Rethinking Religious Practice and Activities through the lenses of Information and Communication Technologies in the era of the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.Z Ramorola
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Religious Practice ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Religious Organizations ◽  
Religious Activities ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Information And Communication

There has been a steady rise in the practice and performance of religious activities within the cyberspace since the 1980s. Many pastors have embraced the use of technology in their religious and ministerial practices. However, what would be more critical is to understand how technology, once adopted and operational would assume the function of support and fulfil religious members’ spiritual, emotional and social needs. This paper discusses technology use in religious organizations, particularly during the lockdown period of Covid-19 between March 2020 to the July 2021. The article uses South Africa as a research context to explore technology use and its role to address the challenges of support, space and practice. The paper employed a qualitative interpretive paradigm to source data from six members from different religious organizations in South Africa. Three themes arose from the data: information and communication technologies provide space for religious member to network; information and communication media facilitate religious practice and activities; and information and communication technologies enhance management of resources.

scholarly journals Technology Use by Urban Local Bodies in India to Combat the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-115
Author(s):  
Falguni Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Civil Liberties ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
First Case ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Central Government Agencies

This article provides a comprehensive review of the use of information and communication technologies by urban local bodies in India in their war against the COVID-19 pandemic based on a detailed survey conducted during the pandemic period. India reported its first case of COVID-19 in late January, and government authorities have been on a war footing since then to curb the spread of the virus. Following a tradition that has been instilled within government agencies since the Modi Government came into power in 2014, local, state, and central government agencies turned to a widespread use of geospatial, surveillance and information and communication technologies as part of a strategy to monitor and track movement, manage individuals, and enforce quarantine norms. However, several important questions arise from the blind use of technology that remain unanswered. The use of technology by government agencies raise key questions on privacy, civil liberties, and suitability and viability of their use.

scholarly journals Examination of School Principals' Use of Technology and Individual Innovation Behaviors from the Perspectives of Female Teachers

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 30-41
Author(s):  
Pınar MERT
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Research Method ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Educational Effectiveness ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Female Teachers ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Information And Communication

Concepts related to information and communication technologies such as technology use and individual innovation have recently become important concepts to increase educational effectiveness. Therefore, this study aims to examine school principals' use of technology and individual innovative behaviours of female teachers. The qualitative research method and phenomenology design were used in the research. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and twenty female teachers working in secondary schools in Ümraniye, Üsküdar, and Ataşehir participated in the study. The data were analysed with content analysis. The main themes resulting from the determined codes are ‘technological goals’, ‘pioneering behaviours’, ‘non-innovative behaviours’, ‘creative behaviours’, ‘traditionalist behaviours’, and ‘encouraging behaviours’.

Epidemiology and Phenomenology of Compulsive Use of Technology: The Technological Saturation of South African Youth

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Blessing Mbatha ◽  
Blessed Ngwenya
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Pathological Internet Use ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Compulsive Use

Modern technological advancements are increasingly reconstituting virtually every facet of social interaction. While technology plays a significant role in many people’s lives, it appears to pose interminable drawbacks, especially among the youth. This article seeks to go beyond emphasising the utopia wrought by these disruptive innovations, by looking at how technologically saturated South Africa’s youth are. This study took a qualitative approach. Focus group interviews encapsulated the viewpoints of the target population selected from four multipurpose community centres in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa. Grohol’s model of pathological internet use was found relevant to determine the compulsive use of technology by the youth in South Africa. Data analysis was done using thematic categorisation. The findings show that the youth have adopted a variety of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for different purposes. Findings also reveal that technology advancements not only offer an easier and quicker way to share information, but also contribute to sociability by providing a way to communicate with distant friends and family. Notwithstanding the negative side of technology, ICTs have positive impacts on today’s youth, namely bringing people together as well as enhancing their social and educational abilities. However, if used without discretion, technology can create a less interactive generation. The youth seem to be so fixated on technology that it affects their social life. It can be concluded that South Africa’s youth are saturated by technology. However, this saturation comes with both negative and positive consequences; some have become technologically savvy while others seem to be negatively affected.

Challenges Posed by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for South African Higher Education Institutions

10.28945/2679 ◽  
2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
ME Herselman ◽  
HR Hay
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Revolutionary Change ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Teaching Learning

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are the major driving forces of globalised and knowledge-based societies of a new world era. They will have a profound impact on teaching and learning for two decades to come. The revolutionary change which is taking place in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), has dramatic effects on the way universities carry out their functions of teaching, learning and research, particularly on the creation, dissemination and application of knowledge. These developments pose unprecedented challenges to higher education institutions (HEIs) in developing countries particular in South Africa as South Africa is viewed as the leading country on the continent.

