scholarly journals An analysis of the policies of Information and Communication Technologies for Agriculture in Mali

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 100-117
Author(s):  
Macire Kante ◽  
Patrick Ndayizigamiye
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Documents ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Production Areas ◽  
National Framework

To harness the potential of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), developing countries need to develop national ICT policies that will serve as a framework for integrating ICTs at all levels of society. In the absence of that, different actors often engage in various actions for the same beneficiaries and in pursuit of the same objectives. That raises the need to define a national framework for the promotion and application of ICTs in the various production areas, particularly agricultural ones. It is for that reason that this study examined through qualitative methods (policy documents and semi-structured interviews) the national policy of Mali on the use of ICTs in agriculture. Data was analysed using the Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) method with the aid of NVIVO 12 software. The results showed that the country has two policy documents that articulate the country’s strategy towards the use of ICTs in the agricultural sector, that is, the Agricultural Orientation Law and the National Strategy for the Development of the Digital Economy. Further examination revealed that that these two policy documents are neither appropriate nor coherent in today's Malian landscape. This has resulted in an underutilisation of digital tools by agricultural extension officers which led to the low agricultural productivity in the country. This study recommended therefore the recasting of both documents to take into account the reported observations

Lecturers’ Role in Design and Implementation of E-Learning Processes

2020 ◽  
pp. 287-298
Author(s):  
Mārtiņš Spridzāns
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
English Language ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
The State ◽  
Ict In Education ◽  
Policy Documents ◽  
Strategic Approach ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
E Learning

The potential of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is playing increasing role in various pedagogical contexts. The necessity to integrate technologies in learning enhances educators’ digital competences is constantly highlighted in education policy documents European Union and national strategic documents and recommendations. Following the advance of digital technologies, the State Border Guard College of Latvia is constantly looking after innovations in ICT and education contexts. Since 2011 Specialized English language e-learning course for border guards is being implemented, other professional e-learning courses are being systematically introduced, currently 8 specialised qualification courses are available, on average 300 border guards graduate e-learning courses annually. Having in mind the continuous advancement of ICT in education contexts as well as the strategic approach of the State Border Guard College to continue the development of e-learning systems author of this article intends to describe the system of e-learning used in border guards’ training, explore and summarize the theory and best practices on using ICT in pedagogical context, educators’ roles in development and implementation of e-learning courses.

scholarly journals A Implementação da Telemedicina em Cabo Verde: Fatores Influenciadores

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Artur Correia ◽  
Vanda Azevedo ◽  
Luís Velez Lapão
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Policy Instruments ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Cape Verde ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Conditioning Factors ◽  
Information And Communication

Introduction: Telemedicine is the provision of health services, where distance is a critical factor, using information and communication technologies. Cape Verde has bet on using this tool to increase access of the population of its islands to specialized care.Material and Methods: Qualitative study, covering the period between 2013 and 2014. It uses document analysis, semi-structured interviews and focus groups to collect data and analysis of content for their analysis. The participant population includes doctors, nurses and professionals from some institutions related to telemedicine.Results: The priorities of the National Telemedicine Program are set, the cores and reference centers are operational, with trained personnel and equipment installed. Several other policy instruments and conditioning factors and facilitators of the program have been identified.Discussion: Telemedicine is contributing to the reduction of inequalities in access to health, in Cape Verde. However, the full adoption of a service based on a new technology depends on conditioning factors and facilitators, and several success factors of telemedicine, identified in the literature, are not observed and in conjunction with other existing weaknesses affect the overall development of the National Telemedicine Program. However the strengths and capabilities are highlighted opportunities to act.Conclusion: Despite the progress, some telemedicine success factors highlighted on the literature are not seen in the country.

scholarly journals Information and communication technologies and gender in climate change and green economy: Situating women’s opportunities and challenges in Zambian policies and strategies

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Justina Namukombo
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Participation Of Women ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
And Gender

Zambia’s 2012 report on the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (RIO +20) identifies existing opportunities on the country’s transitioning to green economy. The RIO +20 conference of 2012 has resulted in new momentum in addressing problems of sustainable development. However, this article argues that there are practical challenges that require paying attention to, especially those involving women. The article addressed one key question: To what extent can women participate in the transitioning process to green economy in Zambia and what opportunities and challenges exists? The study used document analysis to answer the above question. National policy documents were reviewed to understand interventions on environmental management. Whilst going through the documents, the study used gender analysis frameworks (education, skills, roles in family and society, access to infrastructure) to bring out qualitative and quantitative information on women. Using suggested green economy interventions in the literature as benchmark, qualitative analysis was used to project possible participation of women in green economy activities and possible challenges to be faced. The study found that participation of women will be limited despite existing opportunities because of challenges of access to information and communication technology infrastructures, low educational levels and skills and financial constraints. As Zambia undergoes a transitioning process, these limitations should be addressed in planned green economy policies and interventions to maximise benefits.Keywords: Green economy; Gender; Policies; Strategies; ICT; Zambia

Information and Communication Technologies in Turkish Agriculture

2005 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-53
Author(s):  
Kamil Okyay Sindir
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Knowledge Society ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Domestic Markets ◽  
Food Industries ◽  
Information And Communication

In recent years, the Turkish agricultural sector has had serious problems, such as lower yields, higher input prices, higher production costs and loss of competitiveness in foreign markets, all leading to reductions in both crop and animal production. At the same time, measures such as curtailment of state financial support to farmers and farming businesses, coupled with the increasing costs of production inputs including seeds, fertilizers, sprays, machinery and decreasing crop prices have negatively affected the sector and primarily the farmers. But, besides taking measures affecting structural change, it is also necessary to establish ways of ensuring accurate information exchange between farmers, agri-food industries and institutions for research and development if productivity and improvements in the competitive power of Turkish farmers within foreign and domestic markets are to be assured. The paper outlines the current situation concerning information and communication technologies (ICT) and agriculture in Turkey and the challenges facing the rural sector in striving towards a knowledge society.

