Minority College Students and Digital Agency

As noted in the 2017 Horizon Report on Higher Education, it is no longer enough to simply graduate with a degree in a particular discipline; the Hart Research Associates Report also emphasizes the point that employers are requesting that colleges and universities place more emphasis on practical and real-world skills rather than focusing on competencies in broader disciplinary theories that may never be applied practically in the daily workplace setting. In this chapter, the authors look at two specific examples: preservice teacher training and the training of graduate students in epidemiology (STEM). The purpose of this qualitative analysis is to examine and compare the literature related to two primary concepts: (1) access to technology and digital literacy of minority college students and (2) minority serving institution (MSI) response to promoting digital literacy among faculty and students enrolled in clinically based programs.