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As mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and Zika continue to develop, traditional approaches have not curbed the epidemics, and evidence suggests that community-based programs are an effective alternative. In Paraguay, more than 8,300 cases of dengue were reported in 2019. Recent entomological surveys found that the percentage of houses with Aedes aegypti larvae is as high as 20% in the capital. In this context and based on the experiences of Camino Verde and DengueChat in Nicaragua, we started the TopaDengue project, a community-based intervention, supported by ICTs (information and communication technologies), in one of the most vulnerable territories of the Paraguayan capital, the Bañado Sur of Asunción. To inform our design of the socio-technical ICT platform, our fieldwork in this community explored the dynamic of interaction among researchers, facilitators, volunteers, the extended community, and technologies. Combining both paper and digital technologies with a continuous feedback loop among research, design, and community action, within a citizen science initiative, were key to strengthening the socialization and management processes of a community-based entomological surveillance program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on four e-initiatives that were precipitated by the coronavirus outbreak in Italy. These experiences played a relevant role in developing multilevel solidarity (from the local to the global level) both online and offline. They are represented by the hashtags "#iorestoacasa" (I stay at home) and "#andràtuttobene" (everything will be alright), "performances on the balcony," "influencers' campaigns," and "altruism and e-parochialism." These experiences represent revealing examples essential to understand the benefits that a mediated form of solidarity can produce. This is particularly important given the challenges that solidarity faces due to the technological acceleration imposed by the pandemic, which is likely to influence social relationships even in the post-pandemic era. Four lessons can be learned from these expressions of e-solidarity related to the capacity of information and communication technologies to (1) promote unconditioned altruism; (2) fight "parochialism" when the same disadvantaged condition is shared; (3) their capacity to develop a multilevel sense of community by connecting the local experience to the global dimension; and (4) to mediate between institutional sources and people, and connect family members, friends, vulnerable people with neighbors, and the global community. This last point suggests that the pandemic has offered fertile ground for both mechanical and organic forms of solidarity to emerge. On the one hand, it created a collective conscience based on shared vulnerabilities and interdependence. On the other hand, it is based on individualization and diversity. Indeed, these examples of Durkheimian collective effervescence show the paradox of a form of collective individualized and mediated solidarity, which is typical of contemporary society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital platforms have proven to be efficient matchmakers in our networked economy and society. However, their tremendous potential is a double-edged sword, and concerns about their malpractices and negative impact have risen remarkably. In the light of practical relevance, research on digital platform regulation (DPR) did not contribute very much. Especially information systems (IS) which, as a discipline, seems predestined to explain the problems at the confluence of technology-economy-society, has barely grazed the issue of DPR. Particularly, a contribution is missing that at least explores the problems with digital platforms systematically and comprehensively. In response to this aim, we pursue a twostep approach: First, we apply qualitative meta-analysis of 211 cases as well as a number of regulation papers and actual regulation endeavors to identify and conceptualize the problem scope and potential regulatory approaches for platform problems. Second, we condense our findings into a conceptual model. Our findings show that digital platforms exploit both platform- and monopoly-related problems to assert themselves in different markets. Through their impactful platform governance, they even have become serious challengers to the regulator in controlling market access, key conditions, and resources. At this, they rely on the efficient use of data and digital technologies to effectively orchestrate platform agents and their transactions. The outcome of the paper is a set of two structured instruments that fill a void in interdisciplinary research and provide support to DPR practitioners for a systematic approach to regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological transformations are currently reshaping the structure and strategies of public administrations and are expected to foster efficiency and policy integration. However, the literature on digital government has demonstrated that the introduction of technology is far from a smooth process, as it is often associated with conflict and negative feedback. This paper departs from James Thompson's notion of technology, understood as one of the most effective devices for organizational integration to conceptualise the context of digital innovations in the public sphere. ICTs are not all the same; they differ in their impact on intra- and inter-organizational interdependencies that are required for them to work properly in their domain. This paper introduces a typology of ICT-driven governance structures and advances hypotheses regarding the causal mechanisms underpinning successful implementation. Each type of governance structure is exemplified by an original case study of a programme of e-government reform in the Italian public sector. The empirical evidence is used to explore some implications concerning the strategies by which the programmes have been implemented and their transferability to other contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality academic achievement is based on the development of good reading skills. Generally, reading is important for students to cope up with the evolving world of knowledge. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have vastly influenced the reading practices of students. The younger generation of the information age spends most of their time in front of screens. Due to these drastic changes in the fabric of reading, generation Z is more likely to adopt e-reading. Therefore, an empirical investigation was carried out to explore the reading habits of generation Z students. For the study, a survey-based quantitative research design was applied. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire. The population included the students of two schools - one semi-government and one private higher secondary school of the Lahore district. The sample was selected purposively. Findings revealed that generation Z students prefer to read in paper form and in the English language. On average they read for up to four hours daily, preferably at home and mostly for academic purposes. They prefer print format, however, the advantages associated with e-reading motivate them to use electronic contents. One of the noteworthy findings is that libraries (academic/public) were their least preferred place for reading and obtaining reading material. The findings of the study would help parents, educators, and publishers to take necessary measures for promoting reading habits among students. The research findings would serve as a guideline for educationists to plan education policies according to the need and preferences of the future generation and for libraries to develop user-centered library services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teacher educators should serve as role models in terms of information and communication technologies (ICTs) use to promote digital literacy of future teachers. To analyze the association between role modeling by teacher educators and preservice teachers' digital literacy and ICT integration intention in their classrooms, 185 physical education (PE) preservice teachers in the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg completed an online