The capability approach as a tool for development evaluation – analyzing students’ use of internet resources

Abstract

Internet resources have been ascribed transformative powers in the development of educational organizations and students in developing regions. However, most development projects relating to Internet resources focus on publishing material without much analysis of the actual use. The question then is how we can go deeper in our analysis and study actual development outcomes. The analysis in this paper is based on Amartya Sen's Capability Approach, where both the means and ends are evaluated. The research question is “What are the benefits of using Amartya Sen's Capability Approach when evaluating development outcomes?”. We answer the question by evaluating what capabilities and functionings Internet resources can enable for students in higher education. Findings show that the Capability Approach enables us to gain a deeper understanding of why and how development outcomes are achieved. We are also able to follow the development process from the intervention to the realized outcomes. Annika Andersson, Åke Grönlund and Gudrun Wicander are the accepting Guest Editors for this article.