The Scottish Government

« Previous | Contents | Next »

Listen

Digital Communities Final Report

G Overall assessment by participants

Perceptions of Benefits

G.1 The final survey asked participants what they thought they personally had gained from participating in the Digital Communities project and what they thought the community had gained from participation.

G.2 The main personal benefits identified by respondents from both communities were learning about what computers can do or learning something generally, being able to contact people or talk to others, or to meet new people, and free internet access ( Table G-1). Around 1 in 10 respondents in each area said they had gained confidence on the computer and around the same proportion cited greater or easier access to information as a key benefit. Thirteen per cent of respondents in Bellsmyre and 18% in North Argyll said they had not gained anything or that they had not used the new computer.

G.3 In terms of benefits for the community, responses differed more between the two areas, reflecting the different geographic and demographic profiles of the two areas ( Table G-2). The most common response in North Argyll was participation had allowed people to get in touch more easily (33% of respondents in North Argyll, compared with 7% in Bellsmyre). Twelve per cent or respondents in Bellsmyre (compared with 4% in North Argyll) said that it was good for children or could help with school work, while 11% (compared with 3% in North Argyll) said the project had provided computers for people who could not have afforded to buy one. A wide range of other benefits for the community were identified by respondents, including knowing what is going on in the community through websites, bringing people together and opening up new opportunities or broadening experiences of life in general.

What Could Have Been Done Differently?

G.4 The main suggestions from both areas as to what could have been done differently related to training. Fifteen per cent of respondents in Bellsmyre and 12% in North Argyll said they would have liked more or better training. In North Argyll, issues around the timing of training appeared to be more acute, with 19% saying they would have liked more training or support early on in the project. Eight per cent of respondents in North Argyll and 4% in Bellsmyre said they would have liked more or better support in general, while 8% in North Argyll and 3% in Bellsmyre commented that the timing and/or organisation of the installation could have been better.

G.5 Other suggestions, made by a relatively small proportion of respondents (4% or less) in each area, included more or better information about the project; allocating computers to those who really need them; one-to-one training or in-home training; better spec computers; and that the money could have been used in different ways.

G.6 Forty-eight per cent of Bellsmyre respondents said there was nothing that they would have liked to be done differently, compared with 32% in North Argyll, which again tends to suggest higher levels of satisfaction with the project in Bellsmyre.

Sustainability

G.7 The overwhelming majority of households in both areas who took part in the final survey said they planned to keep their computer (97% in North Argyll and 96% in Bellsmyre).

G.8 Overall, 77% of households in each area were also planning to pay to continue to use the internet from home once the first year of the project was finished ( Figure G-1). The majority of the remaining households were not sure whether or not they would pay for continued access.

G.9 In Bellsmyre, households who did not own a home computer prior to being offered one by the project were more likely than households who already owned a home computer to say they were not planning to pay for continued internet use after the first year of the project was over (10%, compared with 2% of those who already owned a home computer). In North Argyll, respondents who did not own a home computer at the start of the project were more likely to be unsure whether they would continue to pay for home internet access (22%, compared with 12% of those who already owned a home computer).

G.10 There appeared to be some lack of knowledge among participating households about the actual costs of internet access ( Figure G-2). Forty per cent of Bellsmyre households and 38% in North Argyll said they were not aware of the costs, per month, of dial-up internet access. It may be that some households who were not currently planning to carry on paying for internet access would be prepared to do so if they had more information about these costs.

« Previous | Contents | Next »