ADVANCEMENTS IN HADITH AUTHENTICATION METHODS: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

Perception of Ultimate Utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as an Impetus in Enhancing Employee Performance in a Few Selected Municipalities in the Eastern Cape of South Africa

This paper examines an effective integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in pedagogy in an educational setting. Presently, teaching-learning activities in higher education are becoming more complex and challenging. Therefore, knowledge of the content alone is insufficient to teach social sciences in higher education specified by the curriculum. The knowledge and skills of modern information and communication technology have become equally essential for a skilled teacher to have effective teaching and learning. This study aims to analyze teachers' perceptions of the importance of ICT integration in pedagogy at higher levels of education. Thus, this paper focuses on integrating information and communication technology in pedagogy. It is integral to education in many developing countries, including Nepal. The connotations of information and communication technology have been used variously in teaching. All the electronic materials including computer technology used in teaching-learning activities are considered information and communication technology (ICT). A systematic review of literature on 'Importance of ICT in education and 'Teacher's perception on the integration of ICT in pedagogy' with the theoretical base of content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), and pedagogical and content knowledge (PCK) with ICT are the main bases of this study. Information was collected from the review of 14 articles published from 2013-2020 in English, which covers teachers' views and perceptions on integrating ICT in pedagogy. The findings indicate that teachers can inevitably use ICT to deliver content effectively and fulfil students' 21st-century ICT needs by integrating pedagogical content knowledge with ICT.

Protocol for a Systematic Review: Provision of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for Improving Academic Achievement and School Engagement in Students Aged 4‐18

Background. Life expectancy is an important health status indicator based on average number of years a person at a given age may be expected to live given current mortality rates. Given this significance, it would be necessary to probe into the factors affecting the life expectancy. Ensuring that information and communication technology (ICT) services are properly used could contribute to development and achievement, as it represents an important issue for the countries moving toward knowledge-based and information-based societies. Therefore, this study explored the impact of the information and communication technology on life expectancy. Methods. This study covers annual data from 2008 to 2018 for a group of countries in the Middle East. Data were retrieved from the Annual Reports such as World Bank and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) data sets. The effects of ICT on life expectancy are estimated with the Panel model. We also used the Hausman test to investigate fixed versus random effects. The data were analyzed by Stata 14 software. Results. The core findings of this study confirm the significant impact of ICT on life expectancy in the Middle East. The calculated Coefficient of the regression was 0.551 indicating how much life expectancy changes when ICT variable increases by one unit. Moreover, the rho (intraclass correlation) was found to be 0.975 showing that 97.5% of the variance is due to differences across panels. Conclusion. Considering the effect of ICT on life expectancy, policymakers of the Middle Eastern countries should integrate the use of ICT with the existing programs and systems. Technology is not an end in itself but merely the means to reinforce the existing system and to meet the locally determined goals. It can be used as a tool to attain broader health and development goals. Background Life expectancy is an important health status indicator based on average number of years a person at a given age may be expected to live given current mortality rates. Given this significance, it would be necessary to probe into the factors affecting the life expectancy. Ensuring that information and communication technology (ICT) services are properly used could contribute to development and achievement, as it represents an important issue for the countries moving toward knowledge-based and information-based societies. As ICT affects everyday lives, it also impacts the macroeconomic growth, which in turn further affects everyday lives by allowing improvements in infrastructures and a higher standard of living. ICTs inherently entail the economic development of countries, regions and cities, while also improving social inclusion, well-being and therefore quality of life. Therefore, this study explored the impact of the information and communication technology on life expectancy. Methods This study covers annual data from 2008 to 2018 for a group of countries of in the Middle East. Data were retrieved from the Annual Reports such as World Bank dataset and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) data set. The effects of information and communication technology on life expectancy were estimated through the Panel model. First, stationary tests were performed with the Fisher’s generalized unit root test. In the Fisher test for panel data, the null hypothesis of a unit root was rejected at the 5% level of significance. The cross-section correlation test was performed with the Freeze test. The null hypothesis of no correlation was rejected at the 5% level of significance. We also used the Hausman test to investigate fixed versus random effects. The null hypothesis of no fixed effects was accepted so the random effects model was used. The Hausman test detects endogenous regressors in a regression model. Endogenous variables have values that are determined by other variables in the system. The data were analyzed by Stata 14 software. Results The core findings of this study confirm the significant impact of information and communication technology on life expectancy in the Middle East. The Coefficient of the regression was 0.551 indicating how much life expectancy changes when information technology variable increases by one unit. The coefficient of ICT shows that 1% increase in ICT variable causes 0.551 % incline in life expectancy and this result is significant at 5% level of significance. Regarding control variables, we found that all have expected statistically significant effects on life expectancy. The intra-cluster correlation coefficient (rho) is a measure of the relatedness, or similarity, of clustered data. Values of rho range from 0 to 1 in human studies, and as the rho increases, more individuals within the clusters resemble one another. The rho (intraclass correlation) was found to be 0.975 showing that 97.5% of the variance is due to differences across panels. This research recommends that human development programs need to focus on polices which foster digital inclusion. Conclusion Considering the effect of information and communication technology on life expectancy, policymakers of the Middle Eastern countries should integrate the use of information and communication technology with the existing programs and systems. The digital citizen is happier and values living in regions with technological capacity, investing in research & development, and committed to achieving sustainable growth. ICT use leads to improved assessments of the efficiency and management of the public administration by more technological users, underlining the importance of an understanding between users and public services in the virtual sphere. Technology is not an end in itself but merely an instrument to reinforce the existing system and to meet the locally determined goals. It can be used as a tool to attain broader health and development goals. The findings from this study provide key insights that explain how life expectancy may be enhanced through ICTs. Practical Implications of Research According to the influence of information and communication technology (ICT) on life expectancy, policymakers should provide ICT infrastructures and adopt strategies integrating ICT policies with human life criteria such as education, health and work to improve life expectancy. Ethical Consideration The paper reflects the author’s own research and analysis in a truthful and complete manner. Conflict of Interests This study was an independent research and the author declares no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Acknowledgement I would like to thank Dr Marzieh Ronaghi for her guidance and assistance throughout this research.

