Harnessing Digital Resources for Rural Education Transformation: A Media-Centric Pathway Exploration
Abstract
China is advancing digital education alongside rural revitalization. Rural schools now have more devices and better connectivity, yet classroom outcomes remain uneven. This study adopts a media and communication perspective and conceptualizes rural digitalization as a chain thatconnects content production, channel dissemination, and feedback-driven iterative optimization. Guided by Media Education Theory, Communication Effects Theory, and a reframed Digital Divide that shifts from access to use and content, the analysis examines four issues: the fit of urban-oriented content with local needs and with the levels of teachers and students; infrastructure gaps that limit reach; missing feedback and evaluation loops; and the misalignment between media logic and pedagogical aims. Findings show that the main barriers are a supply–demand mismatch, one-way channels, and broken feedback rather than simple scarcity. The paper proposes demand-led localization with layered development for students and for teachers, and upgrades to connectivity, devices, and maintenance. It also recommends context-based delivery through short videos and live streams, community groups, and offline access points, and a multi-party mechanism that links feedback, evaluation, and incentives. Access does not equal impact. Teacher workload and curriculum structure shape outcomes. The conclusions apply mainly to typical township schools.
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