M-Governance

Author(s):  
Hilda Moraa ◽  
Anne Salim ◽  
Albert Otieno

iHub Research conducted a study on 896 citizens to establish whether citizens raise alarm when faced with problems related to water. The study aimed to ascertain the communication channels they use to forward complaints to relevant authorities and the level of satisfaction obtained by the citizens after their complaints have been received. The study found that 68% of the respondents had faced challenges while trying to access their main source of water and were not able to complain to anyone about the problems affecting them due to inexistence of appropriate communication channels. A lack of understanding with regards to whom or where to complain was cited as one of the major reasons as to why most respondents do not complain about the water service levels. Majority of the citizens interviewed use face-to-face communication to raise their water grievances. Levels of satisfaction were found to vary when it comes to rating the action taken on water complaints raised. This study opines that with the emergence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) this scenario is poised to change. The study participants revealed that they are motivated to utilise ICTs to air their complaints with regards to their levels of service satisfaction. Emerging ICT applications, especially those accessible on mobile devices, provide a lot of promise for enhancing water service delivery in Kenya because feedback on water/service quality can be received ubiquitously.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Analía Roxana Dávila

It is proposed to analyze the scope and limitations that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) offer as collaboration mediators; and enhancers of innovative experiences in non-formal education spaces. To this end, it is proposed to implement a methodology mediated by ICTs to promote and achieve greater use of the guided visits to the interactive science and technology centers. The work contemplates, firstly, carrying out a bibliographic inquiry and background review of interactive science and technology centers in different Ibero-American countries and secondly, it is proposed to design a methodology to enhance collaboration mediated by technologies in the framework of visits to centers interactives and then apply this methodology to a particular case study to measure its impact. The experience will take place at the Open Science and Technology Interactive Center (CICyT) of the National University of Lanús and proposes, through a specific intervention, comparatively analyzing 3 types of guided visits: a) traditional in-person visit format, b) visit face-to-face with instance of collaboration activities without the use of technology, c) interaction mediated by ICTs prior to the visit, face-to-face visit with use of ICTs, and instance of interaction mediated by ICTs after the visit, which will then be contrasted with the antecedents and theoretical studies found in the bibliography.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0242457
Author(s):  
Tony H. Grubesic ◽  
Kelly M. Durbin

The availability of breastfeeding support resources, including those provided by Baby-Friendly Hospitals, International Board Certified Lactation Consultants, breastfeeding counselors and educators, and volunteer-based mother-to-mother support organizations, such as La Leche League, are critically important for influencing breastfeeding initiation and continuation for the mother-child dyad. In addition, the emergence of community support options via information and communication technologies such as Skype and Facetime, social media (e.g., Facebook), and telelactation providers are providing mothers with a new range of support options that can help bridge geographic barriers to traditional community support. However, telelactation services that use information and communication technologies to connect breastfeeding mothers to remotely located breastfeeding experts require reliable, affordable, high-quality broadband connections to facilitate interaction between mothers and their support resources. The purpose of this paper is to explore the complex spatial landscape of virtual and face-to-face breastfeeding support options for mothers in the state of Ohio (U.S.), identifying barriers to support. Using a range of spatial and network analytics, the results suggest that a divide is emerging. While urban areas in Ohio benefit from both a density of face-to-face breastfeeding support resources and robust broadband options for engaging in telelactation, many rural areas of the state are lacking access to both. Policy implications and several potential strategies for mitigating these inequities are discussed.


Author(s):  
Sylvia Archmann ◽  
Astrid Guiffart

This analyzes how Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can be used by governments to involve all citizens in society life through increased access to education, employment, public services, as well as participating in decision-making. Given the risks of deeper social exclusion associated with the lack of digital competences or capabilities, targeted measures to encourage ICT engagement may strategically be implemented to provide equal opportunities. Furthermore, digital technologies open up new communication channels that governments can use to deliver valuable citizen-oriented public services and foster social and political involvement. In order to reach inclusiveness and participation objectives, technology is obviously not enough. Some commitment to openness and transparency, as well as an effective assessment of policy outcomes range among the pillars of a successful approach to digital governance.


2010 ◽  
pp. 1921-1942
Author(s):  
Catarina I. Reis ◽  
Carla S. Freire ◽  
Josep M. Monguet

Nowadays, information and communication technologies (ICT) are being used in the mental health field to improve the quality of the services provided. Several studies refer both advantages and disadvantages for these practices. E-therapy appears as a new way to help people in their life and existing relationships, and there is proven evidence that online therapy helps, for instance, to reduce depression symptoms. It is also seen as a complement of the technological and traditional techniques, to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the therapeutic process. As a matter of fact, some people tend to be more comfortable with the computer than in face-to-face therapy. Besides patients and physicians, other direct players could be found in this domain, namely, families and caregivers. All players will be directly affected by the use of existing services and thus, a correct assessment of the effectiveness of e-therapy solutions and studies is required. eSchi is a multimedia portal that enables an e-therapy setting for schizophrenia patients. Currently under development, the system is described and future trends in the area are depicted.


Author(s):  
Catarina I. Reis ◽  
Carla S. Freire ◽  
Josep M. Monguet

Nowadays, information and communication technologies (ICT) are being used in the mental health field to improve the quality of the services provided. Several studies refer both advantages and disadvantages for these practices. E-therapy appears as a new way to help people in their life and existing relationships, and there is proven evidence that online therapy helps, for instance, to reduce depression symptoms. It is also seen as a complement of the technological and traditional techniques, to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the therapeutic process. As a matter of fact, some people tend to be more comfortable with the computer than in face-to-face therapy. Besides patients and physicians, other direct players could be found in this domain, namely, families and caregivers. All players will be directly affected by the use of existing services and thus, a correct assessment of the effectiveness of e-therapy solutions and studies is required. eSchi is a multimedia portal that enables an e-therapy setting for schizophrenia patients. Currently under development, the system is described and future trends in the area are depicted.