Conventional Convergence models usually oversee the role of information and communications technology (ICT) as a determinant of convergence. This paper introduces ICT as a factor contributing towards economic convergence in Asian countries. In addition to ICT, other factors like demographic traits, level of human development and electricity consumption are used as regressors. System GMM technique is used to estimate convergence regression for selected Asian countries for data of time span 2001-2010. Support for ICT-augmented convergence is found, implying that ICT has the tendency to participate in convergence process. Suitable demographic features, human development and electricity consumption are also found to contribute to economic convergence in the sample countries of Asia. Findings of this paper indicate the need to complement the favorable demographic endowments in Asian economies with economically productive usage of ICT to proceed towards economic convergence in Asian Region.Keywords: Convergence Models, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), System Generalized Method of Moments (SYS-GMM), Human Development Index (HDI), Electricity Consumption(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)1 IntroductionImportance of information has been pivotal since beginning of human civilization. Since time immemorial the information has been serving as a competitive edge for its possessors [12], During 20th century, the advent of digital devices has hotfooted the flow of information and ability to process it. This technology is termed as Information and communication technology (ICT). During the last half of 20th century, 'information revolution' was made possible through the 'digital' Information and Communication Technology 'ICT' [12], The ICT revolution is crucial insofar as it involves technologies geared to the production and dissemination of knowledge and information. These new technologies, that first emerged in the 1950s and then really took off with the advent of the Internet, have breathtaking potential. It is worth noting that the differences between communication technology and information technology have become fuzzy, e.g. mobile phones are principally tools for communication. But with the invention of wireless technology, users can access information via cellular phone. Internet is primarily a tool of information technology, yet many Internet users communicate mutually through their personal computers.Economic convergence refers to the process by which relatively poorer regions or countries grow faster than their rich counterparts. The convergence hypothesis is advanced by [22] and is documented by [8] and [5], This paper includes ICT and in economic convergence and calls it ICT-augmented. For the sake of simplicity, the word 'Economic convergence' is interchangeably used as 'convergence' . As documented in empirical literature, conditional beta convergence is a more realistic exercise because it reflects the convergence of countries after controlling for differences in steady states. Absolute sigma (o) convergence is another form of convergence theory but suffers with lack of empirical evidence. Conditional convergence is simply a confirmation of a result predicted by the neoclassical growth model: those countries with similar steady states exhibit convergence. This does not imply that all countries in the world would converge to the same steady state; rather they would converge to their own steady states.2 ObjectiveThis paper inquires the role of ICT in achieving economic convergence among Asian countries. It is expected due to miraculous ability of ICT to process information and hence become economically meaningful. Classic evidence of this ability is Moore's law that purports an exponentially increasing 'information processing' capability in microelectronics, society and economy. Another instance is Gilder Law that asserts bandwidth of network would triple each year for the span of 25 years. …

