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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Economic aspects of Digital divide'
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Soupizet, Jean-François. "Technologies de l'information et des communications, effet sur les économies en développement: une approche en termes de systèmes d'accès." Doctoral thesis, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/211357.
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Jeroen, Mulder Kasper. "Trade blocs and the global digital divide : a spatial panel data approach." Tesis, Universidad de Chile, 2015. http://repositorio.uchile.cl/handle/2250/142611.
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TESIS PARA OPTAR AL GRADO DE Economia AnalyticaIn order to get a better understanding of worldwide Internet usage differences, spatial interaction effects are added to a model explaining cross-country growth in Internet usage. The paper finds that ICT infrastructure growth has a positive and significant effect on Internet usage growth in one’s own country as well as in other countries. The findings suggest that the efficiency of policies aimed at decreasing the global digital divide can be increased if they are initiated on a trade bloc level. Contrary to earlier papers no significant role for income in explaining cross-country Internet usage differences is found.
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Kariyawasam, Rohan. "International economic law and the digital divide : a new silk road?" Thesis, Queen Mary, University of London, 2012. http://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/2683.
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The failure of the trade negotiations at Seattle, and the collapse of the negotiations at Doha have bought increased attention to the issue of development, aid, and the implementation of special and differential rights in favour of developing countries. This thesis looks to examine one aspect of the many issues facing developed and developing countries in the negotiations that lie ahead, specifically how international economic law can be used in the application of technological processes to help address the Digital Divide. At present, there is an emphasis on development and the needs of developing countries, and that such development needs to be sustainable. Research reviewed in Chapter 2 indicates that growing information technology levels leads to growth of GDP. Importantly the use of ICT‘s will foster growth in the trade of electronic goods and services (electronic intangibles). By making positive attempts to reduce the Digital Divide, DCs and LDCs will be in a better position to access the necessary ICTs required to help grow GDP and facilitate sustainable development. The thesis sets out various measures to help reduce the digital divide and founded in international economic law. Central to the thesis is a new Layering Theory that the Author argues will assist operators (both incumbents and Independent Service Providers) in the developing world to gain access to international backbone Internet networks at cost price, one of the main impediments to reducing the international digital divide. The Layering Theory sets out a procedure for accurately identifying the relevant market for providers of Next Generation Networks (NGNs) and services so that those operators who abuse their dominance by refusing to supply an interconnection service or access to a digital network can be compelled to interconnect their networks to those smaller domestic or third country Internet Service Providers (ISP) operators who require access. By gaining access/interconnection in this way, operators in DCs and LDCs will be in a much better position to take advantage of cheaper production costs to export electronic intangibles overseas. Also, the thesis sets out recommendations for reform of international telecommunications, new provisions on technology transfer to help DCs and LDCs access the ICTs needed to address the Digital Divide, including provisions on technology transfer found in the increasing take-up of bilateral and regional trade agreements—and if there is to be free trade in e-commerce—recommendations for reform of current WTO rules on the classification of electronic goods and services. However, the thesis also argues that the digital divide cannot be addressed without strengthening the human capital base in developing and least developed countries, and that this cannot happen without such states also giving greater effect to the enforcement of civil and political, and economic, social and cultural rights ―at home‖. The thesis asks whether it is possible to define a relationship in IEL between civil and political, and economic social and cultural rights as a collective for example in the form of the much debated and somewhat controversial Right to Development (the ―RTD‖ as defined in this thesis) on the one hand, with economic indicators, such Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on the other? And if so, how the RTD can be operationalised.
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Du, Preez Creswell. "Addressing the digital divide through the implementation of a wireless school network." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1298.
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Societal trends have changed more in the last decade than they have in the last century. This is particularly prevalent in the education environment. Concepts such as Lifelong Learning (the continued learning/educating of an individual throughout his/her lifetime), New Competencies (technology that is now part of almost every skill in the workplace) and Telecommuting (more people working from home rather than traditional offices) have become common-place today (Twigg, 1996, pp. 1-2). Education delivery needs to provide for these societal changes in order to ensure competent individuals pass on to the next level of education and ultimately to the work force. With key trends in technology such as Digitization, Maturation and Disintermediation becoming common in the workplace, education delivery must address the ―Digital Divide. (Twigg, 1996, pp. 2-3). Historically, schools in South Africa have used traditional teaching methods that have stayed the same for the last century. Educational institutions in South Africa, in particular, the previously disadvantaged schools of the Eastern Cape, face various challenges such as the dwindling ability to collect school fees from parents of scholars and declining financial support from the government. In Chapter Seven of the Draft White Paper on e-Education, which was gazetted on 26 August, 2004, the DoE, as part of its implementation strategies, urged the private sector to respond by implementing ICT initiatives nationwide. Phase 1 of the strategy advocated that ―Institutions are connected, access the internet and communicate electronically. (Department of Education, 2004, pp. 37-40). This dissertation shows that it is feasible to create a communications’ network among South African schools. It is believed that such a network can add great value to the education system in South Africa. The potential for this network to address the gap in the Digital Divide is enormous. This dissertation examines various ICT communications’ technologies and isolates wireless communications’ technology as best suited for this purpose, due to the speeds offered by the technology and the cost structure associated with it. A case study examines a pilot installation of the network and endeavours to prove the concept.
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Guermazi, Boutheina. "Bridging the digital divide : beyond the basic telecommunications agreement towards a global universal service and access regime." Thesis, McGill University, 2002. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=84211.
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A tremendous disparity exists between the few countries with expansive access to information and communications technologies, and the many others still lacking the basic infrastructure and unable to participate in the information age.While the current trade regime under the Basic Telecommunications Agreement, which forms part of the General Agreement on Trade in Services, offers many opportunities for developing countries, its potential for bridging the digital divide through increased flows of FDI is likely to benefit only those countries with large, lucrative markets. Global market failures would result in deepening the digital divide facing the poorest of the developing countries. Unable to come under the new liberalization paradigm, these countries are likely to be left even further behind.
A legal approach to bridging the digital divide requires going beyond the current trade regime and engaging in a new regime-building exercise. Drawing upon the domestic universal service concept, this thesis calls for a global universal service and access (GUSA) regime. Such a regime entails a new form of international cooperation that harnesses all available resources and includes the recasting of international accounting rates and a revitalization of official development assistance. It also involves institutional reform and reconfiguration through the creation of a new international financial institution, a Global Universal Service Fund (GUSF) as well as the strengthening of the role of the ITU as the custodian of the GUSA regime.
The GUSF would be an independently managed, politically balanced and internationally accountable institution. Because of its flexibility and its mandate to supplement market mechanisms and respond to global market failures, the fund would go a long way towards subsidizing network build out programs in the poorest developing countries, and ensuring widespread connectivity. The proposal is legally defensible under human rights law as well as trade and telecommunications laws, is economically justified under the global public goods doctrine, and technologically feasible given current capacity to connect the world and create the global village.
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Mackenzie, Lara. "Direct income tax and the digital economy." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/18047.
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Due to the nature of the digital economy, multi-national entities are able to trade in countries over the internet without a physical presence, they are setting up group structures across the world, housing intellectual property in tax havens and shifting profits between jurisdictions, lowering their group tax rates. This treatise considered the OECD/G20 BEPS Project 2015 Final Report on Action Plan 1 which discusses the nature, risks and proposed options to combat base erosion and profit sharing (BEPS). Although the OECD have made no recommendations in their report many countries have taken action to protect their tax bases. The scope of this treatise is limited to multi-national entities who avoid tax presence in a country or shift profits to off-shore entities in low/no tax jurisdictions. The aim of this treatise is to identify the risks posed by the nature of the digital economy to direct taxation and analyse proposed solutions to respond to these risks. A comparative study of the proposal and changes implemented in the UK, Australia and India was undertaken to gain an understanding of international thinking regarding the best way to combat BEPS. These proposals were then compared to the South African perspective in order to determine which of the proposals would be feasible to combat BEPS in South Africa.