questionnaire of self-assessed technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) and ICT integration. The results of regression models revealed a positive association between content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge (PK) and overall intent to integrate ICT into teaching. The results further indicated that the impact of role modeling on preservice teachers varies depending on the chosen ICT. In this paper, we discuss the implications of these findings for higher education in general and for PE in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In line with the importance of SDG-7, a number of studies have endeavored to divulge the changes in renewable energy consumption (REC); however, the literature fails to either understand the importance of technology i.e., information communication technologies (ICT) and macroeconomic uncertainty in this context or employ robust econometric techniques. This research paper extends the prior literature by focusing on technology and macroeconomic uncertainty as novel determinants in addition to natural resources, human development, globalization, and economic growth as control variables of renewable energy for the top 10 renewable energy-consuming countries by applying several second and third generation econometric tests on annual data from 1990 to 2017. The empirical estimations determine ICT as a crucial factor of renewable energy, suggesting that it significantly triggers REC in the top economies. Conversely, the detrimental effects of uncertainty tend to shrink REC. Furthermore, natural resources, human development, globalization, and economic growth significantly boost REC as consistent with the existing literature. Based on these findings, this study suggests several SGD-oriented policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: During Japan's initial pandemic prevention and control period, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan (MEXT) issued several notifications to ensure students' continuous learning according to the "leave no one behind" philosophy. This study focused on the comprehensive measures comprising top-level arrangements to implement the "suspending classes without stopping learning" initiative. Design/Approach/Methods: The study reviewed MEXT's guide on ensuring learning for Japanese primary and secondary school students during the pandemic. Findings: The pandemic has accelerated the development of the information and communications technology educational environment and the implementation of the Global and Innovation Gateway for All (GIGA) schools initiative. These developments laid the foundation for the evolution of diverse pedagogical models and feasible methods for promoting equity. The home schooling experience during the pandemic provided a natural base for students to practice and foster survivability. Originality/Value: This paper provides scholars with an understanding of the opportunities and challenges encountered in educational innovation in Japan. It provides insights into the future direction of pedagogical development, capability development, and effective educational arrangements for extraordinary circumstances to facilitate educational development from a broader perspective, particularly under the new normal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since one of the main goals of teaching geometry is to provide students with the opportunity to develop spatial reasoning, it is important to find the most suitable support for learning 3D geometry in elementary school. This paper compares Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and physical manipulatives support, with the aim to answer if their use produces different effects on students' spatial reasoning. The participants in the study were 74 4th graders (10–11 years old) who were assigned to two equal groups that attended a month of the experimental program. Group EICT learned with the ICT support and group EMAN learned with physical manipulatives support. The results showed that there was no difference in students' 3D geometry achievement regardless of the support that was used, and that both supports provided learning access for all students. According to our results, teaching geometry should be directed to the complementary use of physical manipulatives and ICT support, depending on the technological and software resources available to schools and teachers' preference of the support. ICT can assist in achieving learning equity, but there is a need for a systematic development of the ICT sources that could be used as instructional manipulatives, their promotion, and the support for the teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth in fully online mathematics education has been steady for decades. This is where essentially all interactions associated with the teaching and learning process are mediated via the online medium. Initially spurred on by technological innovation and a variety of socio-cultural forces, growth has more recently rapidly accelerated due to pandemic restrictions. Many suggest we are on the precipice of profound transformation in mathematics education, the outlines of which remain unknown. In leveraging online education possibilities and advancing online mathematics education, this paper considers aesthetic experiences associated with learning mathematics fully online. First, three assumptions are made to highlight the importance of these experiences. Second, three challenges are identified regarding the current state of fully online mathematics education. Finally, specific instructional design and online teaching strategies are outlined that potentiate experiences of wonder and beauty often associated with mathematical discovery. As its central theme, the paper seeks to answer how we may take advantage of this technology in delivering quality mathematics education without allowing it to diminish our human essence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This literature review aims to examine the approach given to open science policy in the different studies. The main findings are that the approach given to open science has different aspects: policy framing and its geopolitical aspects are described as an asymmetries replication and epistemic governance tool. The main geopolitical aspects of open science policies described in the literature are the relations between international, regional, and national policies. There are also different components of open science covered in the literature: open data seems much discussed in the works in the English language, while open access is the main component discussed in the Portuguese and Spanish speaking papers. Finally, the relationship between open science policies and the science policy is framed by highlighting the innovation and transparency that open science can bring into it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a national survey of Chinese scientific personnel in 2008, this paper sheds new light on the relationship between social networks and scientific performance. In this study, we used position generator to measure scientists’ ego-centered social networks. The scientists’ performance was measured by multiple indexes, including recognitions from the academic (papers), governmental (awards), and market (patents) sectors. The findings show that size and composition of scientists’ social networks have significant effect on their scientific performance. The notions of “information communication mechanism” and “resource acquisition mechanism” are introduced to explain how network composition affects scientific performance along multiple dimensions. The policy implications of the study are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While expansive literature of information-related fields presents Paul Otlet (1868-1944) as one of the founders and prolific writers of information research, it displays a lean coverage of Otlet's works. Indeed, despite his reflections on information and technology as a conduit of human development, Otlet tends to be caricatured with the concept document and related subjects such as book, library, bibliography, etc. One of the reasons for this shortcoming is that development represents one of the least researched themes of information studies on the one hand and of information and