Collisions between the Worldviews of International ICT Policy-Makers and a Deep Rural Community in South Africa: Assumptions,Interpretation, Implementation,and Reality

The purpose of this paper is to understand and learn from the collisions between the underlying assumptions embedded in UNESCO's ICT Competency Standards for Teachers policy framework and the realities that face a deep rural Afrocentric community in South Africa. These collisions ultimately are about the manifestation of a deeper issue, namely collisions between worldviews. Although some preliminary issues regarding policy conflicts are highlighted, the primary focus is on understanding collisions that have emerged from the community entry phases of policy alignment and the introduction of the ICT for Development (ICT4D) artifact. A critical theoretical underpinning is presented which also constitutes the departing values and thinking pursued by a team of academics which, in collaboration with local community visionaries, facilitates ongoing ICT training initiatives in the community. The author writes from his position as the “outsider” champion in this project; and due to his commitment and the length of time that he has been immersed in the training and all other aspects of the project, an ethnographic approach is adopted. The paper contributes to ICT4D discourses by representing a South African perspective on the international ICT policy frameworks. Consequently, compelling issues for further research are highlighted, including examples and practical guidelines for international ICT policy alignment and implementation in the deep rural Afrocentric context.     

Role of ICTs in participatory development: An Indian experience

Participation of local communities has been important at least in two domains: (a) rural development processes in developing countries and (b) information systems design. The issue of participation becomes especially important in the contemporary contexts in which the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is being integrated within rural development initiatives in developing countries, for example in e-governance. This article attempts to synthesize the issues around participation from both IS and development studies literature in order to identify four key problematic areas: viz., (a) who defines the participation agenda, (b) what capabilities do stakeholders have to participate and how can this be strengthened, (c) what is the role of institutional conditions in enabling effective participation, and (d) how do local participatory processes experiences get integrated into broader networks to become sustainable. These four themes provide a theoretical framework to analyze how the use of ICTs is reconfiguring the dynamics between participation, rural development, and ICTs. This framework is applied in the context of an ICT initiative for rural development in India. Implications for both theory and practice are developed based on the need to judiciously integrate both structural and behavioral approaches to participation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Unveiling the modernity bias: a critical examination of the politics of ICT4D

The issue of politics in information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) research is rarely debated, yet one of the key instrumental freedoms proposed by Sen [(1999). Development as freedom. New York: First Anchor Books] in his seminal book on development is political liberty for individuals. We argue that ICT4D initiatives are predominantly informed by a modernist philosophy, which in their effort to bring some material progress risk granting technological tools a major role. This view assumes that ICT4D users are merely passive recipients of the benefits of technology. Moreover, it implies that development can only be brought by those in a more developed, powerful position. This in itself is a political viewpoint, and thus politics is embedded in the design of ICT4D projects. Building on Sen's (1999) capability framework, we discuss how far ICT4D projects are able to assist political liberty of the alleged beneficiaries, given that political liberties are constrained by wider institutional factors. We conclude by making a call for researchers to more critically examine the structure and intention of ICT4D projects.     

ICT policy planning in a context of curriculum reform: Disentanglement of ICT policy domains and artifacts

Researchers and policy makers around the world are increasingly acknowledging the importance of developing a school-based ICT policy plan to facilitate the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in education. Despite this interest, not much is known about how schools can develop their local ICT policy capacity and how to establish an ICT policy plan. In order to fill the gap in research on ICT policy planning, a multiple case study analysis with a mixed-method design was carried out with three Flemish primary schools. Primary schools in Flanders are encouraged by the government to develop local ICT policy planning in a context of ICT curriculum reform. Data from multiple sources (e.g. interviews with school leaders and ICT coordinators, focus group interviews with teachers, school policy document analysis, and a teacher questionnaire) were gathered and analyzed. The results indicate that ICT policy planning in schools should be considered as a multifaceted phenomenon grounded in school culture. ICT policy consists of different policy domains: vision development, financial policy, infrastructural policy, continuing professional development policy, and curriculum policy. Each policy domain can be described in terms of policy artifacts (tools, routines, and structures), and differences exist between schools concerning the involvement of teachers in the policy planning process and in the distribution of management tasks. As such, the study illustrates a distributed leadership perspective on ICT school policy planning. The results are of particular importance for school leaders, ICT coordinators and professional development trainers, and illustrates that ICT school policy is as much about developing shared meanings among stakeholders for ICT, and coordinating their relations and interactions in keeping with the school’s culture as it is about content related decisions.     