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Sam, Msindisi Scara. "The development and implementation of computer literacy terminology in isiXhosa." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002155.
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Hammad, Faisal. "Bridging the age-based digital divide through inclusive design : an action research on the adoption of inclusive design in small e-government context." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2017. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/40159/.
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This research looks at using Inclusive Design as mean to bridge the age-based digital divide, by conducting Action research in a Local Council in the UK. Research on the digital divide looks at the inequality in technology access between different demographical characteristics. While this is very useful to highlight access inequality, it fails to address the steps required to bridge the gap. Some research even suggested that the digital divide is bridged and that research in this field is irrelevant. This is due to the narrow focus of some researchers about the digital divide. The focus should be not on whether older people possess Information and Communications Technology (ICT) products; it should be on how they use their products and what we can do to improve the person-technology fit. On the other hand, inclusive design has been a main driver to ensure that buildings and products do not prohibit people with disabilities from utilising the building or product. However, there is limited research about the extension of inclusive design practices in Information Systems (IS), particularly interface design and system design. Most of the current design guidelines and best practices do not provide a holistic view of the inclusive design process, thus leaving the designers on their own in terms of producing an easy interface for users, by just merely implementing the accessibility guidelines provided by the W3C to ensure inclusivity of the website or online service. Assuming that inclusivity is reached only by including screen readers and magnified modes to prospective users. The aim of the research is to provide a clear picture to discover the main challenges to Inclusive Design as well as provide a holistic and thorough inclusive design metric that allows designers to ensure that their proposed website or online service is inclusive of users from different age groups and capabilities. This design methodology can customisable according to the website or online service requirements, highlighting the important features to ensure inclusivity. Using Action research as methodology to investigate and improve design practices in a local council. The research employed a mixture of research methods to understand and intervene in the creation of an inclusive e-service during the implementation of the Care Act 2014 in the Local Council. First, semi structured interviews were conducted to provide insights of the changes that the Care Act 2014 which brought upon social care and the way that social care services are being provided in the county. Then, observations were performed during the design sessions of the online services in the Local Council to see how the design process is being carried out to ensure that the website is inclusive of all prospective users. Finally, when the website is fully developed it was tested on various users with from different age groups using the inclusivity index developed as part of the evaluation phase of the design methodology. In addition, interviews with older adults were conducted to understand the issues that make them using ICT difficult so the needs of these users were documented to help in the design process later on. The research indents to advance knowledge about inclusive design from practical and theoretical perspective. Practically, this research will help web designers and organisations looking to cater online services to as many people as possible and design methodology that fosters inclusivity. Moreover, this will help older adults to use online service by themselves, thus ensure that they can remain independent and exercise control over their needs from the government or otherwise. Theoretically, this research will help to shed the light on the digital divide and the ways to bridge this divide. By creating an inclusive design methodology that can fundamentally address the causes of the divide rather than just simply patch existing design methodologies.
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Stephens, Alexa Renee-Marie. "Atlanta's Digital Music Industry: Implications for Workforce and Economic Development." Thesis, Available online, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2007, 2007. http://etd.gatech.edu/theses/available/etd-07092007-093611/.
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Grošelj, Darja. "Keeping up with technologies : revisiting the meaning and role of Internet access in digital inclusion." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2015. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:5f5b5b31-2428-4723-b649-b3e8efd7356f.
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The ways people go online have been transformed by the emergence of new mobile Internet technologies. As modes of Internet access are becoming increasingly diverse, this thesis sets out to examine how various forms of access shape engagement with online resources. Inequalities in Internet access have been neglected in the "second-level digital divide" research, which has focused on differences in skills and usage. Thus, I argue that inequalities of access have to be revisited and their role in digital inclusion reassessed. To study individuals' arrangements of Internet-enabled devices and locations holistically and as a dynamic entity, access is conceptualised as infrastructure. Theoretically, I distinguish between material dimensions of access and social practices shaping access, and draw on existing models of digital inclusion to examine the role of these dimensions and practices in online engagement. Empirically, a mixed methods research design is employed, complementing longitudinal analyses of survey data representative of the British population with 29 qualitative interviews with British Internet users. This study contributes to our understanding of material and social dimensions of access and their impact on Internet use patterns. First, the conceptualisation of Internet access as infrastructure is empirically validated. Second, quality, locality and ubiquity are established as material dimensions of access, where offline social and economic resources most strongly affect inclusion in high-quality, multi-local and ubiquitous Internet access. Third, three specific practices encompassing how users develop and maintain their access infrastructures are identified: spotlighting, distributing and being stranded. They reflect differences in roles Internet technologies play in individuals' daily lives as well as differences in availability of offline resources. Fourth, the results show that, controlling for a range of digital inclusion factors, the access inequalities have significant effects on a range of online engagement types, but are most strongly related to commercial and communication uses of the Internet. In sum, this study provides a nuanced understanding of how different mechanisms underlie the development, maintenance and engagement with Internet access, depending on whether access arrangements are shaped by digital exclusion or choice. Specifically, by outlining critical differences among all-round, mobile-mostly, mobile-only and home-only Internet users, broader policy and research implications are also discussed.
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Langland, Elsa. "De äldres situation i det digitala samhället : Bibliotekets verksamhet för digital delaktighet." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för ABM, 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-225896.
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This thesis deal with how seniors treat and view the digital world, what their information seeking process looks like and what they perceive as the major obstacles regarding the usage of IKT and the Internet. The experience of the seniors is put in relation to how Uppsala City Library is carrying out the task to increase digital participa-tion. This operation is part of the Digidel network which during the preceding year concluded their campaign Digidel2013 which aimed to render 500 000 new users digitally participant. Following the campaign Digidel published a report on how to further work to increase the digital participation derived from the experience gath-ered from Digidel2013. This report is discussed and put in relation to the proposed measures of Jan A.G.M. van Dijk on how to prevent the deepening of the digital divide.This is foremost done by examining the field from the theoretical perspective of van Dijk in which the indi-vidual resources determines the level of access to the digital world bestowed upon the user. Through interviews with seniors and library staff it was made aware that the major obstacle towards digital participation among seniors is the lack of motivation for access, ultimately described by the varying resources. The temporal, cultural and mental resources were the major hindrances towards using IKT and Internet. Social resources also enabled access to the digital world without the need for seniors to become users themselves. Friends and family were utilized as intermediaries when seniors needed to search for information or use services.The starting point towards increasing digital participation needs to be based on the individual requirements and refer to decrease the obstacles perceived by groups in using IKT and Internet. The relationships between society and individual, and the digital and the non-digital world need to be mutual for all parties to profit from using IKT and Internet.
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Zewdie, Hailemelekot Negussie. "IT Strategic considerations regarding refugees and asylum seekers : A study of digital practices among asylum seekers in Umeå, Sweden." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för informatik, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-132124.
