A New World of Communications in Higher Education and Its Implications

Author(s):  
Liam Phelan ◽  
Antony Drew ◽  
Andrew Yardy

This chapter explores the implications of rapid, seemingly continuous change in information and communications technologies (ICTs) for HE institutions and their education missions. The chapter begins by touching on long-standing debates around technological and social determinism, and technological optimism and pessimism, before exploring ways in which ICTs are deeply and increasingly tightly woven into HE institutions and practices. The review is centred on a series of overlapping and intersecting key questions, including (i) the influence of ICTs on educational access and equity, (ii) the opportunities and limitations of autopedagogy, (iii) tightly intertwined technical, pedagogical, and industrial matters, (iv) the evolving role of ICTs in surveillance, support, safety, and pedagogy, and (v) the potential for ICTs to accelerate the push for open access to research scholarship and data. The chapter will be of interest to scholars, policy makers, and practitioners with interests at the intersection of HE and ICTs.

Mousaion ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tinashe Mugwisi

Information and communications technologies (ICTs) and the Internet have to a large extent influenced the way information is made available, published and accessed. More information is being produced too frequently and information users now require certain skills to sift through this multitude in order to identify what is appropriate for their purposes. Computer and information skills have become a necessity for all academic programmes. As libraries subscribe to databases and other peer-reviewed content (print and electronic), it is important that users are also made aware of such sources and their importance. The purpose of this study was to examine the teaching of information literacy (IL) in universities in Zimbabwe and South Africa, and the role played by librarians in creating information literate graduates. This was done by examining whether such IL programmes were prioritised, their content and how frequently they were reviewed. An electronic questionnaire was distributed to 12 university libraries in Zimbabwe and 21 in South Africa. A total of 25 questionnaires were returned. The findings revealed that IL was being taught in universities library and non-library staff, was compulsory and contributed to the term mark in some institutions. The study also revealed that 44 per cent of the total respondents indicated that the libraries were collaborating with departments and faculty in implementing IL programmes in universities. The study recommends that IL should be an integral part of the university programmes in order to promote the use of databases and to guide students on ethical issues of information use.


2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (SPS5) ◽  
pp. 221-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michèle Gerbaldi

AbstractThis paper outlines the main features of the International Schools for Young Astronomers (ISYA), a programme developed by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1967. The main goal of this programme is to support astronomy in developing countries by organizing a school lasting 3 weeks for students with typically a M.Sc. degree. The context in which the ISYA were developed has changed drastically over the past 10 years. We have moved from a time when access to any large telescope was difficult and mainly organized on a national basis, to the situation nowadays where data archives are established at the same time that any major telescope, ground-based or in space, is built, and these archives are accessible from everywhere. The concept of the virtual observatory reinforces this access. However, the rapid development of information and communications technologies and the increasing penetration of internet have not yet removed all barriers to data access. The role of the ISYA is addressed in this context.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrián Pedrozo-Acuña ◽  
Roberto J. Favero Jr. ◽  
Alejandra Amaro-Loza ◽  
Roberta K. Mocva-Kurek ◽  
Juan A. Sánchez-Peralta ◽  
...  

Abstract. Childhood education programmes aiming at incorporating topics related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have gained recognition as key levers in the progress of education for all students. Inspiring young people to take part in the discovery and delivery of science is of paramount importance not only for their well-being but also for their future human development. To address this need, an outreach model entitled OH-Kids was designed to empower pupils through the development of high-quality STEM learning experiences based on a research project. The model is an opportunity for primary school learners to meet geoscientists while receiving the take-home message that anyone can get involved in scientific activities. The effort is part of a research project aimed at the real-time monitoring of precipitation in Mexico City, which is a smart solution to rainfall monitoring using information and communications technologies. The argument behind this effort is that in order to produce the next generation of problem-solvers, education should ensure that learners develop an appreciation and working familiarity with a real-world project. Results show success at introducing the role of researchers and STEM topics to 6–12-year-old learners.


Author(s):  
Timo Ali-Vehmas

Standardization is a crucial enabler of global business of information and communications technologies. Convergence of the underlying networking paradigms of licensed mobile communication and license-exempted internet has made progress, but full integration is still far from being complete. For standardization professionals, the unpredictable convergence makes decision making and participation in standardization complicated. This chapter examines collaboration in five closely related standardization organizations working in this field during the years from 2003 to 2008. The results show similarities and differences in collaboration structures and behaviours reflecting the specific scope and context of each standardization organization. Furthermore, this chapter extends the use of social network analysis as a tool to the field of empirical standardization research. The results pave the way towards better collaboration in standardization communities of converging mobile internet and beyond by providing better visibility and new insights to standardization leaders, policy makers, and users.


2011 ◽  
pp. 759-772
Author(s):  
Lucas Walsh

This article examines some of the challenges faced by local government during the development and implementation of a relatively new area of e-democratic innovation in Australia: e-consultation. E-consultation is seen as a valuable way through which a two-way relationship can be developed and enhanced between citizens and elected representatives. It involves the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs), such as the Internet, to extend and/or enhance political democracy through access to information, and to facilitate participation in democratic communities, processes, and institutions. Drawing on a case study of the Darebin eForum in Victoria, Australia, this article focuses on the role of public servants as moderators of this local form of e-consultation. The discussion has three parts: online policy consultation is defined within the context of e-democracy; some of the ways that e-consultation challenges the roles of the public service, elected representatives, and citizens are outlined; and the author then argues for an e-consultation strategy that is situated within a continuum of citizen engagement that is ongoing, deliberative, educative, and inclusive.


Author(s):  
Jose Aurelio Medina-Garrido ◽  
María José Crisóstomo-Acevedo

The case of Comitas Comunicaciones is a clear example of corporate entrepreneurship in the telecommunications sector. This firm was founded to offer telecommunications services in general and telecommunications services applied to telemedicine in particular. Comitas exploits business opportunities in the health care sector that no other firm is currently focusing on adequately. As the case develops, the technical and market difficulties that the firm has faced will become apparent. The role of the incubator firm is particularly important in this case, since it has provided Comitas with resources, capabilities, and technological knowledge that are complementary in the firm’s new activity: information and communications technologies services (ICT) to support telemedicine.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrián Pedrozo-Acuña ◽  
Roberto J. Favero Junior ◽  
Alejandra Amaro-Loza ◽  
Roberta K. Kurek Mocva ◽  
Juan A. Sánchez-Peralta ◽  
...  

Abstract. Childhood education aiming at incorporating topics related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have gained recognition as key levers in the progress of education for all students. Inspiring young people to take part in the discovery and delivery of science is of paramount importance not only for their well-being but also for the future human development. To address this an outreach model entitled OH-Kids, was designed to empower educators and pupils through the development of high-quality STEM learning experiences based on a research project. The model is an opportunity for primary school learners to meet geoscientists at the same time as they receive the take-home message that anyone can get involved in scientific activities. The effort is part of a research project aimed at the real-time monitoring of precipitation in Mexico City, which is a smart solution to rainfall monitoring using information and communications technologies. The argument behind this effort, is that in order to produce the next generation of problem-solvers, education should ensure that learners develop an appreciation and working familiarity with a real world project. Results show success at introducing the role of the researchers and STEM topics to 6–12 year olds learners.


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