Adoption of ICT in a government organization in a developing country: An empirical study

eGovernment initiatives all over the world endeavor to integrate Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to transform delivery of government services to their stakeholders by improving quality of services, accountability and efficiency. In this study we explore adoption of ICT to enhance government-to-employee interactions in a government organization in a developing country. We examine this adoption behavior by utilizing the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) that provides an integrative view of user acceptance. We found that performance and effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions all positively impact the use of the ICT. We did not find a significant moderating effect of gender on these relationships.     

Towards a model of consumer use of mobile information and communication technology in LDCs: the case of sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract. Using theories of technology acceptance and technology transfer, we identified factors affecting the use of mobile information and communication technology (mobile ICT) in the least developed countries (LDCs), specifically sub-Saharan Africa. From a literature review, we developed a research model to describe factors that impact mobile ICT use and formulated a series of hypotheses about them. We then surveyed mobile ICT users in Kenya and Nigeria and created a structural model to examine our hypothesized relationships. Our findings indicate that access to mobile ICT, and cultural influences on mobile ICT diffusion, strongly influence individuals' perceptions of the usefulness and ease of use of mobile ICT. Individuals' perceptions about the reliability of mobile ICT influence use of these technologies significantly. The results suggest that, although extensive ICT diffusion (high mobile ICT levels per capita) may be necessary for seeding commercial and economic initiatives that depend heavily on mobile ICT, such as m-commerce, it may not be sufficient. Firms conducting business in sub-Saharan Africa need to pay attention to the factors that explain individual mobile ICT use because these factors will most likely determine the optimal market segmentation, business development and customer service strategies for leveraging m-commerce operations in that region. For government units, the understanding of such factors would also be beneficial in aiding economic planning and commerce.     

Energy-efficient networking: past, present, and future

The twenty-first century has witnessed major technological changes that have transformed the way we live, work, and interact with one another. One of the major technology enablers responsible for this remarkable transformation in our global society is the deployment and use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment. In fact, today ICT has become highly integrated in our society that includes the dependence on ICT of various sectors, such as business, transportation, education, and the economy to the point that we now almost completely depend on it. Over the last few years, the energy consumption resulting from the usage of ICT equipment and its impact on the environment have fueled a lot of interests among researchers, designers, manufacturers, policy makers, and educators. We present some of the motivations driving the need for energy-efficient communications. We describe and discuss some of the recent techniques and solutions that have been proposed to minimize energy consumption by communication devices, protocols, networks, end-user systems, and data centers. In addition, we highlight a few emerging trends and we also identify some challenges that need to be addressed to enable novel, scalable, cost-effective energy-efficient communications in the future.     

Factors affecting ICT expansion in emerging economies: An analysis of ICT infrastructure expansion in five Latin American countries

High-quality information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure is essential for developing countries to achieve rapid economic growth. International trade and the structure of the global economy require a level of integration that is achievable only with sophisticated infrastructure. Since the early 1990s, international institutions have been pushing developing nations to deregulate and heavily invest in ICT infrastructure as a strategy for accelerating socioeconomic development. After more than a decade of continued investments, some countries have still not achieved expected outcomes. Recently, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has called for empirical research to assess the performance and impact of ICT expansion in developing countries. In this article, we respond to this call by investigating factors affecting the efficiency of ICT expansion in five emerging economies in Latin America. Our findings demonstrate that deregulation is not enough to effect efficient ICT expansion, and we argue that existing conditions (economic factors, human capital, geography, and civil infrastructure factors) must also be considered. We conclude by asserting that policy makers can more easily realize socioeconomic development via ICTs if they consider these conditions while cultivating their technology strategies. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

First connections: teachers and the National Grid for Learning

The swift introduction of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) into schools is the aim of initiatives involving the teaching profession, parents and pupils, government and commercial interests. Teachers’ attempts to integrate ICT into their classroom practice may be affected by such factors as access to updated technology, appropriate training, and realistic time management. Nevertheless the British governments aim is that all teachers acquire network literacy by the year 2002. Using a linked group of schools, teachers’ opinions and ideas about ICT were gathered as the National Grid for Learning was introduced. Theories of learning as ‘community joining’ were applied in an analysis of the data to create an emerging model of teachers as users of ICT. This model was then used to help formulate the ICT Development Policy of a case study school. On the basis of this empirical evidence, some key factors enabling teachers to work towards network literacy and ‘Adept User’ status are discussed. In conclusion this paper suggests that successful implementation of ICT initiatives generating educationally effective practice is ultimately dependent on the professional development of teachers.     