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The refugee crisis is currently a major world event. However, not much is known about the technology adoption and digital skills of those fleeing these conflicts and seeking asylum in foreign countries. To study this, a qualitative study was conducted in Umeå, Sweden. Data was collected through interviews, written responses and observations. The results show that refugees and asylum seekers have positive attitude towards digital technology adoption. However, they perceived digital technology primarily as tools to fulfil their recreational needs. A strategic use of technology for improving productivity was not evident. While formal internet skills were generally common among every user, most interviewees were not able to carry out more complex tasks, such as finding facts online, as they found it particularly challenging to select appropriate search systems and to construct meaningful queries. This research wants to contribute to the literature in IT and social inclusion. The findings reported here suggest that digital divide can be conceptualized as digital illiteracy because of lacking awareness over data management and information processing capabilities. Moreover, identifying the digital practices of these minority groups could be extremely meaningful for the digital inclusion strategy efforts of Sweden and for a better design of public services.
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Barreto, Luis Fernando Britto Pereira de Mello. "Uma análise da divisão digital no Brasil através da aplicação da aprendizagem de redes bayesianas." Universidade de São Paulo, 2012. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/12/12139/tde-18022013-175034/.
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Este trabalho buscou identificar como o Brasil está posicionado no contexto internacional da divisão digital assim como também os fatores que influenciam a divisão digital no país. Utilizando dados do cálculo do índice IDI disponibilizados pelo International Telecommunication Union (ITU) para 152 diferentes países obteve-se um modelo de clusterização a partir do aprendizado de Redes Bayesianas que resultou numa distribuição dos países em oito clusters. Este modelo foi alimentado com subconjuntos incompletos de indicadores correspondentes aos componentes do IDI para diversas subdivisões regionais brasileiras (regiões, estados, regiões metropolitanas/interiores dos estados e zonas rural/urbana), conforme a disponibilidade em diferentes fontes como a ANATEL, o IBGE e o CGI.BR. Desta forma foi possível inferir a que cluster mais provavelmente cada subdivisão regional deve pertencer. Enquanto a posição 64 no ranking do IDI coloca o Brasil em uma posição à frente de mais da metade dos 152 países incluídos, a concentração de diversas sub-regiões no sexto cluster coloca a maior parte do país apenas dois níveis acima dos países de pior classificação e a cinco níveis de distância dos melhores classificados. Já a análise dos fatores que influenciam a divisão digital no Brasil utilizou dados fornecidos pelo CGI.BR na obtenção de um modelo diferente de rede Augmented Naive Bayes para cada uma de quatro variáveis representativas de adoção tecnológica: uso da internet, uso do celular, adoção do comércio eletrônico e do internet banking. Como variáveis independentes, os modelos incluíram sexo, faixa etária, grau de instrução, situação de emprego, raça, classe social, zona rural/urbana, região e estado, sendo que as que apresentaram maior grau de influência foram a classe social e o grau de instrução. O conjunto de fatores selecionado demonstrou ser bastante preciso apenas na identificação da divisão digital em relação ao uso de internet, enquanto a utilização do celular, do comércio eletrônico e do internet banking não puderam ser totalmente explicadas, sugerindo a necessidade de mais estudos no sentido de identificar variáveis complementares que influenciem a adoção dessas tecnologias.This study aimed to identify how Brazil is positioned in the international context of the digital divide as well as the factors influencing the digital divide within the country. A clustering model was obtained by applying Bayesian Networks learning on data for calculating the IDI index provided by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for 152 different countries, resulting in the distribution of the countries among eight clusters. This model was fed with incomplete subsets of indicators corresponding to the various components of the IDI for Brazilian regional subdivisions (regions, states, metropolitan areas/state country sides and rural/urban zones), as available from different sources such as ANATEL, IBGE and CGI.BR. This way it was possible to infer the most likely cluster to which each regional subdivision should belong. The 64 IDI ranking position puts Brazil ahead of more than half of the 152 countries included, but with the majority of sub-regions placed in the sixth cluster, most of the country appears just two levels above the lowest ranking countries and five levels away from the top ranked. The analysis of the factors influencing the digital divide in Brazil used data provided by CGI.BR to obtain a different Augmented Naive Bayes network model for each of four variables representing technology adoption: internet use, cell phone use, ecommerce adoption and internet banking adoption. Gender, age, education level, employment status, race, social class, rural / urban areas, region and state were included as independent variables, with social class and education level showing the most influence. The selected factors proved to be quite accurate in identifying the internet use digital divide, while cell phone use, e-commerce adoption and internet banking adoption could not be fully explained, suggesting the need for further studies to identify additional variables influencing the adoption of these technologies.
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Johansson, Åhed Fredrik. ""Daglig dator" : Combating computer anxiety through daily online exercises." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för informatik, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-172720.
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It’s well known that the contemporary rapid development of technology has created a digital divide between those who adopt and use the emerging digital services, and those who don’t. The ones who fail to adapt to the new digital society, is at great risk of being completely excluded from it, which strips away both social, health related and economical opportunities. These people are often seniors, and multiple factors weigh in on their non-participation. One of the more common factors are technology relates stress, and in extension, computer anxiety. While there exists literature on how to reduce computer anxiety, it’s often linked to physical training courses that the user can sign up for. The purpose of this study is to explore a completely digital solution, based upon the loose principles identified by Dos Santos and Santana (2018). This is done through the creation and evaluation of a senior-oriented website, that offers the user daily exercises in basic computer management, knowledge, and safety, with the goal of reducing computer anxiety. The results show both that the principles indeed can be used as design guidelines, and that my design has potential, although some adjustments have to be made.
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Silva, Rodrigo Barbosa e. "Para além do movimento maker: um contraste de diferentes tendências em espaços de construção digital na Educação." Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, 2017. http://repositorio.utfpr.edu.br/jspui/handle/1/2816.
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Com o recente crescimento do interesse em atividades manuais baseada em tecnologias digitais, espaços de construção começam a fazer parte de projetos educacionais públicos e privados no país. Estes espaços são planejados, construídos e executados seguindo tendências transnacionais de construção digital. Esta tese contrasta propostas maker baseadas em FabLabs, na Maker Media, em críticas à tecnoutopia californiana e no FabLearn com objetivo de compreender as origens, objetivos e implicações de cada uma dessas diferentes propostas de tecnologias para a Educação. Considerando a sub-teorização do movimento maker em geral, que privilegia o fazer acima do refletir, esta tese apresenta conceitos de tecnologia baseado em Álvaro Vieira Pinto, de práxis e liberdade em Paulo Freire, e de bases social da técnica no campo de Ciência, Tecnologia e Sociedade. Trata-se de uma pesquisa descritiva de fatos e fenômenos em voga na tecnociência e educação brasileiras. Os resultados alcançados são uma abordagem crítico-reflexiva das diferentes vertentes maker, o contraste entre diferentes propostas de construção digital, uma contribuição a propostas progressistas de educação e a valorização e expansão da obra de pensadores nacionais de Educação e tecnologias. Conclui-se que a proposta FabLearn é condicente com ideias freirianas para Educação e que parte da falta de embasamento teórico do movimento maker em geral pode ser preenchida pelo pensamento filosófico de Álvaro Vieira Pinto e educacional de Paulo Freire, em uma perspectiva emancipatória e inclusiva da sociedade.Spaces dedicated to construction based on digital resources are taking part of public and private educational projects in Brazil as a result of the growing public interest in hands-on activities. These spaces are planned, built, and executed under transnational trends of digital construction. This Ph.D. thesis contrasts maker proposals, e.g. FabLabs, Maker Media, criticism to the Californian tecnoutopia, and FabLearn, in order to comprehend the origins, the aims and the implications of each one of these distinct proposals of technologies in Education. One considering the under-theorization of maker movement in general, which privileges the ´making´ over reflection, this thesis presents concepts of technology based on Alvaro Vieira Pinto, and praxis and freedom on Paulo Freire’s work, along a discussion of social basis of techniques on Science, Technology and Society Studies. It is a descriptive research about facts and phenomenons in an ongoing debate about Brazilian techno science and education. As results, it presents firstly a critical reflexive approach of diverse maker proposals, secondly a contribution to progressive education discussions, and thirdly the enrichment and expansion of national thinkers’ theories on technology and education. It concludes that FabLearn is consistent with Freire’s ideas of progressive education, and Alvaro Vieira Pinto’s philosophical and Paulo Freire’s educational thoughts can be filled in, based on an emancipatory and inclusive perspective of society, the theoretical gap of maker movement.