communication technology for development [ICT4D] on the other. It follows that, although integral to human actualization, development is seen as alien to or unfit for information-related fields. Another consequence is that development is taken to mean the development of and access to information technologies. Applying qualitative content analysis, the present paper canvasses Otlet's works, and features the notion of development. Otlet saw information as a service toward people's development. For him, people's development implies the totality and expansion of human life. The paper captures some of the salient themes under which Otlet approached development. The goal is to bring to the forefront of information research, the development, not just of information systems and forums, but also that of people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industry and higher education are increasingly utilizing online environments due to digitalization. As a result, the learning experiences in these new digital learning ecosystems as communities must be re-examined critically. This study incorporates the second cycle of the design-based research (DBR) study developing the design principles and theoretical framework for a digital learning ecosystem in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) engineering education in Lapland University of Applied Sciences (UAS), Finland. This cycle examines students' learning experiences in a project and Industry 4.0-based approach in a digital learning ecosystem with authentic industry assignments and involvement. The study examines the learning experiences of ICT engineering students in a project and Industry 4.0-based approach in a digital environment with authentic industry assignments and involvement. The study was carried out using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) approach. Rasch Rating Scale Model was used to analyse first-, second-, and third-year students' responses to a translated and adapted CoI questionnaire. Open-ended questions were added to the questionnaire, which was then analysed using content analysis. The results indicate that students perceived project-based learning in an online setting positively. However, the findings point to issues with social interactions and the actual application of learnt knowledge and skills. Challenges in task management and scheduling, as well as receiving feedback, had a somewhat negative impact on the learning experience, particularly during the first year of study. Finally, this paper concludes by presenting a visual model summarizing the design framework developed through a broader DBR study informed by the previous DBR cycles. The findings may benefit practitioners in developing similar communities and ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the findings of a baseline study that fed on to a broader investigation exploring ICT integration in the teaching of functions. The baseline study was premised on the observation that the notion of function, despite being a fundamental and central idea in the mathematics school curriculum, presents pedagogical challenges to both teachers and learners. The study used the qualitative case study design to investigate Grade 11 mathematics learners' errors and misconceptions under hyperbolic functions at a rural high school in the Limpopo province of South Africa. Informed by the constructivist APOS theory conception levels, learners' errors were detected from their written responses in a diagnostic test. The learners were then individually interviewed during task-based interviews to infer on the misconceptions underlying their errors. Qualitative analysis of the data revealed the following categories of misconceptions: algebraic, conceptual, asymptotic, graphical, and notational misconceptions. The study established that errors, if diagnosed and corrected, are springboards and milestones to the formulation and construction of proper mathematical ideas. To resolve learners' misconceptions, this study recommends that teachers should use explorative and discovery pedagogical strategies to enable learners realize their own misconceptions and self-correct. Based on the findings of this study, the integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in teaching functions as an intervention strategy will be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leadership-in-interaction is a somewhat underdeveloped area of research which to date has concentrated on talk-in-interaction to the detriment of other modalities. Consequently, this paper seeks to illustrate how social actors make use of different modalities to accomplish leadership, which we conceptualize as the creation of direction, alignment, and commitment. Through multimodal conversation analysis this paper explores interactions between actors in virtual contexts, a particularly interesting empirical setting as the context offers specific constraints on everyday workplace interaction. By zooming in on the interaction using transcripts of naturally occurring interaction, we find that the accomplishment of leadership, direction, alignment, and commitment, in a constrained virtual context can appear mundane. However, at the same time the accomplishment of leadership calls for the mobilization of several multimodal resources (both talk and information and communication technology objects). The analysis makes it evident that the actors mobilize objects to draw on their situated affordances, in the accomplishment of direction, alignment, and commitment. With a fine-grained analysis of naturally occurring data, we illustrate that leadership is a collective achievement. We also expand the understanding of leadership in practice, especially in virtual contexts, by demonstrating how actors utilize objects and verbal resources in the co-production of leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, research materials for the spatial concentration and utilization sharing of research equipment were surveyed, and then the effect factor and the effectiveness were analyzed based on the research results. Also, information regarding research result creation was provided through research equipment utilization sharing. The research results of 100 researchers (25 national research institutes in the Ministry of Science, ICT (Information and Communications Technologies), and Future Planning of South Korea) were chosen for the effect analysis. For the study results, the medicine and pharmacy researchers showed better performance in research equipment utilization sharing than the natural science and engineering researchers. The number of research paper coauthors and the research equipment utilization sharing execution policy of research institutes influenced the rate of research equipment utilization sharing. The research field, the number of research paper coauthors, the research equipment utilization sharing execution policy of research institutes, and the research institute characteristics influenced the utilization sharing of research equipment in the research environment. Also, the utilization sharing of research equipment was statistically significantly influenced by the number of research papers and the impact factor (IF). The utilization sharing of research equipment was not statistically significantly influenced, however, by the IF mean. In this study, the quantitative performance index was found to be effective, and the qualitative performance index was found to be ineffective. In the analysis model, when the researchers followed the research equipment utilization sharing execution policy of the research institutes, the research results improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information and communication technologies are increasingly used for development in the Global South, and mHealth (health assisted by mobile technologies) plays key role. This paper analyzes the particular relationship to science that characterizes a global maternal mHealth program deployed in Ghana and India. Using science and technology studies (STS), this research relies on qualitative interviews conducted between 2014 and 2016 with funders, implementers, and beneficiaries of this mHealth program. This story begins with a randomized controlled trial, a biomedical experiment with a strong positioning regarding science and the