Using an online tool to support school‐based ICT policy planning in primary education

An important step towards the successful integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in schools is to facilitate their capacity to develop a school‐based ICT policy resulting in an ICT policy plan. Such a plan can be defined as a school document containing strategic and operational elements concerning the integration of ICT in education. To write such a plan in an efficient way is challenging for schools. Therefore, an online tool [Planning for ICT in Schools (pICTos)] has been developed to guide schools in this process. A multiple case study research project was conducted with three Flemish primary schools to explore the process of developing a school‐based ICT policy plan and the supportive role of pICTos within this process. Data from multiple sources (i.e. interviews with school leaders and ICT coordinators, school policy documents analysis and a teacher questionnaire) were collected and analysed. The results indicate that schools shape their ICT policy based on specific school data collected and presented by the pICTos environment. School teams learned about the actual and future place of ICT in teaching and learning. Consequently, different policy decisions were made according to each school's vision on ‘good’ education and ICT integration.     

The impact of ICT development on the global digital divide

Information and communication technology (ICT) has accelerated the growth of the global economy and improved the quality life of the world’s inhabitants. ICT has brought new ways of creating livelihoods for people. The diffusion of ICT has also increased year by year and made it possible to reduce poverty. The opportunities created by ICT also may eventually decrease the “distance” between countries in many other ways. Because access to ICT plays a key role in defining the global digital divide, it is important to study how the ICT gaps among countries have changed. This study examines global ICT development in the last decade. We collected secondary data for 136 countries from 2000 to 2008. Four relevant variables are used as proxies for the ICT development status of a country. Because of this multivariate nature of the data, most previous studies have applied a composite index approach to represent the ICT status of a country. For this study, we developed a framework to reduce multivariate raw data into an ordinal number representing a country’s ICT development level. The methodology behind the framework involves data clustering and multi-dimensional data ranking. After applying this data reduction procedure, we explored ICT development paths of different countries, and also conducted panel data analysis based on gross national income and various fixed effects.     

‘You can't not go with the technological flow,can you?’ Constructing ‘ICT’ and ‘teaching and learning’

This paper seeks to show how ‘policy’, ‘management’ and ‘information and communications technology’ (ICT) were constructed for schools in England between 2000 and 2003 and to discuss some effects of these constructions on teaching and learning in the institutions involved in the InterActive Education Project. It argues that their contribution collectively constituted ‘ICT’ as a particular kind and form of challenge for schools, and that recognising the nature of this constitution is crucial to understanding the relationship between ICT and teaching and learning. Informed by an abductive methodology, this paper draws on analyses of policy documents and interviews with the head teachers of the educational institutions taking part in the InterActive Education Project to show how the possibilities and opportunities of using ICT were shaped by those constructions. It suggests that the main policy framing ICT in education over the period in question, the National Grid for Learning, had the provision of hardware and infrastructure as its main target, but offered little advice on how they might be used. This constituted the core of the management problem of ICT for schools. The final section of the paper outlines some of the mechanisms through which schools addressed these issues and discusses some possible implications for what counts as ‘teaching and learning’ with ‘ICT’.     

ICT integration in the classroom: Challenging the potential of a school policy

Despite the assumption that the integration of ICT influences the entire school system, research focusing on ICT in schools is generally limited to the study of variables at class level. In contrast to these studies, the present research explores ICT integration from a school improvement approach. More particularly, it examines the local school policy with respect to ICT integration from both the principal’s perspective and perceptions of teachers. Furthermore, it studies the relationship between school policies and the actual use of ICT in the classroom. To answer the research questions, a representative sample of 53 primary school principals was interviewed. In addition, the interview data were supplemented with survey data of 574 teachers from the same 53 schools. What emerged from the analyses was that school-related policies, such as an ICT plan, ICT support and ICT training have a significant effect on class use of ICT. In addition, the findings from the interviews indicate that school policies are often underdeveloped and underutilised. The discussion section focuses on challenges to improve the potential of an ICT school policy.     

