| | OCTOBER - 20218IN MY OPINIONBy Raphael Inebode, Student at Canterbury Christ Church UniversityCurrent research refers to digital poverty as a developing issue countrywide. Burgress (2020) highlights that a fifth of households have no digital access at home and an Office for Students (2020) survey highlights that 52 percent of students at home during the pandemic had unreliable internet connection and 18 percent had no access to a computer, laptop or tablet. Research by Inebode (2021) at Canterbury Christ Church University, shows that at the start of the pandemic 17 percent of 103 Higher Education student responses only had a smartphone to access their learning on-line; one digital tool for supporting their course assessments. The research did show an improving situation throughout the year, with 90 percent of students having access to a laptop compared to 75 percent a year earlier; 3 percent more had access to a computer and 10 percent more had access to a tablet. However, 33 percent of students admitting that family/friends had invested in digital devices over the last academic year to support their studies, and 21 percent admitted that it had been financially challenging to invest in the essential digital technology. Like many households across the UK, students, have found working from home challenging with respect to internet connectivity service and private space to work and study. Inebode's research, also shows that 28 percent of students had to increase Digital reality in supporting student learning, the Challenges and OpportunitiesDr. Anne Nortcliffe, Founding Head of School of Engineering, Technology and Design, Canterbury Christ Church Universitytheir broadband provision, as 55 percent of students had to share their internet connection with four or more other members of their household, and 33 percent had no private study space.Students, like employees, have quickly adapted to using variety of digital tools to support their learning. Unlike employees, whose Dr. Anne Nortcliffe
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