The purpose of this article is to analyze the introduction and use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the special disciplines of higher education, to teach teachers how to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning through information and communication technologies (ICT). This article discusses the issues of improving the knowledge and skills of students through the use of modern information and communication technologies in the preparation of designers, increasing students' interest in the educational process and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice in the future. The focus is on the need to develop appropriate strategies for a new educational role and, in addition, to enhance the role of learners in integrating information and communication technologies (ICT) into the educational process. The role and perspective of the teachers was very important, highlighting them as key players in the process. The data show that there is a belief that the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the educational process will help increase the effectiveness of education and facilitate the organization of the educational process. In particular, it shows that the contribution of information and communication technologies (ICT) to the improvement of the educational process in educational institutions, where information and communication technologies (ICT) is an innovative factor, is high. Achieving this high level means that the educational institution must not only modernize technological means, but also change the models of teaching. We need to acquire digital knowledge and modern information technology in order to achieve development. This will allow us to take the shortest path. Indeed, the deep penetration of information technology into all parts of the world today creates new opportunities.

Extreme natural and man-made events and human adaptive responses mediated by information and communication technologies' use: A systematic literature review

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) has become most influential and swift segment in library and information services. This study outlines the use of ICT by medical students and find out the significance of latest technology in central library. Presently, uses of electronic media and technologies are increased notably in healthcare profession, education and research. Medical students are often using ICT for an access to the library resources and online databases. In this study determine the requirements and use of the various tools and technique of ICT by healthcare students. Throughout, the study makes an effort to examine the use of ICT service by medical students at central library of C.U.Shah Medical College and Hospital, Gujarat. In this research apply different parameters like the purpose and frequency of visit, internet access and use of e-resource, attitude of medical students towards ICT, use of ICT for access resources, effectiveness of ICT on medical education and research, impact of ICT on library services and view related to its troubles and level of satisfaction of usage of ICT. Keywords : Information t echnology, communication technology, electronic technology, ICT, internet, library services, online access, healthcare professional, medical students, CUSMCH, Gujarat.

Information professionals in a globalized world: Digital inclusion initiatives in Brazil: Improving education and information seeking behavior through government‐academic partnerships

Purpose Cities have recognised information and communication technology (ICT) as a major enabler for transforming into “smarter” service providers. Mauritius is considering embarking on a smart island initiative, and as such, the existing towns in Mauritius have a major role to play in the transformation process. This study aims to focus on a systematic analysis of ICT architectures. This study proposes recommendations with regard to ICT infrastructures. This study elicits the contribution of those services towards the overall transformation of the towns, which in turn will form an integral part of the smart island initiative of the country. Design/methodology/approach A first step towards developing a smart ICT architecture is to understand what a smart ICT architecture constitutes of and the frameworks that can be used to develop these architectures. The main objectives of this systematic literature review (SLR) are as follows: understand what a smart ICT architecture consists of and derive a definition that will be used throughout the research for the development of ICT architecture for the smart local councils for Mauritius; analyse various frameworks, architectures and models that have been used in existing literature for the development of smart ICT architectures. Findings This SLR was conducted with a view to investigate ICT architectures with respect to smart governance. An in-depth review, followed by a critical analysis was performed based on the research questions set. The contribution of this study include the formulation of a definition for ICT architecture for smart local councils, which can be applied to any sphere characterised by similar aspects with reference to smart local governance. Albeit existing frameworks such as The Open Group Architecture Framework, Federal Enterprise Architecture and Zachman Framework, it was observed that in most cases, ICT architectures were built from scratch potentially because of specificities of each country/city. Originality/value This work proposes ICT architectures for smart local council.

This study examines the influence of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on students’ learning in higher education, with specific reference to Milton Margai Technical University and the College of Business and Information Technology in Sierra Leone. The research explored how the availability, accessibility, and usability of ICT resources affect students’ academic engagement and outcomes. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, using questionnaires and interviews to collect data from 440 respondents selected from a population of 3,173. The analysis applied Pearson correlation to test the hypotheses on the relationship between ICT usage and students’ learning. Findings revealed that ICT infrastructure in the two institutions is limited, with inadequate computer laboratories, internet connectivity, and teaching software. Despite these constraints, results indicated a significant positive correlation between ICT availability, accessibility, usability, and students’ learning. The study concludes that strengthening ICT facilities and training is crucial for improving academic quality. It recommends that universities invest in ICT infrastructure, ensure reliable internet access, and integrate ICT into teaching and learning practices to enhance educational outcomes. This study examines how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) influences student learning in higher education institutions in Sierra Leone, focusing on Milton Margai Technical University and the College of Business and Information Technology. A cross-sectional survey of 440 respondents was conducted to assess the availability, accessibility, and usability of ICT resources. The results revealed that while ICT facilities are present in limited quantities, their accessibility and effective utilization remain constrained by inadequate infrastructure, unreliable connectivity, and low digital literacy. However, statistical analysis indicated significant positive relationships between ICT integration and student learning outcomes. The study recommends increased investment in ICT infrastructure, capacity building for lecturers and students, and policy measures to promote digital inclusion across tertiary institutions in Sierra Leone. (López-Sánchez et al., 2023; World Bank, 2022).