Defrag and reboot? Consolidating information and communication technology research in I-O psychology

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinyu (Judy) Hu ◽  
Larissa K. Barber ◽  
YoungAh Park ◽  
Arla Day
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Research Perspectives ◽  
Technology Experience ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Role Of Information

AbstractSeveral decades of research have addressed the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology. However, segmented research streams with myriad terminologies run the risk of construct proliferation and lack an integrated theoretical justification of the contributions of ICT concepts. Therefore, by identifying important trends and reflecting on key constructs, findings, and theories, our review seeks to determine whether a compelling case can be made for the uniqueness of ICT-related concepts in studying employee and performance in I-O psychology. Two major themes emerge from our review of the ICT literature: (a) a technology behavior perspective and (b) a technology experience perspective. The technology behavior perspective with three subcategories (the “where” of work design, the “when” of work extension, and the “what” of work inattention) explores how individual technology use can be informative for predicting employee well-being and performance. The technology experience perspective theme with two subcategories (the “how” of ICT appraisals and “why” of motives) emphasizes unique psychological (as opposed to behavioral) experiences arising from the technological work context. Based on this review, we outline key challenges of current ICT research perspectives and opportunities for further enhancing our understanding of technological implications for individual workers and organizations.

scholarly journals La colaboración mediada por tecnología como estrategia para potenciar visitas guiadas

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Analía Roxana Dávila
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Open Science ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Technology Centers ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
National University ◽  
Information And Communication

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.

scholarly journals THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-114
Author(s):  
Lazar Stošić
Keyword(s):  
Educational Technology ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Technology In Education ◽  
Technology In The Classroom ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Technology In Teaching ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Information And Communication

Today, more than ever, the role of educational technology in teaching is of great importance because of the use of information and communication technologies. With the help of various applications for distance education, the Internet, teachers, and students themselves, they see the advantage of educational technology. The question is whether schools and teachers themselves are ready for the use of technology in education and whether they are aware of its benefits? In this paper, we try to give an overview of the importance and use of educational technology in the classroom.

scholarly journals La competencia digital en los docentes del siglo XXI: Hábitos de uso y autopercepción / Digital Competence in 21st Century Teachers: Usage Habits and Self-Perception

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Jimenez Bernal ◽  
Marta Abanades
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Perception ◽  
Digital Competence ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Professional Profile ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Nativos Digitales ◽  
Competencia Digital

ABSTRACTDuring the last years, Information and Communication Technologies have been included in the educational field, not only as support tools for teachers, but also as an essential part of the training and of the very learning environment. For this reason, the digital competence is considered one of the main competences in the teachers’ professional profile. However, there is a digital divide between the new Pre-School and Primary students, digital natives, and their teachers. Our study aims at knowing the self-perception on the digital competence and the daily habits of use of technology either in professionals of several fields and in students of the Degrees in Pre-School and Primary Education, most of them with working experience, comparing both items with the observation of their performance in blended learning subjects, with a significant online workload for the students. The aim of this communication is to present the initial results of the survey and the comparative analysis, which shows a gap between the self-perception and the usage habits, in order to suggest measures to be implemented in Higher Education.RESUMENA lo largo de los últimos años, las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación se han ido incorporando al ámbito educativo, no solo como herramientas de ayuda al profesorado, sino también como parte integrante de la formación y el propio entorno de aprendizaje. Por este motivo, la competencia digital es una de las principales competencias del perfil profesional de un docente. Sin embargo, existe una brecha digital entre los nuevos alumnos de Infantil y Primaria, nativos digitales, y sus profesores. Nuestro estudio pretende, a través de la realización de encuestas a profesionales de diversos ámbitos y a estudiantes de los Grados en Educación Infantil y Primaria, ya diplomados en Magisterio y con experiencia docente en muchos casos, conocer su autopercepción de la competencia digital y sus hábitos básicos de uso de la tecnología, comparando ambas cuestiones con el desempeño en asignaturas semipresenciales, con una importante carga de trabajo en línea para los estudiantes. El objetivo de esta comunicación es presentar los resultados iniciales de la encuesta y del análisis comparativo, que indica un desfase entre la autopercepción y los hábitos de uso, para proponer medidas que puedan tomarse desde las aulas universitarias. Contacto principal: [email protected]

Telemedicine and Alzheimer Disease

2013 ◽  
pp. 191-206
Author(s):  
Letteria Spadaro ◽  
Francesca Timpano ◽  
Silvia Marino ◽  
Placido Bramanti
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Coming Out ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Model Of Care ◽  
Application Model ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Process Methodology ◽  
Networking Technologies

The focus of this chapter is to asses a new model of care in dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). According with sociotechnical approaches, the authors describe a proof of concept, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) intervention, as a technical and organizational model of robust, reliable, and efficient clinical practice to meet the medical, psychological, and social needs of AD people and their family. The authors also propose the “Identification-Recognition-Evaluation-Application Model” as process methodology in a telemedicine project. In this perspective, the technology has to be analyzed as technology-in-use, a process coming out from an ecology of specific actions and actors. Finally, the authors describe their experience of a longitudinal study in which ICT networking technologies are used to implement coping strategies, in order to improve the quality of life of AD families.

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