Community development through information communication technologies in Ward three of Durban metro

Main Theme ◽

Community Members ◽

Virtual University ◽

Personal Experiences ◽

The University

This topic was initiated because of love of community development and information communication application by the researcher. It was further strengthened by taking part during the International Wowen University (Ifu) practice in 2000. The main theme of the study was Information Age. Ifu is well known as the virtual university, which is based in Germany at the University of Hamburg. The researcher, together with eight other women from different countries, designed and developed a model for community development by using ICTs. The model can be used as a basic guide for similar projects. The work, therefore in this thesis is based on personal experiences shared experiences, and research as well as by reading others experiences. This study provides ideas for potential community development by using Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in rural areas with special reference to Ward Three of Durban Metro. The results of the study confirmed the saying “If you can’t beat them join them”. This study reported on research conducted in two different rural areas known as Bamshela and Ward Three. The results from the first area Bamshela, illustrated the way forward for Ward Three. Since the ICTs center exists in Bamshela the author received more information about the centre’s utilisation than its establishment. The focus on the second area emphasises the necessity, awareness and participation in community development. The three specifics focuses on whether there is a need for the ICTs centre for community development. Further more the study focused on areas where ICTs played prominent roles, such as in policy making, education, globalisation, ICTs, community development and participation of community members in community development projects.

Impact of ICT usage on indigenous peoples’ quality of life: Evidence from an Asian developing country

Australasian Journal of Information Systems ◽

10.3127/ajis.v19i0.1076 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 19 ◽

Author(s):

Md Mahfuz Ashraf ◽

Helena Grunfeld ◽

Ali Quazi

Keyword(s):

Conceptual Framework ◽

Indigenous Communities ◽

Policy Formulation ◽

Future Research ◽

Community Members ◽

Cultural Aspects ◽

Five Freedoms

Indigenous communities across the world have been suffering disadvantages in several domains, e.g. erosion of land rights, language and other cultural aspects, while at the same time being discriminated against when prepared to integrate into the dominant cultures. It has been argued in the literature that information communication technologies (ICTs) have the potential of contributing to addressing some of these disadvantages – both in terms of rebuilding what has been eroded and facilitating integration into non-Indigenous societies. In trying to understand how ICTs can be useful for these processes, it is important to do so from a conceptual framework that encompasses the multi-dimensionality of the issues faced by Indigenous communities. The conceptual frameworks frequently used in the ICT literature tend to focus on adoption, use and diffusion of technologies rather than how the use of ICTs affects the livelihoods of the users, which is the focus of this paper. The conceptual framework is informed by the capability approach (CA), in particular by the five freedoms identified in the seminal work of Amartya Sen (2001), “Development as Freedom” (DaF). Data were collected from a purposive sample in an Indigenous community in Bangladesh, using a qualitative method to map how ICTs had affected the lives of these community members The findings suggest that the participants perceived that ICTs had made positive contributions, particularly the benefits they gained from learning how to use computers in the domains that are relevant from the perspective of the five freedoms espoused in DaF. The findings reported in this paper are useful for policy formulation in Bangladesh. As the study is contextualised in a transitional economy setting and can therefore not be generalised, but we believe that the conceptual framework has much to offer future research designed to understand how ICTs can improve the livelihoods of Indigenous individuals and communities.

Social Shaping of Technologies for Community Development

Social Computing ◽

10.4018/978-1-60566-984-7.ch045 ◽

2010 ◽

pp. 705-718

Author(s):

Poline Bala

Keyword(s):

Community Development ◽

Social Relations ◽

Economic Effects ◽

Cultural Conditions ◽

The Social ◽

East Malaysia ◽

Social Shaping

Using electronic-Bario (e-Bario) project in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak in East Malaysia, this chapter explores how the introduction of information communication technologies (ICT) as developmental tools have been mediated and reconfigured by webs of social relations and the intricate interplay of social, political and cultural conditions specific to different social and technical settings. One crucial factor conditioning the effects of the project has been the Kelabit’s own desire for, and expectations of, “development” and “progress.” This is a quest which ties in closely with two fundamental Kelabit concepts: doo-ness and iyuk. As a result, the social and economic effects of ICT have unfolded through countless open-ended strategic and everyday decisions made by the Kelabit themselves, who actively consume, apply and make use of objects, ideas and services in the Highlands.

