The Possibilities of Internet Voting in Jamaica: Moving from Convenience to Fixing the Problem of Voter Apathy among the Youth

Awareness of the essential role of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the field of educationhas become the need of the hour. Current technology rich environment have asserted the importance of ICTs in the process of teaching and learning. This paper attempts to investigate the level of ICT use for educational purposes by students in CBSE secondary schools in Mysore.Information Technology can be applied as an efficient means of improving competence in the educational process. In the present study an attempt was made to check the expertise in the usage of ICT between the boy and girl students of CBSE Higher Secondary Schools. The sample of the study consisted 806 students (348 boys and 458 girls) selected by random sampling technique from CBSE Higher Secondary School of Mysore. The questionnaire was administered for collecting the data which was constructed by the present investigator.The data was analyzed with the help of percentage and was represented by the graph. The findings of the study show that the expertise level of students is high in using ICT.It also reveals that the usage of ICT by the boy students is higher as compared to that of girl students.

1 IntroductionThe field of electronic democracy and especially electronic voting is largely unexplored, its dimensions themselves being in a continuous changing process. There are numerous debates on this field, both in practice and literature, most of them on contradicting terms due to security problems and social and political implications. Thus, considering the expansion electronic voting systems built on the development of information and communication technology (ICT), solving the security aspect is crucial. Voting is a critical process of citizen participation to democracy, facilitating the manifestation of general opinion, but most specialists consider designing such a system complex and delicate.Security of electoral process must be perceived on the level of national security, because the legitimacy of a democracy depends on the degree of equitable, open and trustworthy elections [1]. The lack of trust in organization of the electoral process and government actions is a hot subject in democratic countries, thus also in Romania. Therefore a computerized system for electronic voting is a great responsibility, its failure having grave consequences on public trust in the political class. [2]Numerous international studies have been recently organized on international level with the purpose of evaluating the advantages and drawbacks of electronic voting. Worth mentioning is the European project Edemocracy: Technical possibilities of the use of electronic voting and other Internet tools in European elections (IP/A/STOA/FWC/2008096/LOT4/C1/SC2) [3] carried on between January 2010 and September 2011, which highlights in its final report E-public, eparticipation and e-voting in Europe - prospects and challenges the European experience in the field. However, the results and proofs are not conclusive because of the large diversity of existing systems that support a wide range of contexts and requirements. Examination of digital democracy cannot be isolated from other scientific and academic fields. Electronic voting is rather a social and political project then a technical one, a component of the political dimensions of the new media technologies, leading to improvements of social nature through increasing the number of citizens involved in the political decision process.Traditional voting processes seem to lack security. The concept of hiding a piece of paper inside an envelope to protect its confidentiality is more and more contested. In the current technological context, the voter - considered anonymous - can be easily identified using simple technology the reads finger prints or DNA samples, why wouldn't technology replace such a system? Since numerous countries (like Canada, USA, France, Great Britain, India, Estonia, Holland, Romania etc.) have approached the subject, the basic question is no longer if ICT must or must not be involved in the electoral process, but rather what kind of technology must be used in order to build an electronic voting system.Electronic participation must be understood as an interaction, mediated by technology, between the sphere of civil society and the sphere of politics. There are solutions and software systems destined to increase this participation, known as electronic methods or e-methods, like blog, webcast, polls, chats, forums, electronic petitions etc. Still, we must understand from the beginning that there is a major difference between e-shopping (for example) and e-voting.Electronic voting may be analysed from the perspective of a mechanism designed to improve electronic participation, the selection of procedures and technologies being a very important step. The electoral process is different from one nation to another, not only regarding the way to determine the elected candidates (for example proportional or according to majority), but also regarding the procedures and methods used to cast the votes, organizations involved etc.For example, in Europe voting varies from internet voting (in Estonia) [4] to fully manual process (in Greece and Italy). …

The new information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been the driving force of “globalization”. This process has led to a worldwide reorganization of fundamental transactions and relationships, including within the division of labor, the financial markets and the knowledge market. Globalization has had direct or indirect impacts on all cultures and societies and as such has affected women’s and men’s lives profoundly and in manifold ways. The United Nations (UN) acknowledged the importance of ICTs in restructuring the world when in 2001 they decided to hold a World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). This summit was to articulate a vision of the “Information Society” and steps to bring it about. The UN organization responsible for WSIS was the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which coordinates global telecom networks and services.