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Kunjuzwa, Dumani Tau. "Exploring user-driven telephony services in an information and communication technology for development context." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/546.
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There is a great difference that exists between people who have access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and those who do not. As a developing nation, South Africa is badly affected by the so-called Digital Divide. Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICTD) interventions are rapidly increasing in marginalized and rural communities in striving to bridge this digital divide. This research project is undertaken within the context of the Siyakhula Living Lab (SLL) which is an ICTD intervention at Dwesa rural community. This research investigates how audio-based services can be applied locally for communication and information sharing. This research aims to develop a user-driven telephony framework which will enable users to construct customized audio-based services. This aims to empower the Dwesa community for skill development and supports the user-driven innovation. The Internet and Telephones are the most popular technologies that are widely used in our daily life for purposes of communication and information access. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) integrates these two separate technologies (Internet and Telephones) to produce real-time multimedia communication services such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems. In addition, the ability of VoIP presenting information through voice plays a crucial role, more especially to those who do not have web visual access or those who are computer illiterate.
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Boutkhil, Soumaya. "A study and implementation of an electronic commerce website using active server pages." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2001. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1894.
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The purpose of this project is to design an electronic commerce site for MarocMart company. MarocMart.com is an one-stop shopping company for a number of high quality products: carpets, jewelry, pottery, wood, leather, metals, and fashion items, etc... Each article is unique, hand-made by Moroccan craftsmen.
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Anciaux, Arnaud. "Réinventer l’économie du journalisme : Ouest-France et Québecor, deux essais de transformation d’une pratique discursive et des modèles d’affaires des industries médiatiques à l'ère du numérique." Thesis, Rennes 1, 2014. http://www.theses.fr/2014REN1G005/document.
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L’essor du journalisme à une échelle industrielle à partir du XIXe siècle s’est principalement construit sur la mise en rapport d’investissements et intérêts nombreux, remise en question dans le contexte de l’économie numérique. Ce travail de recherche veut contribuer à la compréhension des transformations contemporaines du journalisme en s’intéressant aux conditions d’existence matérielle de cette pratique de production discursive, aux changements qui se déploient dans les organisations médiatiques ainsi qu’aux stratégies et discours qui sont mobilisés. En France et au Québec, cette recherche porte sur deux groupes médiatiques, Ouest-France et Québecor, impliqués notamment dans la presse écrite et se saisissant des problématiques liées au numérique depuis le milieu des années 1990. Les modèles d’affaires des deux groupes et les intérêts des différents acteurs se voient modifiés, sans que le journalisme ne parvienne à assurer une autonomie économique. Sa position de subordination se voit renforcée dans les modèles et dispositifs progressivement déployés. Cette transformation en cours, au sein des groupes industriels, se construit alors autant au travers de changements organisationnels que dans et par le discours. Ce travail repose sur des approches empiriques croisées, permettant une analyse documentaire au sein et autour des deux groupes, ainsi qu’une analyse du discours, fondée notamment sur des entretiens avec des dirigeants, cadres et travailleurs de l’information. Au croisement de ces approches, c’est la transformation du journalisme et de son économie qui apparaît, non comme un objectif à venir, mais comme un processus à l’oeuvre. Déployant ses priorités, elle se construit autant dans les investissements que les discours, et laisse des traces qui sont l’objet de ce travail doctoralThe rise of journalism at an industrial scale from the XIXth century was mainly based upon the economic alliance between several interests and investments sources, and which are now challenged in the digital economy context. This research aims at contributing to a better understanding of the contemporary transformations of this practice of discursive production, together with changes taking place within media organizations as well as strategies and discourses at stake. In both France and Quebec, this research focus on two media groups, Ouest-France and Québecor, notably involved in newspapers, and confronted with digital issues since the mid-1990s. Both business models and stakeholders interests are changing, while journalism does not manage to ensure economic independence. Its subordination position is somewhat reinforced through models and apparatuses gradually rolled out. This ongoing transformation is built through both organizational changes and discourse. This doctoral research was based on cross-Empirical approaches, using document analysis within and around the two groups, as well as discourse analysis. The latter was based in particular on interviews with executives, managers and information workers. This research design and the junction of these approaches reveal that the transformation of journalism and its economy appears not as mere goal to com, but as a process already at work. By leaving some records and traces, covered by this doctoral work, this transformation builds as well upon investments and discourses
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Dalvit, Lorenzo. "Multilingualism and ICT education at Rhodes University: an exploratory study." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003556.
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In South Africa, the linguistic hegemony of English over the African languages in the academic field reproduces unequal power relationships between their speakers. The present study shows that an intervention shaped by a counterhegemonic ideology can change the attitudes of Black university students, key players in spearheading social change. Usign statistical analysis and survey methodologies, this research explored the hegemonic role of English as the only language of learning and teaching (LoLT) in the discipline of Computer Science (CS) at Rhodes University. The study found that those speakers of an African language who are the most disadvantaged by the use of English as LoLT are also the most likely to resist a more extensive use of their mother tongue as an alternative. A group of such students were involved in the development and use of an online glossary of CS terms translated, explained and exemplified in an African language (isiXhosa). This experience increased the support for the use of African languages as additional LoLT, even in the Englishdominated field of study of Computer Science. This is an initial step towards promoting linguistic equality between English and African languages and social equality between their speakers.
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Atinuke, Jimoh Rashidat. "Investigating the use of social networking via mobile phone as an extension tool in small-scale (emerging) agriculture in selected farming communities in the Cacadu District." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/18398.