production of evidence. But rapidly the scientific stance disappears to give way to the testing and marketing of a product for the digital economy. From science to market, this paper offers to revisit a classical STS topic through the lens of mHealth. It shows how the various experimental forms taken by this project fundamentally diverge from scientific methods and evidence production and at the same time how it nurtures an ongoing instrumental relationship with science. Thus, from clinical research to product marketing, this paper highlights the tenuous link between evidence-based and market-based mHealth in the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction e-Health is an innovative way to make health services more effective and efficient and application is increasing worldwide. e-Health represents a substantial ICT investment and its failure usually results in substantial losses in time, money (including opportunity costs) and effort. Therefore it is important to assess e-health readiness prior to implementation. Several frameworks have been published on e-health readiness assessment, under various circumstances and geographical regions of the world. However, their utility for the developing world is unknown. Methods A literature review and analysis of published e-health readiness assessment frameworks or models was performed to determine if any are appropriate for broad assessment of e-health readiness in the developing world. A total of 13 papers described e-health readiness in different settings. Results and Discussion Eight types of e-health readiness were identified and no paper directly addressed all of these. The frameworks were based upon varying assumptions and perspectives. There was no underlying unifying theory underpinning the frameworks. Few assessed government and societal readiness, and none cultural readiness; all are important in the developing world. While the shortcomings of existing frameworks have been highlighted, most contain aspects that are relevant and can be drawn on when developing a framework and assessment tools for the developing world. What emerged is the need to develop different assessment tools for the various stakeholder sectors. This is an area that needs further research before attempting to develop a more generic framework for the developing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), such as the internet and mobile phones, facilitate the spread of knowledge and interactions across borders in previously unimagined ways, questions are being asked about whether the benefits of this digitization process are equally distributed between and within countries. Motivated by the way technology adoption and usage patterns may differ in the Arab Middle East, this paper examines how the Kuwaiti context shapes people's understanding of a survey instrument used for evaluating digital inequalities, as they relate to access, skills and engagement, and outcomes of ICT use. Specifically, it discusses the adaptation and validation of the survey measures of socio-digital inequalities through a process of cognitive interviewing and provides insight into the theoretical and empirical linkages between cultural conceptions of digital and traditional inequalities in ways that explore both their universal and contextual aspects, or denotative and connotative meanings. Evidence suggests that important cross-cultural complications relate to language issues, socio-economic conditions, citizenship, and differing perceptions of social desirability. These findings offer important considerations for improving the reliability and validity of future survey-scale adaptations in the broader MENA region, especially in countries containing significant multicultural populations. Simultaneously, they call into question the extent to which global conceptualizations of digital inequalities and their measures reflect complex local realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's world, it is unavoidable for older adults to use technology, which causes some challenges for them. In this qualitative study, we used grounded theory to evaluate information and communication technology (ICT) adoption strategies among Iranian older adults. The participants included 18 older adults, five experts, and five family members of older adults. The data collection method included conducting semi-structured interviews, taking field notes, and observation. The data were analyzed using the Corbin and Strauss approach. Three main themes were extracted as follows: support from others, effort for learning, and smart choice. The subthemes of support from others included creativity in educating older adults; having access to an educational supporter; and receiving informational, emotional, and financial support. The subthemes of effort for learning included utilizing aids, adaptive measures, shortcut techniques, and self-learning. The subthemes of smart choice included physical characteristics, technical features, price sensitivity, and availability of an active sales representative. Accordingly, it is essential to teach older adults to increase their ICT adoption rate and continued use of technology. In this respect, developing a standard ICT manual for older adults can be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we ask whether princi ple s —relevant institutions, including administrative reform, legal and judicial support, and information and communication technology (ICT)—and princi pal s —ordinary people that are capable, knowledgeable, and willing—can help enhance accountability of street-level bureaucrats (SLBs) by mitigating unwarranted discretionary behaviors. We examined the New York City Police Department by constructing and analyzing a unique dataset drawn from multiple sources and by using the SLB literature to inform our empirical model specification. Fixed effects regression analysis revealed the potential of princi ple s and princi pal s in motivating or reducing police officers' use of force resulting in substantiated civilian complaints. Specifically, proactive policing strategies, exonerated civilian complaint dispositions, court summons following arrests, and ICT are the princi ple s, and a low-poverty population served by police are the princi pal s we found to influence discretionary police behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the innovation strategy of Siemens, a key player in Europe's digital economy, by performing network and lexical analyses using data derived from Siemens's patents and scientific publications since 1998. We observe that the company's innovation efforts evolved from a broader attempt to develop internal information and communication technology (ICT) capabilities – alongside its historical industrial priorities – to a strategy focused on developing artificial intelligence (AI) for sector-specific and niche applications (such as life and medical sciences). As a result, it became dependent on tech giants' clouds for accessing more general AI services and digital infrastructure. We build on the intellectual monopoly literature focusing on the effects of tech giants on other leading corporations, to analyse Siemens's experience. By abandoning the development of general ICT and given the emergence of tech giants as digital economy intellectual monopolies, we show that Siemens is risking its technological autonomy towards these big tech companies. Our results provide clues to understand the challenges faced by Europe and its firms in relation to US and Chinese tech giants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several scholars have recently recommended a transition from focusing on Internet access (access divide) and Internet use (use divide) to the tangible outcomes of Internet use (outcome divide). This study evaluates the utility of this perspective in China for investigating digital inequalities across provinces. Despite having the world's largest ICT market, digital disparities persist at the provincial, city, and county levels. This paper establishes an explanatory conceptual model of the digital divide (DD) at the provincial level and applies mapping through ArcGIS software to investigate spatial agglomeration. Spatial autocorrelation (Moran-i) is used to reveal high significance and multivariate analysis is used to investigate the key