An Analysis of the Research and Impact of ICT in Education in Developing Country Contexts

Author(s):  
Nitika Tolani-Brown ◽  
Meredith McCormac ◽  
Roy Zimmermann

Rigorous evaluations on the impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on learning outcomes in developing countries is sparse and often lacks the methodological quality necessary to guide policymakers towards sound, evidence-based practices. This desk study reviews research undertaken to date on the impact of ICTs on learning outcomes in developing countries. First, a series of in-depth, structured interviews with a range of stakeholders, including policymakers and academicians, researchers, users and developers of ICTs, was conducted, followed by a global literature review of published and unpublished evaluations on the educational impacts of ICTs. This study found that while qualitative studies often highlight the benefits of ICTs for learners and other stakeholders, there is little rigorous research to support a causal linkage between student learning outcomes and ICTs in the developing world. This study concludes that decision makers in developing countries are guided not by evidence or data but by intuition and other influences when choosing to invest in technology in an effort to upgrade the quality of instruction in their schools. Finally, recommendations for future evaluations are offered while considering important lessons learned from extant research.

Author(s):  
Sylvain K. Cibangu ◽  
Mark Hepworth ◽  
Donna Champion

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.


Author(s):  
Erkan Erdil ◽  
I. Hakan Yetkiner ◽  
Burcu Türkcan

This chapter tests the impact of ICT on economic growth for underdeveloped and developing countries by using a panel dataset for the period of 1995-2006. The authors first develop the theory of the relationship between ICT and economic growth. They show that ICT-capital has a positive effect both on long-run and transitional income per capita, if it is considered as a factor of production. Next, the authors estimate a panel data set with 131 underdeveloped and developing countries under the assumption that ICT is one of the determining factors of economic growth. They find that ICT has positive and significant effect on economic growth even after the use of some control variables.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Mei Yuan Law

Higher education in developing countries is experiencing and embracing changes due to globalization and market development and advancement. In this regard, a review of existing works related to the current status and emerging trends of higher education institutions is useful to provide insight on the current researches. The paper is divided into several sections of the review. A general understanding of the context of higher education, the impact of globalization and higher education in developing countries are highlighted in this review. The paper provides a discussion, and a review of the challenges higher education institutions face in the Malaysian context as a developing country. Literature on the challenges related to student mobility, the academic profession, and information and communication technologies are presented. The fundamental challenges have made it possible to understand the state of higher education and stimulate further research, growth and development for the nation.


Author(s):  
Marian Pelletier

During the past decade, global communications have changed dramatically, as a result of the increased use of information and communication technologies (ICT’s). ICT’s are becoming increasingly necessary if countries are to compete on a global scale. It has also been widely acknowledged that ICT’s have the potential to play an immediate role in the quest for sustainable and equitable development in Third World countries. ICT’s allow people to collect, store, process and access information and/or communicate with each other. How people in developing countries use these technologies to solve problems, organize their activities and realize their own objectives will determine the impact that these technologies will have in the course of their development. ICT’s are realities and concepts that have become unavoidable for anyone involved in issues of development and sustainability. However, access for women and especially rural women to ICT’s cannot be assumed to naturally occur. According to various authors and organizations most of the positive effect of the “information revolution” has bypassed women. It has not been easy to determine whether women have benefited from the information revolution. There is also the consensus that very little research has been done on women’s information needs and access to appropriate information in developing countries. It is therefore necessary to examine the impact that ICT‘s are having on women and whether or not they are serving women’s needs and preferences. It is also necessary to examine ways that policies can be put in place in order to assure that women have access to the technology, which is necessary to fulfill their information needs. This chapter, using case-studies from Africa, will examine the above issues.