Gender and ICTs in Zamibia

Encyclopedia of Gender and Information Technology ◽

10.4018/978-1-59140-815-4.ch065 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 417-422 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kutoma Jacqueline Wakunuma

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Gender Equality ◽

Mobile Phones ◽

Rural Areas ◽

The Internet ◽

Economic Empowerment ◽

Real Situation

This article looks at gender equality combined with social and economic empowerment within the context of information communication technologies (ICTs). It discusses rhetoric surrounding the promotion of ICTs as tools for social and economic empowerment and subsequently challenges whether such rhetoric does mirror the real situation on the ground, especially as it relates to developing countries like Zambia. The main focus is underprivileged women, especially those in rural areas, and how access, or indeed the lack of it, to ICTs like the Internet and mobile phones does actually affect their daily existence.

Cases on Progressions and Challenges in ICT Utilization for Citizen-Centric Governance ◽

Experiencing the Functionality of Mathematical Indigenous ICTs on Community Development

10.4018/978-1-4666-2071-1.ch012 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 253-264

Author(s):

Kgomotso G. Garegae

Keyword(s):

Community Development ◽

Rural Development ◽

21St Century ◽

Cooling System ◽

Rural Village ◽

Southern District ◽

Plastic Bag

The use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in agriculture is fundamental to rural development especially in the 21st century (Rashid, et al., 2007). This chapter thus illustrates the use of an indigenous technology using the case of Madila production in a Dairy House Farm at Molapowabojang, a rural village in Southern District of Botswana. The Dairy House Farm started production in 2002 with the aim of producing both fresh and sour or curdled milk (Madila). Although traditionally madila was for subsistence family consumption, the use of community-compatible ICT, namely, sieve like plastic bag, natural sun beam and cooling system made from a wooden shelter, combined with modern machines such as milking machines (milk tubes attached to the cow’s udder) have enabled the Dintwa family to convert the practice into commercial industry.

Advances in Library and Information Science - Challenges of Academic Library Management in Developing Countries ◽

Students’ Attitudes towards Library Facilities and Information Resources of University Libraries in Tamil Nadu

10.4018/978-1-4666-4070-2.ch001 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 1-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

S. Thanuskodi

Keyword(s):

Tamil Nadu ◽

Information Resources ◽

Learning System ◽

University Libraries ◽

Knowledge Based ◽

Students Attitudes ◽

The University

The present century ushered in the knowledge economy whereby information, access to it, and the ability to use it to create new knowledge becomes the single most important skill that individuals need to acquire in order to succeed. The workplace is asking for university graduates who have acquired a stronger intellectual framework for using information for discovery. This calls for a change in the university educational landscape and a pedagogic shift from the closure learning system where students and the teacher communicated and interacted face-to-face to include a new learning system that is virtual, distributed, problem-based, more student-centered, and facilitated by global information networking systems. This is a knowledge-based pedagogy and requires that both students and teaching faculty acquire information seeking and management skills. E-learning, open access to resources, distance education, interdisciplinary and cross-institutional collaboration enhanced by information communication technologies are major developments that are reshaping library services. Consequently, new roles and services have emerged for university librarians. Taking up the characteristics of an electronic information resource, librarians are more “distributed” and play a central role in the teaching/learning programmes of the university: they serve as consultants in information resources management and coordinate information technology applications; they provide instructions on research methods and other areas that deal with incorporating information communication technologies into learning, and are more actively involved in providing information instructional programmes to both faculty and students. The present study evaluates the use of library facilities and information resources in university libraries in Tamil Nadu. A survey of 518 students from 5 universities in Tamil Nadu was conducted through a set of questionnaires. The collected data covers the use of library resources, services, (e.g. reference services, photocopying services), etc. The chapter concludes that the main intention for the use of libraries has been the academic interest of the students.