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

Οι εκπαιδευτικές αλλαγές τα τελευταία χρόνια εστιάζουν στην εφαρμογή των νέων τεχνολογιών, με στόχο την ενίσχυση των μαθητών στην ενεργή μάθηση. Οι πολλές και ποικίλες εφαρμογές όπως επίσης και οι πολλές συσκευές Τεχνολογίας Πληροφορίας και Επικοινωνίας (ΤΠΕ), έχουν πολλά οφέλη ως εκπαιδευτικά εργαλεία. Μέσα σε αυτό το πλαίσιο, σκοπός της παρούσας μελέτης είναι η εξέταση του ρόλου και της σημασίας των Τεχνολογιών Πληροφορικής και Επικοινωνίας (εφεξής ΤΠΕ) στην διαδικασία μάθησης των παιδιών, μέσα από το πρίσμα των γονέων και των εκπαιδευτικών, όπως επίσης και η διερεύνηση των απόψεων γονέων-κηδεμόνων και των εκπαιδευτικών για την επίδραση των ΤΠΕ στην ζωή των μαθητών διαχρονικά. Στα δύο πρώτα κεφάλαια επιχειρείται μια ανασκόπηση του ζητήματος με έμφαση στην σημασία της τεχνολογίας και τον ρόλο των ΤΠΕ στην εκπαίδευση. Στην έρευνα συμμετείχαν συνολικά 120 άτομα. Το ερευνητικό μέρος βασίζεται στην αξιοποίηση ποσοτικής έρευνας, η οποία διενεργήθηκε τον Ιανουάριο του 2021, με βασικό μεθοδολογικό εργαλείο το ερωτηματολόγιο και ώς εργαλείο ανάλυσης το στατιστικό λογισμικό πακέτο SPSS. Τα αποτελέσματα της στατιστικής ανάλυσης που πραγματοποιήθηκε, υποδεικνύουν ότι υπάρχει μια θετική στάση από γονείς και εκπαιδευτικούς στη χρήση των ΤΠΕ και αντίστοιχα μια ανάλογη σχέση με το βαθμό εξοικείωσης με τις ΤΠΕ και τις θετικές αντιλήψεις για την εφαρμογή τους στη διαδικασία μάθησης. Συμπερασματικά οι ΤΠΕ αποτελούν ένα σημαντικό εργαλείο για την εκπαίδευση. Υπό αυτό το πρίσμα, θα έχει ενδιαφέρον μελλοντικά να διερευνηθούν σε πιο ειδικό πλαίσιο συγκεκριμένες τεχνολογικές εφαρμογές και ο αντίκτυπος τους σε συγκεκριμένα αντικείμενα και μαθησιακές διαδικασίες.

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

As information and communications technologies (ICTs) have revolutionised private and public lives in many aspects, to what extent and in what way electronic voting (e-voting) can improve citizens’ electoral participation and deepen democracy has become a critical issue in political science. From the theory of deliberative participatory democracy in conjunction with a rational choice perspective, this article examines the prospect of e-voting in the electoral process in South Korea. Prior experiences in the 2002 presidential election and the 2000 and 2004 general elections in South Korea have shown a meaningful, albeit limited and partial, impact of ICTs on citizens’ election-related information consumption, reshaping of their political stance and beliefs, and voter turnout. This article contends that the premises of e-voting can be attained with a higher degree of probability if the National Election Commission serves as an information gateway, bridges the digital divide, and is ready to provide voters and election officers with necessary and accurate information about voting procedures.