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We live in the era in which the internet is now available on the majority of mobile phones at a very cheaper rate. This advancement in technology has created a boom in the use of mobile phone social networking as a primary communication tool - not only for individuals but also commonly used by professionals in most fields. The trends and growing usage of social networking via mobile phone indicate a potentially effective new platform for increasing production especially in agricultural sectors. In this age of information technology, farming communities can be empowered with the latest information and knowledge through mobile phone social networking to enhance agricultural development. The study investigates the use of mobile phone social networking as an extension tool in small-scale (emerging) farmers in selected farming communities in the Cacadu District Municipality of the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Specifically, the study investigates the use of available mobile phone social networks; what they are used for; and the importance and benefits of social networking both generally and to the farming communities. The study further identifies problems inhibiting the use of mobile phone social networking. Other channels through which the small-scale (emerging) farmers acquire agricultural information, aside from via mobile phone, and the type of agricultural information these farmers acquire, are also investigated. This study focuses on the use - and not the testing or adoption of - mobile phone social networking in small-scale (emerging) agriculture. In the exercise to investigate the use of social networking apps via mobile phone, data was collected from 40 small-scale (emerging) farmers using a purposive sampling method. This study used a survey design, exploratory and descriptive research methodologies. Data was captured by administering a questionnaire through personal face-to-face interviews. Descriptive statistics such as simple frequency tables, percentages and bar graphs were used. From the Chi-square testing, it was found that agricultural knowledge levels, internet access and size of production farm land influence the use of social networking by the small-scale (emerging) farmers. However, the result of this study showed that gender, age, other income and educational level of the small-scale (emerging) farmers are not statistically significant determinants of social networking use. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was found to be 0.95. To establish the strength of associations of the variables, Cramer’s V ranging between 0.04 and 0.9 (signifying relationships from negligible to very strong association) was used. The findings showed that different social networks are used by the farming communities, such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Blackberry messenger, MXit, Twitter and YouTube. The various uses of these social networks by the farmers are discussed. The benefits and problems inhibiting their use are also outlined. Other sources of acquiring agricultural information by the farmers aside from social networking via mobile phone are examined. The result of the study shows that [agricultural extension officers, other farmers, farmers’ discussion groups, friends and family,] are major sources of agricultural information to the small-scale (emerging) farmers while other sources are television, radio, print media and result demonstrations. The study suggests that to enhance mobile phone social networking to ensure that timely and effective agricultural information is readily accessible to the small-scale (emerging) farmers. These include agricultural extension officers making optimal use of social networking via mobile phone, due to the strong interaction and trust between them and the farmers. This interaction can be instrumental in the effective use of this technology as a resourceful medium for accessing agricultural information to enhance productivity. Proper awareness and understanding of the potential and benefits of mobile social networking by the farmers will motivate the small-scale (emerging) farmers to use the technology for effective agricultural purposes. Also, ensuring the availability of agricultural information to small-scale (emerging) farmers by setting up on-line pages or websites to discuss matters of interest and educate and update farmers on agricultural issues should be encouraged. This may attract the younger generation and the youth to participate fully in agricultural activities - thereby enhancing agricultural development.
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Hlatshwayo, Thandeka Precious. "Application of information and communication technology in uplifting rural Dibate community in South Africa." Thesis, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10321/2541.
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Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree: Master of Technology: Entrepreneurial Studies and Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017.Different social classes of people in South Africa are divided, digitally. This phenomenon manifests as a disparity of information in ICT (Information and Communication Technologies), which is a matter of concern, as the use of ICT is acknowledged to greatly influence the world today, more specifically so in rural areas. An investigation to determine which factors affect rural communities’ access to information, as well as progress levels that can be realised in the support means employed by people resident in rural areas, through introducing ICT’s in their day-to-day living, thus addresses the purported ‘digital divide’. The study’s population was drawn from the Dibate Village community, located in Mmabatho in Mafikeng, South Africa. Recommendations from the findings, point out how ICT facilities can be utilised in the development of rural communities, not just socially but also economically. As main objective, the study evaluates and examines the use of ICT facilities for commercial activities, in uplifting the rural community in the area of Dibate Village. This study is of value to governmental and non-governmental organisations where improving both socio-economic development and service delivery is concerned, in South Africa’s rural areas.
M
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Sumbwanyambe, Mbuyu. "A pricing model for sustainable ICT development in a heterogeneous environment." Thesis, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8777.
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D.Ing. (Engineering Management)Promotion of ICT usage in developing countries, even under rigorous government initia- tives and policies, is a discouraging undertaking and a very di cult one. One of the many challenges government of developing countries is facing in the promotion of ICT adoption is how to incorporate a subsidy rate discount into a price model as expressed in the following sentiments: Until now, USAASA has used very little of the money in the USAF. It must justify its spending plans each year before it is given access to any of Information on how price a ects the number of users was generated by asking users on how much the spent on internet usage. The sensitivity of users was determined by asking users how many hours they spent on the internet. Analysis of the information gathered showed that there was a substantial amount of money in USAASA and ZICTA co ers which was not utilized. Furthermore users expressed desire to have their prices subsidized. In rural areas internet prices were more expensive, on comparative terms, than those in the urban areas. Analysis of data or results concerning the price and the number of users showed that there was a positive relationship between the number of users and the price of the internet service. The relationship showed that a low price attracted a lot of users, while a high price attracted few users or none at all. The mathematical analysis of the pricing model proved that at a certain subsidy discount rate and price sensitivity, the model was able to reach equilibrium while maximizing the ISP's revenue. In conclusion the price of internet services for the information \have nots" depend on the price sensitivity and the level of subsidy given by the government. the funds". \Universal access of ICT services with particular reference to rural areas is an issue that has been on the agenda of most countries in the whole world today. You are aware that while some countries are currently e ectively extending services to rural areas using various means, others have found this challenging and have ended up with unutilized funds in the banks". Subsidies, though seen as the means of promoting social and economic agendas in developing countries, can create the tragedies associated with public resources usage or something-for-nothing resources. Given a subsidy discount rate or a low price, consumers usually anticipate a net bene t derived from free resources due to subsidy. Anticipation of net a bene t from such resources may generate a damaging rush from consumers to exploit the resource, which may result in the tragedy of the commons. On the contrary, when no subsidy is given, consumers face no di erential between the perceived utility and the price of the resource creating a no social and pecuniary bene t to users, as such very few consumers or users will utilize the resource. The contribution this research develops is as follows: To show the extent of ICT usage patterns in developing countries.To determine why ICT usage in developing countries is low even under rigorous government initiatives and policies. To determine how price a ects the number of users using the internet resource. To incorporate a subsidy discount rate in a price model for unserved or rural areas of developing countries. To proposes a subsidy driven pricing framework that helps both the internet service providers and users to maximize their utilities and prevent the tragedies associated with resource use i.e. the tragedy of the commons and the tragedy of the anti- commons. To apply a non-cooperative game theoretic model to investigate the con ict between ISPs and consumers or consumers in a heterogeneous communities i.e. the infor- mation \haves" and \have-nots". We de ne utility-based decision rules for both providers and users under varying prices and subsidy requirements. We provide a decision model under a non-cooperative, incomplete-information game environment. To investigates the properties of the NE (under di erent optimization rules) and to study whether there exists an optimal solution to the game. The basic hypothesis that this research addresses is: A pricing model, with correct subsidy discount rate allows for better resource usage (preventing the tragedy of the commons and anti-commons) and makes the attainment of the objective of \ICT access for all" more likely. The methodology used for collecting statistical data was a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods. The purpose of research was to collect data that would later be used to propose a pricing framework for heterogeneous communities. The strategy was to use three important variables in the subsidy driven pricing model to validate the hypothesis i.e. subsidy discount rate, the relationship between price and the number of users and the sensitivity (elasticity of demand) of users towards price. Incorporation of subsidy discount rate into the pricing model was driven by the fact that institutional frameworks such as universal service and access agency of South Africa (USAASA) and the Zambia information and communications tech- nology authority (ZICTA) were sitting with unutilized universal service and access fund (USAF). Additionally, users of internet services in underserviced areas of the two countries advocated for subsidized prices towards internet provision.
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Chisango, Grasia. "Technology challenges faced by rural women in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa: a case study in the Chris Hani Municipality." Diss., 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/13872.
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The study sought to explore technology challenges faced by some rural women in Intsika-Yethu and Emalahleni local municipalities, under the Chris Hani District Municipality, in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Available literature reveals that some rural women in South Africa and other developing parts of the world face technology challenges. The study is qualitative and focuses on two municipalities. Thirty-two women participated in the study. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus group interviews. Data were presented, analysed and discussed according to the themes derived from the sub-research questions. It emerged from the study that while most women in both municipalities were aware of ICT, they are however facing ICT access challenges in most areas of the municipalities. The findings do not depict the South African government national ICT policy goals which realises the importance of technology in the integration of services for the development of rural areas. Designing intervention programs for secondary school girls and some rural women, as well as monitoring and evaluating ICT programs in rural areas are recommended.Communication Science
MA ( Communication)
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Schleife, Katrin. "Empirical Analyses of the Digital Divide in Germany - Age-specific and Regional Aspects." Phd thesis, 2008. http://tuprints.ulb.tu-darmstadt.de/1086/1/Schleife_diss_final.pdf.