Economic impact of Information and Communications Technology – identifying its restraints and exploring its potential What is the overall impact of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) on company and industry performance as well as the economy in general that has been witnessed over the last two decades? This chapter deals with theoretical approaches and empirical research related to the topic which has intrigued economists ever since R. Solow's statement 'We see computers everywhere except in productivity statistics' aroused the interest and debate concerning the impact of ICT on growth and productivity. The hypotheses regarding the economic impact of ICT will be discussed followed by a conclusion arising from a large number of empirical studies. There have been three hypotheses regarding the overall impact of ICT on growth and productivity. According to the first hypothesis, growth and productivity are stimulated by investment in ICT ; according to the second hypothesis, growth and productivity are stimulated by using ICT ; whereas according to the third hypothesis, ICT has no significant impact on economy. While the initial wave of research was based on quantitative indicators of effects of ICT investment, in the second stage a shift towards a qualitative approach was made, taking into consideration the complementary nature of investments and factors such as organizational change, human capital accumulation, quality of work effects as well as investment into research and development. Research has shown that ICT increases work productivity via three mechanisms. The first mechanism is the impact via production in the ICT sector. The ICT sector, which consists of two segments – manufacturing and services – contributes to growth in countries in which it is growing faster than the rest of the economy. This is true even despite the power of the ICT sector in those countries which, quantitatively speaking, is relatively small owing to limited markets, examples of which include Australia, Finland and Ireland. The other mechanism is using ICT in business activities. The third way is technological spillover. This chapter discusses a research conducted in Croatia concerning the size of the ICT sector and company performance. The research shows that the ICT sector productivity is above the average when compared to the Croatian economy in general. High entry rates and high survival rates are indicators of entrepreneurial potential and market growth that tend to accompany the initial stage of the ICT sector development. Considering the ever greater significance of entrepreneurship and the inevitable role of ICT, this chapter will also examine the potential impact of ICT on entrepreneurship. The latter has been acknowledged as one of the generators of growth and recognized as such by policy makers. In recent literature, apart from capital, work and knowledge capital, entrepreneurship capital appears as a factor of growth. Since entrepreneurship on the demand side is a major factor in technological change, we shall attempt to propose possible avenues of research into ICT potential for entrepreneurship. There are two ways in which ICT can benefit entrepreneurship development. One of them is through entrepreneurship in the ICT sector which, owing to the nature of technology, shows a high level of innovativeness, while the increase in demand opens up the possibility for the entry of new businesses. The other is through the mechanism of using ICT and spillover effects, i.e., network effects. From the perspective of spatial analysis of development it is possible to examine the impact of ICT on regional development. It is interesting to analyze regional development, as a particularly widely supported development model in the European Union, in the light of the impact of ICT on it as well as of the impact of neighbouring regions on regional development through the spillover process. Finally, guidelines for the exploitation and exploration of the ICT potential for countries of varying experience and achieved level of development are discussed in the conclusion.