How to Design a Virtualized Platform?

2014 ◽  
pp. 64-83
Author(s):  
Valérie Fernandez ◽  
Laurie Marrauld
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Collaborative Communication ◽  
Remote Management ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Interview Survey

In this chapter, the authors present the project “WITE 2.0.” This project is at the crossroads of various issues related to mobility (Urry, 2007) and use of Information and Communication Technologies. WITE 2.0 is a part of the designing process of a collaborative communication tool: “a virtualized and unified platform.” The authors define scenarios of teleworking practices, “equipped” by ICTs, and use these scenarios to better specify the platform. The project started at the end of 2010 and continued for a period of 18 months. The analysis is based on several complementary methodologies: a qualitative study (47 semi-structured interviews) and an experimentation of the platform. They present the main results of the interview survey through the following themes: remote management, skills, articulation of private and professional spheres, and the maturity of technologies. The authors also describe how these elements help the understanding of the evolution of workers’ practices.

scholarly journals The Impact of Mobile Phone Uses in the Developing World

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 20-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvain K. Cibangu ◽  
Mark Hepworth ◽  
Donna Champion
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Impact

In recent years, the rise of information and communication technologies (ICTs) contrasted with the dire living conditions of the world's poorest has been the subject of debate among industry and academia. However, despite the amount of writings produced on mobile phones, Western bias is surprisingly unbridledly prevailing alongside the fêted dissemination of mobile phones. Expansive literature tends to present the rapid adoption of mobile phones among rural individuals, with little to no indication of how local values and voices are respected or promoted. We undertook semi-structured interviews with 16 rural chiefs to inquire into ways in which mobile phones enabled socio-economic development in the rural Congo. Rather than using quantitative, large-scale, or top-down data, we sought to give voice to chiefs themselves about the role of mobile phones. We found that Western bias dominates the literature and deployment of mobile phones more than usually acknowledged. We suggested some paths forward, while bringing the African communal Utu or Ubuntu culture to the center stage.

THE PHENOMENON, CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF INTEGRATING ICTS IN MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (02) ◽  
pp. 335-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOAKIM BJÖRKDAHL
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Wide Spread ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Total Product ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
The Way

The rapid and persistent improvement in the performance and cost of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) with respect to their capabilities for capturing, processing, displaying, communicating and storing information provide abundant opportunities. This paper aims to explain the causes and effects of the phenomenon in which manufacturing firms integrate ICTs in their established manufacturing products. The study of this phenomenon is based on structured interviews with executives of 37 large Swedish manufacturing firms. The results show that the phenomenon is wide-spread among manufacturing firms, that the number of products that integrate ICTs is growing relative to firms' total product portfolios, and that the revenues from these products are increasing. Competition is a significant reason why firms integrate ICTs into their goods, but firms also want to reap the rewards of the value provided. Important here is that firms often find it necessary to transform aspects of the way they do business (business model) in order to create a better fit between activities that create value for their customers and activities that produce profits for themselves. They also try to find innovative ways to be rewarded for the value they deliver, mainly based on the provision of services.

scholarly journals Towards a National Framework for Digital Preservation in Nigeria: Technologies and Best Practices

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 146-155
Author(s):  
David Oguche ◽  
Asabe Aliyu
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Digital Preservation ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Digital Resources ◽  
National Memory ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
National Framework

The need for preserving digital resources (acquired or generated) by institutions in Nigeria becomes imperative in the wake of adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by these institutions. The paper advocates for a national framework for preserving digital resources for long-term or future use and to avoid the risk of losing national memory in this digital age. Technology emulation, migration and encapsulation are some of the digital preservation strategies discussed in the paper. The paper also identified two key national institutions that can drive the digital preservation initiative in Nigeria. Keywords: Archive, Preservation, Digital materials, Technology Obsolence

scholarly journals The cyber-learning paradox: facts, myths and expectations about the impact of digital technologies on learning and cognition

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 37-60
Author(s):  
Libert Alonso Vergara Novoa ◽  
Dany Andrey Latorre Mendez
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Learning Paradox ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Cyber Learning ◽  
Learning And Cognition ◽  
The Impact

The impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on learning remains one of the most controversial topics among scholars. There are experts who see them as the cornerstone of a revolution in education but others consider that ICTs have been overrated, as it was the case with radio and television in the twentieth century. This study attempted to analyze the potential and actual value of ICTs on learning and cognition, based on a qualitative content analysis that allowed to contrast the results of 150 research articles published between 2006 and 2021, with international reports and scholars’ contributions to the topic in discussion.

scholarly journals Too Old For Technology? How The Elderly Of Lisbon Use And Perceive ICT

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bárbara Barbosa Neves ◽  
Fausto Amaro
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Stratified Sample ◽  
Information And Communication

The elderly have traditionally been an excluded group in the deployment of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Even though their use of ICT is increasing, there is still a significant age-based digital divide. To empower elderly people’s usage of ICT we need to look at their patterns of usage and perceptions. To understand how Portugal’s elderly (65 and above) use and perceive mobile phones, computers and the Internet, we surveyed a random stratified sample of 500 individuals over 64 years of age, living in Lisbon. Of those surveyed, 72% owned a mobile phone, 13% used computers, and 10% used the Internet. The quantitative data was followed-up by ten qualitative (semi-structured) interviews. The implications of the results are discussed herein.   Keywords: Elderly, Aging, ICT, Ageism, Digital Divide, Mobile phones, Computers, Internet, Portugal, “faux users”

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