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The use of information and communication technologies (ICT/IT), especially the Internet, has boomed spectacularly over the last decade. ICT thereby have a strong impact on the German economy as a whole but also on the economic conditions of firms and on the private life of individuals. However, large disparities exist between different population groups with regard to their use of new technologies. Individual characteristics, such as education, age, and income can generate large access barriers. Recent data shows that individuals who are less educated, older, and economically inactive have lower levels of computer and Internet skills. Regional characteristics, such as the existing ICT infrastructure and the price structure of ICT goods, can additionally influence the individual access probability. In Germany, regional differences in the rates of Internet use exist between East and West Germany, between federal states, and between rural and urban areas. The mentioned differences in using new technologies are facets of the so-called digital divide. Since the Internet facilitates the availability of information and services as well as the exchange of knowledge, people who are not involved in ICT use can easily fall behind in social and economic participation. Employees and firms that use ICT are likely to gain exceedingly from increases in efficiency. Closing the digital divide is therefore one of the current political challenges and it is crucial to identify the dimensions and origins of the disparity in ICT use. This dissertation focuses on two main facets of the digital divide: age-specific and regional aspects. Firstly, I analyze how the computer use of older workers and their attendance at firm-provided IT training activities are related to their employment chances. Secondly, I study regional differences in the use of ICT in Germany by examining the individual probability of becoming an Internet user, while taking individual and regional factors into account. In chapter 2 of my dissertation, I study empirically the relationship between the computer use of workers with an age between 50 and 60 years and their employment status. The results of the multivariate estimation approach show that older workers are less likely to use a computer on the job compared with younger workers, thereby confirming the findings of earlier research studies. However, taking into account a possible endogeneity bias, further results do not provide clear evidence that computer use on the job induces older workers to delay retirement. In chapter 3 of this dissertation, I focus on the relationship between firm-provided IT training for workers aged 50 or above and their proportion in the firm. I thereby turn to the labor demand side and use firm data to further analyze age-specific aspects of the digital divide in Germany. As the original education is less recent for older workers and they tend to participate less in training activities due to impending retirement, the firms' adoption of new technologies can lead to a decreasing demand for older workers. Technological change is then supposed to be age-biased. My analyses of chapter 3 confirm a negative relationship between the firms' intensity of using information technologies and their proportion of older workers. The extent of IT use within a firm is measured by an indicator of a firm's IT intensity. This indicator is developed by combining various IT items, such as several IT applications executed by the firm, its proportion of computer users, and its IT costs. Providing older workers with IT training could be an appropriate means to reduce the negative impact of a high IT intensity, because older workers can get to know how to use these new technologies and can become more productive and valuable to their employer. The results of my multivariate analyses show that a higher participation rate of older workers in IT training provided by a firm is positively correlated with the proportion of older workers within the firm. While chapter 2 and 3 concentrate on age-specific aspects of the digital divide and their impact on the labor market participation of older workers, the focus of chapter 4 is on regional differences in ICT use at home. In particular for people living in rural areas, the Internet provides many advantages as it can neutralize two major barriers to rural economic growth: large distances and the lack of economies of scale due to smaller market size. However, investments in Internet infrastructure and services are lower in rural areas. Due to the resulting lack in the supply of fast, efficient, and inexpensive Internet infrastructure, the possibilities of accessing and using the Internet for inhabitants of remote areas are limited and they often cannot benefit from the possibilities the Internet offers. In chapter 4, I study the determinants of home Internet use in Germany on the level of counties as well as on the level of individuals. My estimation results confirm the findings of previous studies: the individual probability of becoming an Internet user is influenced by individual characteristics such as age, education, and income. In addition, strong and positive network effects are observable, particularly in the western part of Germany. Moreover, even after taking network effects into account, living in a rural region remains important, in particular in East Germany. In the course of the broadening use of ICT and the ever-growing digital content, applications, and communication opportunities, further considerable efforts need to be made to overcome the digital divide and provide all population groups equal chances to participate in the information society. The main contribution of this dissertation is to draw the reader's attention to age-specific and regional aspects of the digital divide in Germany and to identify requirements for policy actions with regard to closing the digital gap.
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Wigdor, Ernest Mitchell. "Inside the Black Box: Understanding the Role of Institutions in Bridging the Digital Divide." Thesis, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1807/26260.
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This dissertation is about the role of institutions in bridging the Digital Divide. Its thesis is that governments must encourage the consistently increased use of information and communications technology (“ICT”) if they hope to foster sustained economic growth. Superficially, the Digital Divide describes differences in ICT usage between rich and poor nations, but it is more profoundly concerned with poor nations’ integration into a global economy.
Intensive academic study demonstrates that four factors are critical to the relationship between ICT usage and economic growth: institutions; telecommunications infrastructure; investment in ICT; and human capital. The dissertation addresses three perceived shortcomings in the literature. First, proponents of institutions’ importance use the term vaguely, often obscuring important distinctions between policies, laws and institutions, thereby inhibiting detailed analysis. Second, many writers see the institutional reform needed for growth as an exceedingly slow process due to factors beyond governments’ control. Third, the literature does not adequately address which institutions are salient to the relationship between ICT usage and economic growth or how to create them. The dissertation attributes more precise meanings to key terms and contests the view that institutional reform can only proceed at a glacial pace. Its primary goal, however, is to identify specific institutions that help mediate the relationship and to suggest how they might be built relatively quickly.
Good institutions can create the enabling environment that allows for the building of telecommunications infrastructure, investment in ICT goods and services and the development of human capital to lead to economic growth. The analysis of institutions identifies several salient institutions and concludes that the manner in which they are designed often determines their effectiveness. Case studies of Singapore and Malaysia examine their successful, but divergent, development paths. Their different rates of development can be attributed, in part, to the quality of their institutions.
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Schleife, Katrin [Verfasser]. "Empirical analyses of the digital divide in Germany : age-specific and regional aspects / vorgelegt von Katrin Schleife." 2008. http://d-nb.info/99385351X/34.
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Cassell, Christopher J. "Computer and internet usage in rural clubs : are members digitally divided?" Thesis, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/1957/28448.
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Lower rates of computer adoption and usage in rural areas has
been called a "digital divide." This work explores the current state of
connectivity within a rural town of the Pacific Northwest with a
quantitative and qualitative overview of computer usage and access
within civic and activity clubs, ranging from town's Rotarians to its
bowling leagues. An Anthropological Rapid Appraisal Process (RAP)
leverages focus groups, mini-surveys and ethnographic methods within
the clubs to explore the topography of the digital divide. Civic clubs with
younger, higher-income, better-educated members have higher rates of
e-mail penetration (93%-56%) while activity clubs fare far worse on
average (28%). Research establishes a link between club demographics
and e-mail penetration rates, by showing that older clubs report less e-mail
usage.
This work explores the conditions that exacerbate the digital divide
as well as highlighting those which may mitigate it. Variables include the
presence or absence of technological leadership and the nature of ties to
corporate and/or national organizations. Additionally, research shows
that rural settings limit and structure the opportunities for computer skill acquisition. Civic clubs are increasingly reliant on computer-mediated
communication (CMC) and computer-mediated information (CMI)
sources and correspondingly, also upon the computer proficient members
who can manage websites, or create and distribute electronic bulletins.