Globalization, Linguistic Diversity, and Information Dissemination in Malawi

Perspectives on Global Development and Technology ◽

10.1163/156914908x370700 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 7 (3-4) ◽

pp. 271-280 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Gregory Kamwendo

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Information Dissemination ◽

Linguistic Diversity ◽

Human Life ◽

Access To Information ◽

Accessible Form ◽

Critical Challenge

AbstractIn a linguistically heterogeneous country, one of the critical challenges is to make information accessible to all people. Various communication media can be used: television, radio, telephone, the Internet and others. Malawi needs to embrace Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in order to achieve development in all spheres of human life. Malawi's use of ICTs ranks low. The critical challenge, therefore, is to promote an increased use of ICTs with the aim of improving people's access to information. Given that only a minority of Malawians have access to ICTs, that television has not significantly penetrated into rural areas where 80 % of the population lives, and that there is also a high illiteracy rate, the radio becomes the most accessible form of technology for information dissemination in Malawi.

Social Shaping of Technologies for Community Development

Information Communication Technologies for Human Services Education and Delivery ◽

10.4018/978-1-60566-735-5.ch013 ◽

2010 ◽

pp. 201-214

Author(s):

Poline Bala

Keyword(s):

Community Development ◽

Social Relations ◽

Economic Effects ◽

Cultural Conditions ◽

The Social ◽

East Malaysia ◽

Social Shaping

Gender and ICTs in Zambia

Global Information Technologies ◽

10.4018/978-1-59904-939-7.ch023 ◽

2008 ◽

pp. 278-284

Author(s):

Kutoma Jacqueline Wakunuma

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Gender Equality ◽

Mobile Phones ◽

Rural Areas ◽

The Internet ◽

Economic Empowerment ◽

Real Situation

The Anatomy of Teleneurosurgery in China

International Journal of Telemedicine and Applications ◽

10.1155/2011/353405 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2011 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Xiaohong Gao

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Underserved Populations ◽

Delivery Of Healthcare ◽

Care Services ◽

Vast Territory

With its huge population and vast territory, China faces a great challenge in providing modern advanced health care services to all parts of the country. The advances of information communication technologies (ICTs) and the advent of internet have revolutionised the means in the delivery of healthcare via telemedicine to remote and underserved populations, which to a certain extent has been very well exploited in China, especially where 70% peasants residing in the rural areas. This paper reviews the latest development in telemedicine infrastructure in China with the focus on the development of teleneurosurgery, drawing from the results gained from a 3-year networking project between Europe and China on telemedicine (TIME, 2005–2007) funded by European Commission under Asia ICT programme, with an aim to shape up envisages of future medical care in China. Comparison with its counterparts in Europe is also addressed.

The extent to which universities have embraced technology in service delivery: A comparative study of NUST (Zimbabwe) and university of Venda (RSA)

World Journal on Educational Technology Current Issues ◽

10.18844/wjet.v10i1.2661 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Njabulo Bruce Khumalo ◽

Charity Baloyi

Keyword(s):

Service Delivery ◽

Comparative Study ◽

Web 2.0 ◽

Web Content ◽

Online Service ◽

National University ◽

The University

Information Communication Technologies have greatly impacted the education sector over the years leading to electronic service delivery. Universities all over the world are embracing Information Communication Technologies especially the internet, creating websites, making use of web 2.0 applications, that is, social networks and moving their services from manual based to electronic platforms. The study was comparative, looking extent to which the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) (Zimbabwe) and the University of Venda (RSA) have embraced ICTs in the conduct of business and how this has impacted on their service delivery. Universities have embraced ICTs in different levels, according to their capacity in terms of finances, human resources, institutional capacity and other variables. A combination of web content analysis and a comparative study of the web presence of the two universities was done which revealed that the universities are present on some web 2.0 applications though not fully exploiting all the functions. Websites for both universities were carefully analysed and the results showed that online service delivery was growing yet in need of full implementation and use. It is therefore recommended that these universities adopt online service delivery to enhance and develop lives of the university community.