correlates. Among the provinces, a significant DD was found, which shows that provinces that are administratively sophisticated (such as Guangdong, Shanghai, Beijing, Jiangsu, Shandon, and Zhejiang) having a high digital development index score (IDI). Concomitantly, poverty-stricken regions and rural areas, mostly in southwest, central, and western China, have low IDI values. The factors found by this study to be most influential for improved ICT usage and outcomes are residential income (urban), e-government, literacy rate (secondary gross enrollment), and the working-age population. This indicates that socio-economic problems should be addressed first instead of institutional and innovational considerations. This study is the first to develop a conceptual model of the third-level digital divide (3-LDD) (ICT outcome) at the provincial level and utilize spatial analysis and mapping to supplement traditional methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is designed to explore the current status of Chinese EFL teachers' use of digital resources in doing research and its influential factors. It classifies digital resources into six types aligned to the research process and uses the revised TAM to find out and explain its influential factors. A total of 180 teachers were investigated via the online questionnaire. The results show the Chinese EFL teachers' use of six-type resources is at an intermediate low level. Among them, the type of resources for getting data analysis software is most frequently used; The type of resources for managing literature is least frequently used. However, teachers' intention to use the resources is relatively high. Frequency of doing research, facilitating condition (FC), and perceived ease of use of resources (PEOU) are the direct predictive factors for EFL teachers' actual use of digital resources (AU). Self-efficacy in using resources, ICT skill, and FC are significant direct predictors of PEOU, and they are indirect predictors of AU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on an ethnographic project in a public high school in a low-income neighborhood in South Los Angeles, this paper argues that access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) cannot be taken as helpful or empowering on its own terms; instead, concerns about justice must be accounted for by the local communities technology is meant to benefit. This paper juxtaposes the concept of technological access with recent work in feminist science and technology studies (STS) on infrastructure, maintenance, and ethics. In contrast to popular descriptions of ICTs as emancipatory and transformative, in the setting of an urban school, access produced extensive demands for attention, time, and information. This paper focuses on the labor of a group of student workers, Student Technology Leaders (STLs), and how they became responsible for the significant amount of repair and maintenance work involved in keeping hundreds of new computing devices available for use. An expanded process of accounting can more realistically frame issues of justice and its relationship to ICTs. I use a town hall meeting held with these students as an example of a processual vision of justice, one that encourages the beneficiaries of technological access to evaluate costs, benefits, and ethical concerns together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on economic growth in South Asian countries is investigated during 1990–2014. For this purpose, the newly developed panel data estimation method Dynamic Seemingly Unrelated Regression (DSUR) is applied. According to the results, the impact of ICTs on economic growth remains positive in South Asian economies. In addition, education stimulates economic growth; however, foreign direct investment does not contribute to economic growth. The newly acquired result would guide policymakers and government officials to focus on the advancement of ICT for maintaining the sustainable economic growth. The findings imply that South Asian countries should raise the ICT level with proper technology education level to achieve the desired economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital transformation offers tremendous opportunities for emerging economies like Turkey. However, the full potential of digital advancements can only be achieved with the widespread adoption of digital technologies, which depends on the capable delivery of information and communication technologies (ICT) and their effective usability. Despite increased Internet penetration rates in Turkey in recent years, disparities in Internet adoption continue to persist. This study investigates whether and to what extent key demographic and socioeconomic factors are associated with the first-level digital divide in Turkey. The phenomenon is discussed in three aspects: device access, Internet access, and Internet use. The findings demonstrate that the vast majority of people in Turkey have Internet-enabled devices, mainly smartphones. Age, income, and education are significant predictors of Internet access. However, even when access is available, large disparities exist among gender, age, income, education, and employment groups in terms of Internet use. Moreover, our findings reveal significant regional differences in both Internet access and use. The results point to the need for a more coherent vision on ICT policies such that the need for demand-side programs are intended to stimulate broadband adoption widely by those groups. This paper provides useful pointers that can facilitate further academic research and structural decisions among policy-makers, by emphasizing the high-priority target groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern cities produce areas of poverty, despite their overall wealth. These pockets of living can exacerbate societal problems, especially because the opposite end of the societal spectrum is often close by. This paper examines an educational initiative in one such district, called Claymore, in the suburbs of outer Sydney. The project deployed a mobile youth van equipped with high-tech educational hardware and software, and encouraged local youth to take advantage of the van, to further high-tech skills acquisition. This paper offers a Deleuze/Guattari (1988) cartographic approach to mapping the effects of the van extracted from their opus maxima, 1000 Plateaus. This approach is a mode of social topology that deepens the type of discourse analysis that one may take from Foucault and its uses in educational research (e.g., Ball, 2012). The social cartography that one might derive from Deleuze/Guattari involves producing a 'plane of immanence' and assemblages about the phenomena under scrutiny, in the case of this article, the mobile van initiative in Claymore. This does not mean that hierarchies are diminished, but that they are reset for the purposes of analysis, so that their complex relationships are realized and understood. This paper looks to describe and analyse what is immanent to the situation in Claymore, and what effects the mobile van might have given this state of affairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study revisits the concept of multitude analyzed by Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri, based on a case study of candlelight vigils and national flag rallies in South Korea (Republic of Korea), and questions whether mass mobilization similar to multitude always contributes to democracy. Since the 2000s, candlelight vigils have been regarded as an excellent example of multitude in Korean politics. The social media-based demonstrations were impactful, particularly in 2017 when these vigils led to the impeachment of the former President. However, the positive outlook was seriously undermined when the pro-authoritarian national flag rallies against the impeachment were also based on Internet-based mobilization. This paper adopts social network analysis that will show the forms of the candlelight vigils and the national flag rallies. In particular, it will explore the structural similarities and differences between the two sorts of mobilization by measuring the YouTube networks of both rallies. Finally, this study concludes that Internet social networks on their own do not guarantee the development of democracy and multitude -like rallies on social media do not necessarily promote democracy. This analysis will contribute to the further discussion of emotional mobilization and the possibilities of network politics, while broadening the theoretical approaches of Hardt and Negri. