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Article Published on the Influence of Techno-capital on the College-going Processes of Latina/o Students

LCAE mentors leading a professional development session
LCAE mentors leading a professional development session

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