Author(s):  
Laura Zapata-Cantú ◽  
Teresa Treviño ◽  
Flor Morton ◽  
Ernesto López Monterrubio

During the last decade, improvements in information and communication technologies have made possible the transformation of knowledge transfer processes from purely informal to increasingly formal and more diverse communication mechanisms that enrich intra-organizational communication channels. In this chapter, the authors followed a case study approach to analyze three Mexican companies with the objective of understanding how companies in the IT sector are implementing digital technologies to achieve knowledge transfer in their organizations. The findings suggest that workers seek and choose tools that can be personalized and customized to adapt to their own needs. New digital technologies are proving to be a new and relevant channel of communication among people: therefore, these should be considered to be one possible way to motivate knowledge transfer at work.


Author(s):  
Kursat Cagiltay ◽  
Barbara A. Bichelmeyer ◽  
Michael A. Evans ◽  
Trena M. Paulus ◽  
Jae Soon An

Due to the increasingly widespread use of various information and communication technologies (ICT), individuals from different countries and cultures are able to learn and work collaboratively in virtual environments (Mowshowitz, 1997). Electronic communication tools, such as chat, e-mail, and the World Wide Web, now make it possible for students and employees to communicate and problem solve with colleagues irrespective of geographical location (Scott, 2000). One of the major downsides of this form of collaboration, though, is that members of a virtual team do not have the advantage of face-to-face interaction and communication. Instead they must rely solely upon an assortment of computer-supported cooperative-learning and class-work tools and strategies—some planned, some ad hoc—to coordinate resources (Bichelmeyer, Cagiltay, Evans, Paulus, & An, 2004). Unfortunately, little research has been conducted to systematically investigate the dialectic between culture and computermediated communication (CMC). There is currently an insufficient understanding of how individual learning and work, cultural features, and CMC mutually influence one another in a purposeful, virtual setting.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco D. Guillén-Gámez ◽  
María J. Mayorga-Fernández

The aim of this research is to analyse the attitudes towards information and communication technologies (ICT) of higher education teachers from an affective, cognitive and behavioural model for teaching and research. It also aimed to explore different factors that can predict such attitudes. A non-experimental study was proposed using a survey technique and descriptive and inferential analyses were carried out using a multiple linear regression model (MLR). In total, the sample was formed by 867 university professors from Spain belonging to different areas of knowledge. The results show that these teachers have a medium total attitudinal level, so the lowest attitudes have been represented by the behavioural ones, followed by the affective ones. Regarding the predictor variables, variables that can predict such attitudes were found to be age, participation in projects, gender and teaching in face-to-face and/or online universities (ordered from highest to lowest priority).


Comunicar ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (39) ◽  
pp. 193-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susana Agudo-Prado ◽  
Ángeles Pascual-Sevillana ◽  
Javier Fombona

A «multiage» society needs the design and creation of new areas of learning and communication to manage the digital demands of the elderly. In this article, the relation of the elderly to information and communication technologies (ICT) is approached and two objectives are considered: to discover the technological resources they use and to objectively describe the types of usage that senior citizens make of ICT. To that end, a survey technique is used, with the results validated by means of discussion groups. The study participants consisted of 215 elderly people, all ICT users, and 7 discussion groups of 5 people each. The results indicate that the resources most widely used by the elderly are computers and the Internet, and the type of usage is grouped into 4 categories: education, information, communication and entertainment. There were no significant differences in gender or age although differences were found in the availability of these resources for private use based on the level of education. Una sociedad «multiedades» supone diseñar y crear nuevos espacios de aprendizaje y comunicación, capaces de gestionar la demanda existente por parte de las personas mayores. En este artículo, se aborda la relación de las personas mayores con las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) y para ello se plantean dos objetivos: el primero va dirigido a conocer los recursos tecnológicos que utilizan y el segundo, a describir objetivamente los tipos de uso que estas personas hacen de las TIC. Para ello, se utiliza la técnica de encuesta, cuyos resultados son contrastados mediante grupos de discusión. En el estudio participaron 215 personas mayores usuarias de las TIC y siete grupos de discusión de cinco personas cada uno. Los resultados encontrados indican que los recursos que más utilizan los mayores son, los ordenadores e Internet y el uso que hacen de los mismos se ha agrupado en cuatro grandes categorías: formación, información, comunicación y entretenimiento, no encontrándose diferencias significativas en función del género o de la edad y sí se encontraron diferencias en cuanto a la disponibilidad de dichos recursos para uso particular en función del nivel de estudios.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 1167-1184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Ball ◽  
Jessica Francis ◽  
Kuo-Ting Huang ◽  
Travis Kadylak ◽  
Shelia R. Cotten ◽  
...  

Older adults are the most digitally divided demographic group. The present study explores how older adults perceive the physical use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), particularly across generations and contexts. Data for the present study come from nine focus groups. Seniors acknowledge that ICTs help them connect with geographically distant social ties, but that they lead to feelings of disconnection with geographically close social ties. We label this phenomenon the “physical–digital divide,” which exists when a group feels ostracized or offended when those around them engage with ICTs while they themselves are not or cannot engage with ICTs. Younger generations are often referred to as “digital natives” and older generations as “digital immigrants.” A more apt label for older adults may be “physical natives,” as their preferred method of communication involves physical face-to-face interactions and traditional codes of etiquette. Suggestions are made for reducing the physical–digital divide.


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