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the phenomenon of the sharing economy has emerged strongly as a system of exchange and consumption of goods and services among individuals, mainly through digital platforms. The development of information and communication technologies and the need for a new consumption and ownership culture have been the driving forces behind this economy. However, there has been little research into people's motivations to participate in collaborative consumption, especially among young people, who are most likely to use such a consumption model. Therefore, this paper develops an explanatory model, based on self-determination theory, to understand the motivations to participate in the sharing economy of young people, who make up the millennial generation. The model was tested using a sample of 272 people in this population segment, who expressed an interest in this type of consumption. The results confirm that participation in collaborative consumption is motivated by factors such as sustainability, enjoyment of the activity, and economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalization, that is, organizational renewal through new information and communication technologies, has long been invested with a fantasmic logic of affording alternative organizational ideals – democratic and not-for-profit rather than hierarchical and for-profit. Responding to calls to study the darker side of Silicon Valley inspired utopia, this paper investigates how and when organizational work on digitalization fantasies undermines organizational ideal renewal. In particular, this paper draws on the extended case of Alternative Bank (1963–2019) to shed light on how the long-term co-evolution of fantasy sublogics and power types in successive digital transformation projects induces organizational ideal reversal. I provide a theoretical model of how organizational ideal reversal comes about through the co-evolutionary conditioning of 'have your cake and eat it' affordances, mimetic neglect of real ethical affordances, and structural transgression of the ideal in the name of market and technical discipline. Ideal reversal occurs through consecutive phases of unwitting ideal transgression, followed by increasingly cynical and instrumentalizing transgression, and finally a cathartic moment of liberating ideal reversal. I advance several theoretical propositions on how digital fantasy work induces organizational ideal reversal, situating the dark side of fantasy work within a larger societal critique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last 15 years have seen major changes in the availability and usage of broadband in the UK. Despite these improvements, rural areas continue to lag behind urban areas for broadband connection speeds – a divide that is exacerbated by lower rates of broadband adoption among rural Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). This paper examines the experiences of SMEs that have participated in a publicly funded programme designed to stimulate demand for broadband in the rural region of Lincolnshire, UK. Drawing on interviews conducted over two periods of policy intervention (2003–2006 and 2010–2015) it examines the variety of business support approaches used and identifies the effects of these on use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) innovation, and sales within participating SMEs. The results show that while training events provide entry-level support for broadband use, more intensive support such as 1:1 advice and ICT grants leads to the significant changes within the business. Direct access to new technology in spaces such as Technology Hubs is identified as particularly important for rural SMEs. The paper concludes by identifying some common features of the business support that bring about the greatest benefits to SMEs in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past 20 years, many cities across the United States have adopted a range of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to make it easier for residents to get informed, communicate their preferences, and hold public officials accountable. In this paper, we ask two questions. First, are service requests and responses illustrative of existing neighborhood differences across a city? Second, do patterns of request and response differ by the type of complaint made to the city? We leverage data from the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to examine neighborhood variation in service requests and subsequent response times to those complaints. Our analysis makes a number of important contributions to the current literature on ICTs, including providing a more nuanced understanding of how types of requests vary by neighborhood context, and a more comprehensive picture of how requests and response times reveal social and racial disparities across the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) is increasing in teaching, and practice shows that there is a need for individual work in the educational process. This paper gives an analysis of the attitudes of teachers about the use of ICT as a means for individualizing teaching in regular and special primary schools. The results showed that teachers' attitudes toward ICT as a way of individualization are positive, but they are more pronounced among teachers from special primary schools. Individualized teaching encourages students to progress, but it can negatively affect students' social behavior. Teachers must have a good knowledge of working with ICT, so seminars on the use of ICT should be organized. ICT affect the education of all students. Teachers from both regular and special primary schools think agree that ICTs are just for fun and that they have no place in the classroom, but at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper situates the theory and practice of digital citizenship in general and Asia in particular. It surveys four extant thematic clusters: (1) the democratizing potential of information and communication technologies; (2) the role of digital citizenship education; (3) the power structures of technology in shaping citizen participation, and; (4) the digital emancipation of marginalized groups and communities. It highlights a new fifth cluster—digital citizenship as a contextual practice dependent on local contexts and histories—as a framework to situate the articles in this Special Issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although a substantial number of studies have investigated factors that influenced intimate partner violence (IPV), very few have assessed the connection between the use of information and communication technology (ICT) and such violence. Using survey data collected from over 400 women in a large Chinese city, this study explored how the involvement of various ICT-related activities affects Chinese women's experiences with psychological, physical, and sexual abuse. We found that some forms of media usage and online activities, such as times spent on paper books and Internet and browsing entertainment and sports news as well as watching movies and TVs online, were linked to a higher or lower likelihood of being a victim of IPV. Feelings of loneliness and helplessness were associated with more IPV victimization experiences. Married women were less likely to experience IPV, whereas working women were subject to greater IPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As information and communication technologies (ICT) continue to impact and shape modern society, and e-justice has gained momentum in recent years. China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) set up a trial management information system that connects all courts in China. Designed to be online, transparent, and intelligent, China's Smart Court development began in 2016. In practice, SPC promoted modernization of the trial systems to improve the flow of information between courts throughout China. However, significant investments in ICT e-justice services have caused some to question whether these investments have