"New media" is challenging traditional club norms and favors the
contributions of more technological literate members, while handicapping
the participation of non-computer using members. Beyond the hyped-up
prospects of increased efficiency and communication amongst
geographically dispersed members of such clubs, the technology is also
creating new forms of exclusion. Recommendations include: 1) a
technology decision-making process that ensures consensus among club
members by including non-users; 2) creative capacity-building to support
computer usage; and 3) by-laws which ensure that members are not
marginalized because of a current or chronic lack of computer usage.
This work grounds expectations of new technology, by providing a factual
account of computer usage within clubs and exploring how clubs are
using computers to facilitate their activities.Graduation date: 2003
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Singh, Sachil. "The political economy of Africa's cyberspace : understanding how South Africa's government policies on digital technologies are appropriated and influence development at grassroots level in Maputaland, KwaZulu-Natal." Thesis, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/395.
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Fan, Xiang. "A new blueprint for new digital technology adoption in the mining industry using a systems thinking approach." Thesis, 2019. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/29094.
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A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Engineering 2019Successful adoption of new technologies is critical for the improvement of efficiency and the enhancement of health and safety in South African mining industry operations. However, the process of new digital technology adoption in the South African mining industry has been slow and difficult. This research is aimed at addressing some of the problems associated with the process. As part of this research, a new blueprint has been developed to guide the commissioning entity through the entire process of new digital technology adoption and installation. The new blueprint will provide capability to monitor the quality of the work during adoption, as well as assessment of the outcome of the adoption by measuring the level of compliance for every activity performed by the commissioning entity during the adoption. The reliability of the new blueprint was verified by assessing the performance of the Wits Mining Institute (WMI) in its installation project of the Schauenburg system. The outcome of the new blueprint verification reveals poor planning and inadequate preparation during the installation of this project. The outcome also indicates that application of the new blueprint will reduce the problems associated with the adoption and speed up new digital technology adoption and its installation for better functionality.
NG (2020)
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Adams-Means, Carol L. "The knowledge age: African Americans in the information society." Thesis, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/2152/2805.
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Jeong, Bun-hee. "South Korean universal service and Korean reunification: a policy analysis." Thesis, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/2152/2028.
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Lebele, Ayanda Agnes. "Access and usage of information and communications technology thorough public access centres in Letlhakeng rural village in Botswana." Thesis, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/21727.
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This dissertation acknowledges that despite the global initiatives towards an inclusive information society, there are still some disparities in how communities access and use the information and communication technologies (ICTs) that are available. These disparities, or digital divide, have been interpreted and addressed from different interrelated theoretical view points. The provision of ICTs through public access centres has been widely applauded as one of the strategies to enable especially disadvantaged communities to participate in today‟s information led economy. Botswana has adopted the just noted approach. The country has also developed policies and supportive infrastructure to enable especially the rural communities to be part of the global information society. It is however regrettable that access and usage of ICT‟s is still notably low in rural communities. The concern over this worrisome situation motivated this study to explore the factors that enabled or inhibited access and use of ICTs that were available to the Letlhakeng community through public access centres. This descriptive case study was conducted in four sequential stages: designing, conducting the research, data analysis and development of conclusions. The study was characterized by a continued comparative analysis of data which was collected through interviews; observation and review of related documents from the service providers; the users and non users of the services. The Letlhakeng community had access to ICTs through individually owned stand alone centres and from government supported centres. These centres were used by both residents of Letlhakeng and people from nearby villages. The factors that promoted or inhibited access and use of the available ICTs differed within and between these communities. Despite the observed digital divide, the Letlhakeng community used the ICT public centres to access social services. There is a need to develop strategies to increase access to more technologies in the village and to equip the communityInformation Science
D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)
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Opas, Matthew E. "An exploration of information and communication technology use on the part of Eritrean refugees in Rome, Italy." Thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1957/30038.
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Thesis explores the ways in which Information and Communication Technology (ICT)use, specifically that of telephones and the Internet, impacts the lives of Eritrean refugees in Rome, Italy. Informal interviews, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation were carried out in a 'center of second reception.' Results show that information obtained through the use of ICT acts on the imaginations of refugees, encouraging or discouraging movement to alternative locations. ICT use can help maintain a sense of emotional "closeness" to family members abroad for some,
but not for others. Limitations in access to ICT exist for the refugees and their families in Eritrea that crosscut multiple socio-demographic categories. Finally, surveillance, enacted through ICT use, negotiates power between the Eritrean state and its subjects in the diaspora.Graduation date: 2012
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Katalin, Bordasne Tako Tasno. "Teaching information literacy skills. A comparative analysis : Teachers’ understanding of information literacy in Norway and Hungary." Thesis, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hb:diva-12893.
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The aim of this Master’s thesis is to examine how teachers of primary school students view the concept of information literacy and their classroom practices related to this subject. In addition, the study was designed to compare teachers’ understanding of information literacy in two European countries, Norway and Hungary. In spite of the fact that both countries are European developed countries with a similar culture and educational purposes, the economic difference can affect their possibilities to profit from the rapidly developing internet and information technologies. This study investigates the assumption that the differences between teachers’ answers in the two countries will be more and more significant on each further step of Van Dijk’s model of access: motivational, material, skills, and usage access. The study has a socio-economic perspective and the empirical data was collected through quantitative web-based questionnaire. The findings indicate that most of the teachers have a good understanding of the concept of information literacy and they are aware of the importance of information literacy skills to some level. Exploring the teachers’ classroom practices, I found that they do teach information literacy skills, and they do have classroom practices which can facilitate the improvement of information literacy skills, but there is a difference between the Norwegian and Hungarian teachers’ practices. The findings of the study confirm my initial assumption and are consistent with the pattern that I would expect to find according to the Van Dijk’s model, and thus, with the influence of the socio-economic features on teachers’ view on information literacy and their classroom practices related to teaching information literacy skills.
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Lee, Sook-jung 1972. "The Internet and adolescent social capital: who benefits more from Internet use?" Thesis, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2152/3737.
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The purpose of this study was (1) to capture the digital divide in adolescent specific computer and online activities, and (2) to understand each online activity's meanings in adolescent social development or social capital. To assess the issue of the digital divide, the present study examined the sociodemographic, neighborhood, family, and child characteristic factors which influence each type of computer and online activity. To identify how online and computer activities can influence social capital, the present study examined diverse outcomes related to social capital which could be obtained from each online activity, and tested models explaining the relationships among sociability, Internet use, and social outcomes. The data used in the present study came from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Child Development Supplement. The sample was 1,312 adolescents ages 12 to 18. This nationally representative dataset includes measures of computer and Internet use, diverse indicators of adolescent social behaviors and social relations, and time diaries that provide records of how and with whom they spent their time. The data were analyzed by regression and structural equation modeling. According to the findings, social economic status including family income to needs ratio, parental education, and neighborhood quality was a significant factor explaining frequent use of the Internet and a computer. However, among users, these factors were not significant in predicting the amount of time spent using a computer. Race, maternal employment, gender, and age explained adolescent different type of computer and Internet use. Analysis of the social impacts of Internet and computer use suggests that Internet and computer use have different impacts depending on the purpose individuals use them for and social outcomes examined. For instance, while adolescent Internet use for educational purposes was related to cohesive relationships with parents, their use of online communication was associated with cohesive friendship and school connectedness. Furthermore, it supports the rich get richer model, indicating that those who have strong social ties will have an increased ability to enhance their social capital by using the Internet and a computer as tools for social interaction than those who have weak social ties.
