster social consciousness and positive development. Contact me to help you develop your next qualitative projects that include Photo Narration, Photo Elicitations or Photo Voice.
Meet our Student TEam mEMBERS
Sahana
I am Sahana Elangovan, an undergraduate student from Penn State majoring in health policy and administration. This research was an excellent opportunity for me to expand my knowledge in virtual reality by learning about the device and understanding forthcoming Web 3.0. I also worked with a graduate student from Jamaica for VR in leisure, where I also learned about another culture. This research, on the whole, was a spectacular learning journey for me.
Sarah
Sarah Johnson is a sophomore studying Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at Penn State Abington. She has worked on an undergraduate research project surrounding the Digital Divide and VR Technology for two years now. She previously presented on digital diversity using 360-degree photo narration, how the United Nations Sustainability Goals tie into digital diversity and virtual reality (VR) technology, as well as what the digital divide looks like at Penn State Abington. She is currently working with her undergraduate professors as well as her co-researchers to continue to explore digital diversity using VR technology.
Jayani
Jayani Jayakanthan is a rising third-year student majoring in Management at The Pennsylvania State University. She is a student leader on campus and is deeply interested in digital equality versus digital equity. As a student researcher, she collaborates with Penn State staff and students to explore the Virtual Reality Digital Paradigm and the Equitable Participation and Preparation for Web 3.0 Digital Economy, which found that different tiers of VR devices provide similar learning experiences for students in classroom environments. This work aims to influence university policy-making decisions to implement VR devices as part of class curriculums to ensure students' preparedness for the fourth industrial revolution in which technologies move from non-immersive to immersive technology. Jayani enjoys discussing equity in other aspects of education as well and engaging in stimulating discussions surrounding these topics.