ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Educ.
Sec. Digital Education
Modeling Digital Inequality in Basic Education: A System Dynamics Simulation of Educational Continuity
Provisionally accepted
Sandra Patricia Barragán Moreno1*
Oscar Leonardo Lozano Galindo2- 1Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Bogotá, Colombia
- 2Secretaria de Educacion del Distrito Capital, Bogotá, Colombia
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Introduction: Digital inequality remains a persistent obstacle to achieving educational equity, particularly in socioeconomically vulnerable contexts. This study analyzes how unequal access to digital platforms affects educational continuity in early childhood, primary, and secondary education. Methods: A System Dynamics model of the Forrester type was developed to simulate the cumulative effects of structural variables (household income, teacher digital competence, school–family collaboration, and digital public policies) over a ten-year horizon. The model was parameterized using official Colombian educational data and literature-based coefficients, and thirteen simulations were conducted under different socioeconomic, pedagogical, and policy scenarios. Results: Simulation outcomes indicate that educational continuity is highly sensitive to variations in income levels, teacher training, and investment in digital policies. Low-investment and low-income conditions led to progressive declines in retention, while scenarios combining improved household income, teacher competence, and policy support produced multiplier effects, strengthening continuity and transition to higher education. Discussion: Findings reveal that digital access alone is insufficient to guarantee educational continuity. Instead, pedagogical quality, teachers' digital skills, and school–family collaboration emerge as key mediating factors sustaining engagement and reducing dropout. Conclusion: System Dynamics modeling provided a comprehensive understanding of the feedback loops and interdependencies linking digital inequality and educational continuity. The study offers evidence-based insights for policymakers to design integrated strategies that combine technological investment, pedagogical innovation, and family participation to promote equitable and sustainable educational trajectories.
Keywords: digital inequality, Educational continuity, System dynamics modeling, Educational computing, Basic education
Received: 30 Sep 2025; Accepted: 21 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Barragán Moreno and Lozano Galindo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Sandra Patricia Barragán Moreno, sandra.barragan@utadeo.edu.co
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