achieved the expected ends. Thus, how to evaluate e-justice services becomes an urgent theoretical and policy issue in the process of e-justice construction in China. E-justice value is not clearly defined in theory in China, nor is easy to measure in practice. Because of the sensitive and complex nature of such evaluation, little research has been conducted in this regard. The objective of this paper is to fill this gap. Relevant literature is reviewed before the article moves on to describe various approaches withe regard to e-government and e-justice evaluation, as well as the characteristics of China's Smart Court. Evaluation factors and constructs are found based on the Chinese circumstances. This study contributes to the development of a holistic evaluation framework for e-justice system. It also adds the Chinese case to the existing literature. Evaluation factors found in this article can also serve as a foundation for future development and study of e-justice services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) scholars have often criticised that most researchers in this field tend not to use theory to build, test or extend further concepts in their projects (Ogan et al., 2009, Heeks, 2007) while Burrell and Toyama (2009) reflected that it is precisely because of its breadth and range of research that ICT4D lacks a common foundation of concepts and terms. Heeks (2007) lamented that very little work has been deduced from the ‘D’ of ICT4D. In this paper, the author will attempt to review recent literature which contributed to arguably the two most contentious concept-based researches in ICT for Development – Amartya Sen’s and philosopher Martha Nussbaum’s capabilities approach (Sen, 1999a, Nussbaum, 1988) against a very different vulnerabilities approach of poverty and debate the validity of both approaches to ICT4D research. This paper posits that both paradigms can be applied to the same development project depending on its enthymeme and suggests the acceptance that all of these viewpoints will and should continue to coexist within the realms of the academic and practitioner communities for the benefit of this new and emerging field called ICT4D. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Technological innovations, from ubiquitous computing, augmented reality, telecommunication to intelligent appliances and robotics, bring new possibilities to the Smart Home domain, which has led to an increase in the number of academic publications in this domain. To date, no comprehensive overview and clustering of the core concepts used in these publications have been produced. Based on an extensive review of existing literature on the Smart Home, this paper visualizes the state of the art in the Smart Home research in a systematic way and outlines future research challenges. To do so, a business model framework is applied that helps researchers place their work within a broader context and identify gaps in the existing body of knowledge in this area. In order to move from the exploration towards the exploitation of Smart Home concepts, it is essential to contribute to a coherent body of knowledge that not only is technology driven, as it is the case now, but also pay attention to the non-technological aspects, i.e. social-organizational, economical, organizational, law/legislation and entrepreneurial topics, from both a strategic and an operational perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E ast A frica has traditionally been characterized by stark b arriers to nonproximate communication and flows of information. It was the world's last major region without fibre-optic b roadband Internet access, and until the summer of 2009 had been forced to rely on slow and costly satellite connectivity. This all changed when the first of four fibreoptic cables was connected in Kenya: bringing with it the promise of fast and affordable Internet access for the masses, and the ability of the country to move towards a knowledgebased economy. Within the context of this moment of change, this paper explores the ways that managers of outsourcing firms envisage 'connectivity.' Over the course of forty-one interviews, contradictory spatial imaginaries were discovered. When describing their perceptions of the country's new technomediated positionalities, many interviewees repeated visions that allowed geographic frictions to evaporate. But when managers were asked about their actual mediated positionalities, they presented a very different world: one of barriers, frictions, and the very real role that distance continues to play in the world's economic peripheries. The goal of this paper is to interrogate why we see such stark disconnects between perceptions and practices of connectivity. The contradictions could be seen as an exposition of a scalar schism between internationally operating regimes of tru th (ie, powerful discourses that have their origin nonlocally) and local experiences and practices in Kenya. Alternatively, we can think about the contradictory accounts of connectivity as emergent from strategic spatial essentialisms that are practised to achieve particular goals. By focusing on the contradictions embedded into the ways in which people speak about connectivity in the Kenyan outsourcing sector, we can learn much about how arguments about the entanglement of connectivity, growth, and development are operationalized. 'Connectivity' is offered as a necessary, and sometimes even sufficient, condition from which growth and economic development can be brought into being: a set of spatial imaginaries th a t conveniently support a national development strategy of remaking Kenya in the contemporary knowledge economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of the teachers' trainers' transfer of training can be affected by several factors like teaching self-efficacy, motivation to learn and transfer, and intention to transfer the gained skills and knowledge. This study seeks to analyze the structural relationships among the above-mentioned constructs by integrating the constructs of perceived usefulness and satisfaction of the ICT training programme. The analysis is conducted on quantitative data collected from 117 teacher educators participating in a national programme on "Teachers training on the use and application of digital technologies in the teaching practice" in Greece. Results of the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) revealed that perceived usefulness and satisfaction of the training programme had a significant positive effect on the teachers' self-efficacy and intention to transfer the gained ICT training knowledge and skills. Also, pre-training and post-training self-efficacy exerted a direct influence on the teachers' intention to transfer, motivation to transfer, and motivation to learn. The potential contribution and practical implications in the field of adult education and teachers' continuing professional development are discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various papers published within the issue, including one by Mwansa Chanda and colleagues on the representation of HIV/AIDS in the media and its impact among young people in Namibia, and another by Paul Sturges on information and communication regarding civil conflict in northern Uganda from 986-2007.

