2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Digital (Laptop) Adoption Disparities in an HBCU Anchor Community

Presented at DSAI-Session 14: Research Methods, Collaboration Networks, and Learning Analytics

Access to personal computing devices remains a foundational yet uneven component of student participation in engineering and computing-related coursework, particularly within historically under-resourced institutional contexts. This paper presents an exploratory, qualitative-dominant mixed-methods study examining laptop adoption and use among students participating in a community-based digital equity initiative anchored at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Guided by a digital divide and digital inclusion perspective, the study conceptualizes technology equity as a multi-dimensional process involving access, skills, use, and perceived educational outcomes. The study draws on three complementary data sources: focus group discussions with student laptop recipients, descriptive survey summaries related to broadband and device access, and program documentation detailing the structure and goals of the laptop distribution initiative. The analysis emphasizes descriptive patterns and emergent themes to illuminate how students experience laptop access within their academic and community contexts. Findings indicate that while laptop provision addressed a critical access barrier, students’ experiences of adoption were shaped by broader structural and contextual factors, including prior technology reliance, connectivity constraints, and varying levels of confidence in academic technology use. Across focus group discussions, participants described shifts in academic engagement, particularly for tasks that were difficult to complete using smartphones alone. Participants described shifts in academic engagement, particularly for tasks that were difficult to complete using smartphones alone. At the same time, the findings suggest that device access alone is insufficient to fully resolve digital inequities without complementary support and integration into educational practice. The paper contributes a practice-oriented analytic framing for understanding laptop access initiatives at HBCUs as anchor strategies within broader digital equity efforts. Implications are discussed for engineering education stakeholders seeking to align technology access initiatives with equity-centered educational outcomes.

Authors

Samuel Fakolade Morgan State University [biography]

Samuel Fakolade is a PhD researcher at Morgan State University, Maryland, specializing in civil engineering, infrastructure systems, and transportation engineering, with interdisciplinary research interests in digital equity and public service systems. His work focuses on digital health equity, telehealth systems, broadband accessibility, and technology adoption in underserved communities. His research examines household telehealth adoption, broadband-enabled healthcare access, and digital laptop adoption disparities in HBCU anchor communities. He uses data-driven approaches and systematic review methods to study how infrastructure and connectivity influence access to healthcare and education. With a professional background in structural engineering, infrastructure inspection, and construction project coordination, he combines practical engineering experience with policy-focused research. His broader academic interests include healthcare accessibility, digital inclusion, and equitable infrastructure development.
John Temitope Onafowokan http://orcid.org/0009-0002-1153-342X Morgan State University
Julius Ogaga Etuke http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2710-2803 Morgan State University [biography]

Julius Ogaga Etuke is a seasoned civil engineer and Ph.D. Candidate in Civil Engineering at Morgan State University, where his research focuses on sustainable and resilient infrastructure engineering. With over 15 years of consulting and project leadership experience, primarily in Nigeria's infrastructure landscape, he brings a robust, practical perspective to academic inquiry. His doctoral research is at the cutting edge of transportation resilience, integrating virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), climate adaptation modeling, and data-driven solutions to improve disaster preparedness and risk mitigation in complex transportation systems. As a COREN-registered engineer and member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, his work emphasizes impactful research and consultancy that bridges structural design principles with urgent sustainability and resilience challenges.
Dr. Olushola V. Emiola-Owolabi http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-8521-5769 Morgan State University [biography]

Olushola Emiola-Owolabi is an engineering pedagogy specialist, researching active learning in engineering classrooms and specializing in qualitative methods research on teaching and learning – particularly in remote synchronous learning environments.
Dr. Oludare Adegbola Owolabi P.E. Morgan State University [biography]

Dr. Oludare Owolabi, a professional engineer in Maryland, joined the Morgan State University faculty in 2010. He is the director of the Sustainable Infrastructure Development, Smart Innovation and Resilient Engineering Research Lab, Department of Civil Engineering at Morgan State University
Dr. Uttam Gaulee http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3010-2812

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

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