It is an undeniable fact that overseas Filipinos living and working abroad keep the economy afloat with their dollar and/or foreign currency remittances. Most of them sacrifice being away from their loved ones, even enduring harsh work and living conditions just so they may be able to provide for their families back here in the Philippines. It is therefore important for the government to uphold the protection of their rights and push for better conditions, which includes upholding their right to vote, at anytime and wherever they may be. However, even with the enactment of the Overseas Absentee Act of 2003 (Republic Act 9184), as amended by Republic Act 10590 (Overseas Voting Act of 2012) overseas voter turnout has remained constantly low despite efforts the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA),to employ several methods since 2004, from manual to postal to automated to field voting, and to a combination of all options in the 2013 and 2016 national elections, to improve participation of overseas voters in Philippine elections. This Capstone paper shall provide policy options that address the problem of low voter turnout in the conduct of overseas voting by addressing the inherent complexities (mobility and work conditions) of casting the ballot through the use of INTERNET VOTING. It shall show vital data of worldwide and countrywide internet penetration, its ease of use and how it can make elections as accessible to all. Other countries’ experiences with using internet voting, specifically Estonia, Canada, and Ukraine, shall show that previous issues on security, transparency, and verifiability have and can readily be resolved and addressed using current technologies. The 2007 Singapore pilot test and the December 2017 Hong Kong simulation-demonstration of internet voting participated in by Filipino overseas voters, as well as the survey conducted among them, show off their acceptance and preparedness to use internet voting. The policy options shall be evaluated using their compliance to the following criteria: effectivity (increasing the accessibility factor), legal/political and administrative feasibility, efficiency, social equity, and acceptability (trust factor). Further, Richard Thaler’s Nudge Theory, and reducing information asymmetry in casting one’s vote through creation of TRUST (Gosain 2009 Model of Acceptance of Peer Support), shall be used to demonstrate which policy will be more advantageous to all stakeholders involved in the conduct of elections. Among the proposed strategic policy options, to wit: (a) Option 1: IMPROVE STATUS QUO, improvement of voting processes and delivery of automated ballots to the overseas voters; (b) Option 2:Amend automation law and overseas voting law to authorize the COMELEC to use internet voting as one of the methods for overseas voting (OPTIONAL/SUPPLETORY); and (c) Option 3: Amend automation law and overseas voting law to authorize the COMELEC to use internet voting as MANDATORY with valid exceptions such as in areas/posts where internet is restricted or not readily available, it is revealed that Option 3 (MANDATORY internet voting) is most recommended and ideal as it appears to comply with most of the policy criteria: faster, more accurate, verifiable results, using the least resources at the least cost. To bolster and serve as a tactical approach in providing foran additional foundation for the immediate enactment of the internet voting law, it is also proposed that parallel pilot tests on internet voting to be participated in and collaborated into by all crucial stakeholders (COMELEC, DFA, Congress, Department of Information and Communications Technology, National Privacy Commission, IT groups, overseas voters) should be conducted during the 2019 midterm elections, in certain posts overseas, and to a certain class of overseas voters (seafarers);the results of which shall be submitted to Congress for consideration. The COMELEC should also consider hiring an IT security expert in coming up with the Technical Specifications for the procurement of the internet voting system for the said pilot test. This parallel pilot test shall employ real-time authentication measures and safeguards such as identity verification through biometrics (facial recognition and/or thumb mark) and may work seamlessly and complementarily with the proposed national ID system, one of the priority projects of President Duterte’s administration. From 400,000 registered voters in 2004 to close to 2 million registered overseas Filipino voters by 2019, the impact of the overseas vote can readily shape the results of the elections and greatly influence their respective families here in the Philippines. They have access to some of the best internet services all around the world giving them adequate reason to participate in Philippine elections through an innovative means that is the internet.

Looking at political participation behavior of young adults in contemporary Europe this paper provides the reader with a map of different terminologies and logics that are used to discuss youth political participation. The existing literature is examined using five guiding questions: what defines youth political participation? How does youth political participation differ from adult political participation? How do young adults develop political attitudes? What methods are being used to analyze youth political participation? How does youth political participation research differ across Europe? For those who are dealing with the topic of youth political participation for the first time, this offers a unique opportunity to get an overview. At the same time, already well-informed researchers are given the opportunity to reflect on the current state of research in this field. Finally, the article points out where future research in the field is needed.

Information and communication technology (ICT) is a top priority in building the new global economy and construct swift changes in society. The effective application of ICT in research development libraries and information centres has improved the ways and techniques of research information controlling. The main objective of Research and Development Institutions (R&D) libraries is to appropriate process and retrieve the information and to make available the much-required information to the research community. This study reveal the implementation and utilisation of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) methods in R&D libraries in Chennai, and the level of the extent of ICT in these libraries and also suggested the modern techniques to be implemented. Knowledge can be divided in to two categories namely explicit and tacit. This paper prospects how ICT and related systems can maintain libraries aspire towards excel administration of ICT management system. The results show that ICT could play an important role in the library system, to be used broadly in the R&D libraries. Government and semi-government institutions standards can improve drastically through this ICT enabled libraries, so that the researchers can use this research information retrieval through ICT tools. As per the surveyed librarians, this paper suggests that more modern technology can be used in the R&D libraries which can contribute more successful ICT application use to the research community. This technology has made extensive changes in each and every one, discipline and knowledge. In that scenario nowadays the library and information science is also demanding automatically in that operations. Even nowadays ICT proficiency and competences needed for the implementation of the information and knowledge based library user society in the region of Chennai. The ICT tools have nowadays become an important technology in R&D libraries as it plays a very significant role in meeting information requirements of the research communities and institution as a whole. This study has identified the ICT structure and implementation in R&D libraries across Chennai.