This paper introduces a taxonomy of vision systems for ground mobile robots. In the last five years, a significant number of relevant papers have contributed to this subject. Firstly, a thorough review of the papers is proposed to discuss and classify both past and the most current approaches in the field. As a result, a global picture of the state of the art of the last five years is obtained. Moreover, the study of the articles is used to put forward a comprehensive taxonomy based on the most up-to-date research in ground mobile robotics. In this sense, the paper aims at being especially helpful to both budding and experienced researchers in the areas of vision systems and mobile ground robots. The taxonomy described is devised from a novel perspective, namely in order to respond to the main questions posed when designing robotic vision systems: why?, what for?, what with?, how?, and where? The answers are derived from the most relevant techniques described in the recent literature, leading in a natural way to a series of classifications that are discussed and contextualized. The article offers a global picture of the state of the art in the area and discovers some promising research lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine differences in muscle activity amplitudes and variation of amplitudes when using different information and communication technologies (ICT). Background: Office workers use different ICT to perform tasks. Upper body musculoskeletal complaints are frequently reported by this occupational group. Increased muscle activity and insufficient variation are potential risk factors for musculoskeletal complaints. Method: Muscle activity of right and left upper trapezius and right wrist extensor muscle bundle (extensor carpi radialis longus and brevis) of 24 office workers (performing their usual tasks requiring different ICT at work and away from work) were measured continuously over 10 to 12 hours. Muscle activity variation was quantified using two indices, amplitude probability distribution function and exposure variation analysis. Results: There was a trend for electronics-based New ICT tasks to involve less electromyography (EMG) variation than paper-based Old ICT tasks. Performing Combined ICT tasks (i.e., using paper- and electronics-based ICT simultaneously) resulted in the highest muscle activity levels and least variation; however, these Combined ICT tasks were rarely performed. Tasks involving no ICT (Non-ICT) had the greatest muscle activity variation. Conclusion: Office workers in this study used various ICT during tasks at work and away from work. The high EMG amplitudes and low variation observed when using Combined ICT may present the greatest risk for musculoskeletal complaints, and use of Combined ICT by workers should be kept low in office work. Breaking up combined, New, and Old ICT tasks, for example, by interspersing highly variable Non-ICT tasks into office workers’ daily tasks, could increase overall muscle activity variation and reduce risk for musculoskeletal complaints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are strong arguments about the positive effect of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on companies' performance. This effect is also extensive formicro and small enterprises (MSEs), which tend to adopt ICTs in lower levels in comparison with large companies. In this context, this paper has two goals: to analyze the effect of firms' size on (a) the relationship between strategic planning and ICTs use; (b) the relationship between ICTs use and interaction with customers. The sample of the study comprises 171 BrazilianMSEs, and we used confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling to test our hypotheses. The main results indicated that even in small companies, size is an important variable to explain the antecedents and consequents of ICTs use. The positive effect of ICTs use was stronger among small companies, reinforcing the relevance of technology for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology is a key driver of change, not least in the world of work. Yet little is known about what technologies are used by – or impact on – the working poor in the informal economy, and in what ways. This paper presents findings from a 2015 study by the WIEGO network and local partners in three cities: Ahmedabad, India; Durban, South Africa; and Lima, Peru. The findings reveal that informal workers in the study cities are using diverse tools, from manual devices to electrical equipment and internet platforms, to strengthen their livelihoods. Overall, the tools used tend to be basic. Often they are being adapted in ingenious ways in order to adapt to resource and other constraints. Take-up of improved tools is limited by low incomes and concerns about theft and confiscation. It is also affected by city-level, context-specific systems of energy, transport and waste. This paper summarizes which types of technologies are most useful to different sectors of informal workers. It argues that the policy and regulatory environment, and city-wide technological systems, should be more responsive to the technological and other needs of the urban informal workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational leadership is essential to implement information and communications technologies in schools but the leadership practice of information and communications technologies coordinators, a position role that supports teachers to implement information and communications technologies, appears limited. The present study applies a distributed perspective to leadership and investigates aspects of information and communications technologies coordinator context that would facilitate leadership. Twenty-seven information and communications technologies coordinators were surveyed on their schools' structures and mechanisms that mediate their leadership practice. Descriptive statistics show that a wide range of structures and mechanisms in different quantities and with different qualities can be available to coordinators. The majority of coordinators have neither additional position roles nor a teaching load, but the coordinators have organizational unit assignments and attend daily, routine interactions. A case study illustrates how specific structures and mechanisms would facilitate leadership for information and communications technologies implementation. It is recommended to design an information and communications technologies coordinator role as a formal position role, for a school to employ more than one information and communications technologies coordinator, and to develop an information and communications technologies coordinator's teaching load, organizational unit assignments and routine interactions according to school needs. Several possible populations of information and communications technologies coordinators are identified for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discourse about computational support of collaborative architectural design has in recent years mainly focused on the topic of Building Information Modeling (BIM). In this paper, the method of 'optioneering' is presented that, in contrast to current BIM capabilities, assists designers and consultants to resolve design problems through integrated analyses across disciplines in the early stages of design. Although the method of 'optioneering' has only recently been adapted in building practice, it has been preceded by manifold efforts by researchers in the field of design and computation over the past two decades.At the end of this paper the computational framework 'DesignLink' will be discussed.'DesignLink' supports 'optioneering' in the design stages before BIM becomes effective and it is currently being developed and used to support performance optimisation of building projects in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper - drawn from the larger 'Landscape Study,' the first of its kind to look across 25 developing countries to compare how public access venues, including libraries, telecenters and cybercafés, are being used - looks at how public perceptions of libraries in these countries affect the way they are used as public access venues for information and communication technologies (ICT). When compared to other public access venues, public libraries are not perceived as important or useful places to get information, based on users' perceptions of access to current information and technology, and to associated technology training and support. Furthermore, libraries tend not to be prioritized by government agencies for financial and policy support. This paper is part of a study conducted by the University of Washington's Technology & Social Change group (TASCHA), carried out in association with local research partners in 25 developing countries around the globe. The goal of the study is to identify how people are satisfying their information needs through public access venues, with the intent of informing policy makers and funders, and of offering new insight into research that crosses between the disciplines of library and information science and information technologies for development. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Community Informatics Conference CIRN, 2009, Prato, Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]