Digital literacy in Mexico: A comparative historical review of policies and programs

Abstract

At the end of the 1990s decade, the technology boom required the integration of educational programs and policies focused on digital literacy. As of 1997, the Federal Government, through the Secretaría de Educación Pública, implemented the first of six programs it has put into operation from 1997 to 2016. The purpose of this article is to present a historical-comparative review, with documentary support, of these digital literacy programs, based on the following categories of analysis: a) extent, b) coverage, c) access to ICTs, d) infrastructure, and e) connectivity. Therefore, this work seeks to provide evidence of the scope and limitations of each program that was implemented during its historical period of validity. Among the results that were obtained, it was found that only two of the six programs were aimed for all elementary school grades, while four of them focused only on 5th and 6th grades, only one of them had network connectivity and only three of the programs had national coverage. Considering the importance that distance education has gained in the face of the current COVID-19 pandemic, and the difficulties faced by the different levels of education in our country, it is relevant to carry out this work, in order to report on the advances in education regarding the use of ICT, at the levels of elementary education in Mexico.