The notion of democracy poses a significant challenge and problem in modern considerations on history, philosophy and politics. At present, in the face of the so-called information revolution, democracy has undoubtedly undergone profound and easily visible transformations. It can be said that the application of IT to exercise democratic power has brought about a revolution that will span a period of many years, given the different potential differing states have to spread the new technologies. The development of information and communications technology (ICT) has introduced new notions related to democracy, such as teledemocracy, technopolitics or electronic democracy (e-democracy). The subject of this paper, electronic voting (e-voting) is among the highly significant instruments of e-democracy. Electronic voting is the fulfillment of the principle of national sovereignty as it can be applied in the procedures of both indirect (e-elections) and direct (e-referendum) democracy.

Models of Teacher Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Professional Development that Empower Multiliterate Classroom Practices

This study is affiliated with the ideology of integration of political participation and media, so in this connection it is seen there is popularity gained by social networks sites in modern age, and users of these sites are increasing day by day, they are engaged in Youtube, Twitter, Whatsapp, Facebook and other SNS. They always believe this is appropriate platform to proceed or local political activities of daily life. This research shows that youth are frequently sharing, posting, and interesting discussion on various political uses frequently. They preview it is a great platform to support and active their political leaders as well as political parties. It is also said in this research SNS is cheapest and Low-Paid platform to proceed information and youth are taking responsibility to gain proper advantage of these networks. In this research quantitative approach has been adopted and results are measured through SPSS-23 version. 39 items are used in questionnaire to accumulate or assemble the meaningful information of integration of media and Political Participation of youth in Khairpur district, Sindh Pakistan. It is shown different parliamentarian, Government officials and youth are using such networks they consider that are sources of their power to be influential in their consistency. Furthermore, it is seen in Khairpur. Facebook, and Youtube has a strong effect in political participation whereas, youth are not much awared how to use other social sites in this noble cause.

Large-scale qualitative changes in youth’s socialization processes bring about internal differentiation in terms of norms and values among the younger generation. It paves the way for the dynamic change within the set of young people’s practices of social and political participation, in the context of digital socialization and network society. The article contains the results of the theoretical analysis of and the empirical research into practices of social and political participation of urban youth. It is shown that a comprehensive study of this phenomenon in a network society requires the development of conceptual and operational models, as well as analytical and methodological tools that integrate the capabilities of socio-­cultural, activity-­based and identity approaches in the study of non-institutional aspects of political reality. A comprehensive research methodology is described, which integrates classical methods of data collection (focus group method) and special socio-­psychological methods adapted to the research objectives. On the basis of the materials of an empirical study carried out by the method of focus group discussions in four cities of the Krasnodar Territory (Armavir, Sochi, Novorossiysk and Krasnodar), the authors classified the types of constructive socio-­political practices of young people by the latter’s location in the public online and offline space of the city. Youth’s information consumption, creation and transformation practices and mixed practices have been identified and described by subjectivity criterion. In terms of the content of constructive social and political activity in the urban public space, the diversity of constructive public practices in the offline public urban space has been systematized; educational, “helping” (volunteer), event memorable and symbolic urban practices, environmental actions and projects, as well as practices of public participation in the local governments and city development projects, have been described described.

Political participation entails citizens’ engagement to exert influence on the political process and policies in a desired direction. Therein, participation of the youth has significance as a transient yet constantly receiving community with potential to shape the course of history in any society. The activities and functions of youth organizations have been pivotal in effecting changes in the twentieth century Asian socio-political and economic realms. Under the similar circumstances, the People’s Republic of China appears to be continuously evolving its social, economic, political and cultural regimes in response to the fluctuating demands of the citizens and the youth. This Essay fathoms changes in political participations of the youth in China, its implication on the Communist Youth League and how the Communist Youth League responds in the era of Market Economy.