Presentation Schedule
A Comparative Study of Digital Learning Implementation Between Urban and Remote Schools in Taiwan (108017)
Monday, 15 June 2026 16:30
Session: Poster Session
Room: Auditorium Foyer (B1F)
Presentation Type:Poster Presentation
Digital learning has become a key strategy for addressing educational inequality, particularly in contexts with pronounced urban–rural disparities. While governments increasingly invest in digital learning policies, existing research often focuses on single-site cases and pays limited attention to how implementation challenges vary across different school contexts. As a result, policy designs frequently overlook contextual constraints, especially in remote areas.
This study adopts a comparative qualitative approach to examine the implementation of digital learning in urban, semi-remote, and remote junior high schools in northern Taiwan. Data were collected through interviews with school principals, IT directors, teachers, and local government officials, capturing perspectives across school and policy levels.
Findings reveal that standardized support systems fail to address context-specific challenges. Urban schools primarily face initial barriers related to insufficient equipment and infrastructure. In contrast, remote schools, despite relatively adequate hardware due to smaller student populations, experience persistent challenges stemming from limited human resources, restricted budgets, and inadequate maintenance capacity. Across all contexts, a lack of shared vision for digital learning was identified as a critical barrier, particularly pronounced in remote areas.
The study argues that digital learning implementation should be understood not merely as a technology provision issue, but as a capacity- and vision-building process. Policy implications include the need for early-stage incentive mechanisms, targeted professional development, and the cultivation of localized support cultures, rather than an overreliance on performance-based accountability measures. These findings contribute to international discussions on context-responsive digital learning policies and educational equity.
Authors:
Chia-Shan Wu, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan
Ya-Wen Shang, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan
About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Ya-Wen Shang is Postdoctoral Researcher of Department of Education at National Taiwan Normal University.
See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule
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