Comet bounds up to the front desk with a printout. "Look! 31 of our 40 answers came from the screen. Everybody loves it!"
Wren looks at the screen, then at the door. "What do you notice about who walks past it?"
Keeper Ines nods slowly. "In the mornings, lots of members head straight to the workbenches. And the screen is off when the desk is closed."
Comet's smile fades. "So the people who skip the screen never got asked."
"Not until the paper forms showed up on day 3," Wren says. "Nine answers came in that way."
Nova hovers beside the screen. "Would you like a hint?" she asks. "Ask who can use a tool, not only how many people did."
Comet turns to you. "Data analyst, who else might we have missed?"
Whose voices are in our data, and whose are missing?
This week you will check who could reach the survey, audit who answered, and plan fixes.
| Q5: How did you answer this survey? (made-up data from the Commons Count story) | Answers |
|---|---|
| The screen at the front desk | 31 |
| A paper form (added on day 3) | 9 |
| Total | 40 |
A product should be checked for whether a broad group of people can use it.
That includes people who do not have fast Internet and people with disabilities.
The digital divide is the difference in access to computing devices and the Internet. It is based on socioeconomic, geographic or demographic characteristics.
In plain words, those are things like what people can afford, where they live, and which groups they belong to.
The digital divide can affect both groups and individuals. It raises questions of equity, access and influence.
| Statement | True or false? |
|---|---|
| A product should be checked for whether a broad group can use it. | ? |
| The digital divide is about differing access to devices and the Internet. | ? |
| If 31 people used the screen, every member could use it. | ? |
| The digital divide can affect individuals as well as groups. | ? |
Strong start, data analyst. Tomorrow you will look for the places where bias hides.