SOAP安全扩展模式SXSOAP及其在电子政务中应用

分析了电子政务系统对安全数据传输的需求,以及基于SOAP协议的信息传送模式在安全方面存在的不足,提出了SOAP安全扩展的理论,并在此基础上建立了相应的SOAP安全扩展模型SXSOAP。文章详细阐述了SXSOAP的体系结构和运行机制,以及该模型在电子政务安全解决方案中的应用。     

Analysing the use of interactive technology to implement interactive teaching

Abstract   Recent policy initiatives in England have focused on promoting 'interactive' teaching in schools, with a clear expectation that this will lead to improvements in learning. This expectation is based on the perceived success of such approaches in other parts of the world. At the same time, there has been a large investment in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources, and particularly in interactive whiteboard technology. This paper explores the idea of interactive teaching in relation to the interactive technology which might be used to support it. It explains the development of a framework for the detailed analysis of teaching and learning in activity settings which is designed to represent the features and relationships involved in interactivity. When applied to a case study of interactive teaching during a lesson involving a variety of technology-based activities, the framework reveals a confusion of purpose in students' use of an ICT resource that limits the potential for learning when students are working independently. Discussion of relationships between technical and pedagogical interactivity points a way forward concerning greater focus on learning goals during activity in order to enable learners to be more autonomous in exploiting ICT's affordances, and the conclusion identifies the variables and issues which need to be considered in future research which will illuminate this path.     

Priorities,policies and practice of e-government in a developing country context: ICT infrastructure and diffusion in Jamaica

This paper presents the findings of recent research into e-government policies and initiatives undertaken by the Government of Jamaica within the context of selective intervention facilitated through financial and technical assistance. In the specific context of a developing economy it highlights the use of infrastructure building and government intervention to aid diffusion of information and communication technology (ICT) and draws attention to the differences between developed and developing countries in their approach to e-government. A case of the Jamaica Customs Department is provided to exemplify the implementation of e-government in practice. Using institutional factor analysis for IT innovation the interaction of policy and practice is analysed. Four significant themes are identified that characterise the context for e-government policy, together with the associated institutional factors. The relative importance of these factors is demonstrated with Innovation Directive, Standards and Subsidy shown to be prime. These findings contribute to both institutional factor analysis for IT innovation and to ICT adoption theory, and together signal the importance of the inclusion of policy-based intervention in a future research agenda for e-government in a developing country context.     

Towards gender equal access to ICT

Despite the great strides in information and communication technology (ICT) and the global and far-reaching effects of its spread, women in the Arab Gulf region, in general, and in Oman, in particular, are at a higher risk of being marginalized from today's knowledge-based economy, due to factual findings related to a traditionally male-dominated ICT sector, unequal access to training, the lack of Arabized Internet content and training, and the lack of awareness and policy advocacy, among others. This research aims to provide a gender-sensitive assessment of the ICT space in Oman and the status of women within it, and to develop the seeds of an information base that provides gender analysis of the opportunities and challenges in the ICT space. Survey results show that socio-cultural norms, the innate character issues of Omani females, access and training, and career counseling are mostly the factors that inhibit them from entering and adopting a career in ICT. The analysis and recommendations presented in this research are intended to assist policymakers who are willing and committed to reorienting ICT policy to take account of the needs, aspirations, and constraints of women in Omani society. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

National OSI activities and policies in Canada

This paper describes OSI-based programs presently underway in Canada, involving standardization, policy and research initiatives as well as OSI application in the library and banking environment. Also discussed are proposed policy criteria for OSI implementation in Canada.     

基于政策自组织系统的软件agent体系结构及其实现

当前自组织系统软件工程面临的一个重要挑战,就是如何设计适宜的个体交互行为来满足自组织系统的宏观涌现需求。针对此问题,提出了一种基于政策的自组织多agent系统的开发方法,此方法通过政策调节引导agent的行为,以期在系统层面得到用户所需求的宏观涌现结果。开发这类系统的核心问题是如何构造系统中的软件agent,使得agent能够感知、理解系统政策,并在遵循政策的前提下实现行为的自主决策。提出了一种基于政策自组织多agent系统的软件agent体系结构,并基于该体系结构设计了运行机制及行为决策算法。通过软件方式实现了一个基于政策的自组织多agent系统开发平台原型,并通过案例实现说明了体系结构、运行机制的有效性。