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Govender, Preethma. "An investigation into challenges to implementation of broadcast in electronic commerce strategy in South Africa." Thesis, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/2278.
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Broadcast, infrastructure and services play an essential role in both the modernization and social development of a nation. They have become indispensable to enabling countries to compete on equitable terms in an international community, which is now governed by interdependence and by the imperatives of a global economy. They are therefore critical to the achievement of Africa's recovery. In Africa, the broadcast arena or region offer a diverse range of business opportunities and tremendous scope for expanding both basic and advanced telecommunication servIces. This unique event will be the perfect meeting point for key players from industry and governments of the region. It will be a real opportunity for us to help bridge the Digital Divide and to bring modern communications services within reach of all of Africa's or sub-Saharan Africa or South Africa. The digital divide refers to the unequal distribution of access to information technology resources within or between countries. The digital divide is exacerbated by among other factors, income level, employment inequity, disparities in infrastructure development, racial discrimination, social status, gender inequalities lack of access to information , geographic location, an political influence . The divide creates an environment where disadvantaged groups are unable to contribute to and benefit from the information age and global communities created by the Internet in Sub-Saharan Africa ,efforts to bridge the digital divide mistakenly put great emphasis on 11 the digital imbalance between the rich North and the poor South, and often do not consider the gaps within individual countries. This narrow perception alienates the indigenous knowledge component from efforts to bridge the divide. (Scecsal 2002 The need to extend access to services to all South Africans, in order to integrate our country into the world economy, South Africa has made dramatic improvements in the development of a modem communication infrastructure previously denied to the majority. This study will provide the ideal research opportunity to investigate and appraise new products and services and also to explore the possibilities of acquiring the very latest in broadcast technology. This will be the ultimate networking opportunity, which may give us all a clearer vision of the future. Together, let us add strength and speed to Africa's efforts to Bridge the Digital Divide.Thesis (MBA) - University of Natal, 2003.
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Sehlapelo, Martin Collin Abner Mmapeteke. "A framework for building an information society for selected countries in the southern African development community." Thesis, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/25070.
Full textAbstract:
Text in EnglishIn line with the World Summit on the Information Society and with the expectation that this would enable them to advance their development and improve the lives of the population, almost all the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries had developed national information and communications technologies (ICT) policies. The purpose of this doctoral research was to investigate the theoretical underpinning(s) of the national ICT policies of the SADC countries in order to develop a theoretical framework for building an information society for development. The research employed a grounded theory design, utilising the NVivo11 software as a tool to support the analysis of the national ICT policies for the selected 12 of the 15 SADC countries, as well as the interviews of five knowledgeable informants. Content analysis and open-ended interviews were the research methods applied sequentially to develop the Capacitating Theory for Building the Information Society for Development (CaTBIS-4D) for SADC countries, which is the core of the theoretical framework that this thesis proposes. The research found that building an information society continues to remain relevant for SADC countries, and its achievement is dependent on capacitating human, infrastructure and financial factors. Significantly, the research concluded that the perceived failure of the information society project within the SADC countries is due to the arcaneness or obscurity of the recognition that development and the information society mutually reinforce upon each other such that the improvement of one contributes to the advancement in the other. Based on the research findings and conclusions, this research proposes a framework that contends that to build an information society for development, it is necessary/ crucial to capacitate the human, infrastructure and financial factors by focusing on identified economic sectors and social categories within an effective governing and implementation monitoring environment. The research recommends that as the national ICT policies within SADC countries are updated and implemented, the framework proposed in this research be utilised as a basis. Furthermore, the research recommends that the broadest range of local role-players should participate in the information society development project to ensure its endurance and relevance.
Information Science
D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)
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Young, Destiny Assian. "Improving the adoption of cloud computing by Small & Medium Scale Enterprise (SMEs in Nigeria." Diss., 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/19212.
Full textAbstract:
In a traditional business environment, companies set up their organisation’s IT data infrastructure, install their applications and carry out the maintenance and management of their infrastructures. Whereas Cloud computing removes the need for companies to set up own data centers and run enterprise applications. Cloud computing technology provides businesses with the advantage of on-demand access, agility, scalability, flexibility and reduced cost of computing. An appreciable increase is being observed in the acceptance and migration to this new IT model in developing economies. In Nigeria, it has been observed that there is a somewhat unimpressive rate of adoption of Cloud computing by the microfinance operators. This research investigates the reason for the slow adoption of Cloud computing by SMEs in Nigeria with special consideration to the Microfinance subsector and to develop a model for improving the adoption of cloud computing by microfinance organisations. The research was conducted using a qualitative research design method. Interview was the main data collection instrument and data collected was analysed using thematic content analysis method.
The analysis of the study revealed that SMEs in Nigeria, with particular reference to microfinance subsector in Akwa Ibom State are yet fully to embrace cloud technology. It was discovered that most of the SMEs studied, has some level of reservation about cloud computing arising from not having appropriate education and enlightenment about the cloud economic offerings and potentials.
From the outcome of the research, the researcher identified that most people’s concerns are as a result of lack of knowledge about cloud computing and so the researcher concluded that appropriate enlightenment by industry stakeholders, cloud service providers, cloud enthusiasts and even the government on the risks and overwhelming economic incentives of cloud computing as well as the provision of a monitored free trial services will encourage the adoption of cloud computing by SMEs.College of Engineering, Science and Technology
M.Tech. (Information Technology)
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Makwara, Patience Tsitsi. "The use of social media marketing in telecommunication business: an exploratory study of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Limited." Diss., 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/27111.
Full textAbstract:
The study focused on the use of social media marketing in the telecommunication
business in Zimbabwe, as it has received limited attention in the literature available to
date. The study aimed to explore the use of social media marketing in a
telecommunications business- Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Limited. The study took on an
exploratory research design which was qualitative in nature. A case study approach was
applied with Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Limited as focus of being studied. Econet
Wireless Zimbabwe Limited was chosen because it is the market leader in the
telecommunications industry which has adopted the use of social media marketing in its
business. Data collection was done through in-depth interviews with judgement sampling
being used to choose the participants for the interviews. The data collected was analysed
using thematic analysis. It was found that Econet Wireless Limited is using social media
marketing to communicate with its customers, for their brand to be visible. They also use
it because it is an inexpensive way to promote their business with a possibility to reach a
large number of people in a short space of time.Business Management
M. Com. (Business Management)
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Kortekaas, Birgit Friederike. "Internet-based electronic payment systems." Diss., 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/858.
Full textAbstract:
As today, the traditional payment systems of cash, cheques and credit cards are being
supplemented by electronic cheques, electronic credit card-based systems, and token-based
systems, online security is of utmost importance and one of the biggest criteria
used for evaluating electronic payment systems. Electronic payment systems must
guarantee the essential security requirements: confidentiality, privacy, integrity,
availability. authentication, non-repudiation as well as anonymity and trust. This paper
compares the various payment systems (both traditional and electronic) available today
mainly according to their security aspects. Secure processing can be accomplished
including access controls and detection techniques, such as, encrypted communication
channels, user and/or message authentication, symmetric and asymmetric encryption,
digital certificates and firewalls. These effective security measures, which are outlined in
detail in this paper, will protect the information and payment systems against security
risks that currently threaten the InternetComputing
M.Sc. (Information Systems)
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Charbonneau, Olivier. "Émergence de normes dans les systèmes économiques et sociaux d’oeuvres numériques protégées par droit d’auteur." Thèse, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1866/19977.
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