2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 64
Author(s):  
Angelina Totolo ◽  
Jaco Renken ◽  
Araba Sey

Abstract Objective – A study on the impact of Public Access Venue (PAV) Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) was conducted in Botswana libraries with Internet connections. The main objective was to determine the impact of ICTs in public libraries. Methods –Using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework as a theoretical lens, the study used semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions to investigate the impact of PAV ICTs in 4 study sites, resulting in data from a total of 39 interviews and 4 focus groups. Methods –Using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework as a theoretical lens, the study used semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions to investigate the impact of PAV ICTs in 4 study sites, resulting in data from a total of 39 interviews and 4 focus groups. Results – The results of the study show that PAV ICTs had a positive impact on users in the areas of education and economic benefits. Within educational and economic impacts, social benefits were also found, pertaining to the use of social media and the Internet for formal and informal communication. The study also revealed a slight difference between school going users and non-school going elderly users where the use and acquisition of computer skills was concerned. Elderly non-school going users tended to rely on venue staff for skills more than the younger school going users. Conclusion – The study recommends that PAV facilities should be improved in terms of skills offered and resources availed so as to appeal to both the younger school going generation and the older non-school going users. It is also recommended that education on ICT be improved to help curb rising unemployment in Botswana; such skills would enhance the income generation skills of the unemployed users as well as school leavers.


2021 ◽  
pp. 228-234
Author(s):  
Д.Г. Родионов ◽  
Е.А. Конников ◽  
М.О. Тихомирова

Сфера информационно-коммуникационных технологий (ИКТ) на сегодняшний день является одной из наиболее динамично развивающихся сфер в мире. Страны с сильнейшими экономиками мира вкладывают большое количество ресурсов в цифровизацию и интеграцию достижений отрасли высоких технологий в экономику. В рамках данного исследования предпринята попытка оценить влияние развитости сферы информационных технологий на показатели социально-экономического развития в группе развитых и развивающихся стран. ИКТ могут ускорить достижение Целей Организации Объединенных Наций (ООН) в области устойчивого развития, которые на сегодняшний день являются центральными задачами многих стран мира. Этим и объясняется актуальность выявления и исследования факторов, оказывающих влияние на развитие сектора ИКТ и использование сферы высоких технологий в достижении социально-экономических Целей ООН в области устойчивого развития. Для оценки влияния развитости ИКТ на социально-экономические показатели стран выбран метод регрессионного анализа. В качестве центральной переменной, измеряющей уровень развитости сферы ИКТ по странам, выбран показатель развития ИКТ (ICT Development Index). Полученные результаты демонстрируют положительное влияние развитости сферы информационно-коммуникационных технологий на социально-экономи­ческие показатели стран, в то же время в группе развивающихся стран влияние достаточно слабое. Результаты данного исследования могут быть использованы для формирования стратегии развития сектора ИКТ для стран с разным уровнем социокультурного и экономического развития. The field of information and communication technologies (ICT) is today one of the most dynamically developing areas in the world. The countries with the strongest economies in the world are investing a large amount of resources in digitalization and the integration of the achievements of the high-tech industry into the economy. Within the framework of this study, an attempt was made to assess the impact of the development of the information technology sphere on the indicators of socio-economic development in the group of developed and developing countries. Information and communication technologies can accelerate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which are now central to many countries around the world. This explains the relevance of identifying and studying the factors influencing the development of the ICT sector and the use of high technologies in achieving the socio-economic UN Sustainable Development Goals. To assess the impact of the development of information and communication technologies on the socio-economic indicators of countries, the method of regression analysis was chosen. The ICT Development Index is chosen as the central variable that measures the level of development of the information and communication technologies sector by country. The results obtained demonstrate the positive influence of the development of the sphere of information and communication technologies on the socio-economic indicators of countries, at the same time in the group of developing countries the influence is rather weak. The results of this study can be used to formulate a strategy for the development of the ICT sector for countries with different levels of sociocultural and economic development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 80-85
Author(s):  
Bekzod Bobomurodov ◽  
◽  
Dilfuza Akabirxodjayeva

This article has discussed the importance of information and communication technologies for the economy of Uzbekistan and the ongoing reforms in this area. The purpose of the study is to give suggestions and recommendations for the development of ICT in Uzbekistan. In the article, an analytical analysis of employment in the field of ICT has been accomplished.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document