Digital Divide, Professional Development, and Inequality: A Comparative Study of Online Faculty Development in the Global South

Keiller et al. (2021) highlight the promise but also the ambiguity of online faculty development in the Global South. Building on this, a comparative, mixed-methods study could examine: When do online training and CPD programs actually reduce occupational inequalities, and when do they reinforce them? What organizational, infrastructural, or cultural factors make the difference? By integrating organizational sociology, educational theory, and development studies, this research could reveal not just “what works” in digital professional development, but also the mechanisms that enable—or block—upward occupational mobility in under-resourced contexts. The innovation is in linking digital pedagogy to broader questions of organizational inclusion, professionalization, and social mobility.

References:

1. Online faculty development in low- and middle-income countries for health professions educators: a rapid realist review. L. Keiller, C. Nyoni, C. van Wyk (2021). Human Resources for Health.