This research aims to produce strategies and ways to increase teacher innovativeness by strengthening the variables of creativity, organizational support, emotional intelligence, and information and communication technology (ICT) literacy as intervening variables. The research sample was 218 samples taken using stratified proportional random sampling of private vocational school GTY teachers in Bogor Regency. This research uses a survey method with a path analysis approach and SITOREM analysis. The results of this research can be concluded: 1). there is a direct influence of creativity on teacher innovativeness, 2). there is a direct influence of Organizational Support on Teacher Innovativeness, 3). there is a direct influence of Emotional Intelligence on Teacher Innovativeness, 4). there is a direct influence of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy on Teacher Innovation, 5). there is a direct influence of Creativity on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy, 6). there is a direct influence of Organizational Support on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy, 7). there is a direct influence of Emotional Intelligence on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy, 8). there is an indirect influence of Creativity on Teacher Innovation through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy, 9). the indirect influence of Organizational Support on Teacher Innovation through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy, and 10) the indirect influence of Emotional Intelligence on Teacher Innovativeness through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy. The results of the SITOREM analysis show that based on the priority order of improving teacher innovation, it is necessary to strengthen creativity, organizational support, and emotional intelligence. Creativity is to be strengthened, so it is done by enhancing indicators that are still weak, namely: smart (acting cleverly in looking for opportunities), habit ( behavioral habits in solving problems), originality (originality in developing something new or different), as well as maintaining or developing indicators: openness (open behavior in accepting new ideas and thoughts), interest (behavior interested in complex things), and persistent (acting persistently in trying), organizational support is to be strengthened, then this is done by improving indicators that are still weak, namely: providing justice and leadership support, as well as maintaining or developing indicators: respect from the organization and working conditions, emotional intelligence is to be strengthened, then this is done by improving indicators that are still weak, namely: emotional expression, optimism, empathy, as well as maintaining or developing indicators: adaptability, impulsive behavior, and relationships, information and communication technology (tik) literacy wants to be strengthened, so it is carried out by improving indicators that still weak, namely: user ability, knowledge of data communications, understanding of operational systems, as well as maintaining or developing indicators: understanding of computer application programs, understanding of computers, ability to operate computers, effectiveness and sustainability of use, and efficiency and capacity of use .

An examination of prospective teachers' information and communication technology (ICT) skills development in an undergraduate program indicated that the only course available to practice these skills was the teaching practice course. However, the practice and development of these ICT skills in the tea chi ng practice course has not been clearly elucidated. In other words, while the contribution of the teaching practice course in terms of theoretical ICT knowledge is known, how this knowledge is applied is unknown. Under such uncertainties, it is impossible to determine the roles of teaching practice course stakeholders play in terms of ICT integration. Based on transformative learning theory at a micro level, the ai m of this study was to analyze prospective Information Technology (IT) teachers' ICT transformations. Methodological triangulation, a mixed methods research design, was adopted arid designed as a survey method. Over an academic year, data was collected from 54 prospective IT teachers, two university supervisors, and six. practice teachers. Learning Data Collection Sets (questionnaire and interview form) were used to analyze the ICT practice transformations, with interview forms, focus group interview forms, and the researcher's diary being used as the data collection tools. The results showed that though a majority of the prospective IT teachers were likely to experience transformative learning, approximately one-third were able to achieve an ICT transformation within the scope of the teaching practice course. In this context, a more efficient model is proposed for ICT practices in the scope of a teaching practice course.KeywordsInformation and Communication Technology Integration, Information arid Communication Technology Integration in Adult Education, Teaching Practice Course, Transformative Learning Theory.It could be argued that all actors in education, such as teachers, prospective teachers, instructors, and administrators, regarding issues such as infrastructure requirements and education programs, are now interactively involved in the process of information and communication technologies integration. When ICT in Turkey is examined in terms of its historical developments, computers were first introduced to public schools in 1984 (Ozar & Askar, 1997) and computer courses were added to the curriculum as elective courses (Deryakulu, 2008). Though such a start could be considered a precursor to ICT integration, the combination of hardware and software at that time restricted overall integration (Earle, 2002). ICT began with the training of teachers rather than with the setting up of its substructure (World Links, 2007), and so ICT was defined as a tool for students to gain access to course achievements (Kocak Usluel, Kuskaya Mumcu, & Demiraslan, 2007; Fulton, Glenn, & Valdez, 2004). However, ICT has a very complex structure today, and needs to be viewed from the stakeholders' positions to allow for a more stringent examination. Semenov (2005) indicated teachers, students, and administrators as the ICT stakeholders in higher education. Teachers (Gorder, 2008; Okojie, Olinzock, & Okojie-Boulder, 2006; Summerville & Reid-Griffin, 2008), students (Chen, 2004; Davies, 2011; Dexter & Riedel, 2003) and administrators (Green & Gilbert, 1995; Hooper & Rieber, 1995; International Society for Technology in Education [ISTE], 2011; Schiller, 2003) have important duties in ICT integration, initiation, and implementation , and need to overcome the difficulties to encourage the use of ICT education as a part of school culture.In spite of the many technological opportunities for ICT in education, the instructional use of ICT in the classroom is a less common practice than imagined (Surry & Land, 2000; Turkish Council of Higher Education-Yuksekogretim Kurulu [YOK], 2007). …

Pre-primary teachers’ preparedness in integrating information and communication technology in teaching and learning in Tanzania