Dr. Charles Lu, graduate research assistant for DDCE, and Dr. Joseph D. Straubhaar, Amon G. Carter Centennial Professor in Communication, recently published an article on the influence of techno-capital and techno-disposition on the college-going processes of Latina/o college students in Central Texas.

Latina/o students are one of the least likely populations to access technology and possess the techno-capital necessary to succeed in postsecondary education. This phenomenological qualitative research study used interviews with 20 Latina/o college students in Central Texas to examine how techno-capital and techno-disposition interact in complex ways to influence their college-going processes. Preliminary findings suggest that Latina/o students held varying levels of cognizance about the digital gap that were heavily dependent upon their socioeconomic backgrounds, that techno-disposition could be leveraged to access and attain more techno-capital, and that gender differences exist between how Latina/o students think about, approach, and utilize technology in their college experiences.

Lu, C., & Straubhaar, J.D. (2013). The influence of techno-capital and techno-disposition on the college-going processes of Latina/o college students in Central Texas. Learning, Media and Technology, DOI:10.1080/17439884.2013.782039