Access To Communication Technologies Research Articles

Digital technologies' impacts on alleviation of poverty: a bibliometric review

PurposeDigital technologies have been found to have long-lasting impacts on poverty. This study has been conducted to shed light on the contributions made by digital technologies toward poverty alleviation and also provide future research directions.Design/methodology/approachThe authors thoroughly studied the sample of 258 publications from the Scopus database, covering the period from 1982 to June 2023. Using VOS viewer and Bibliometrix R, various graphs and networks are developed to understand publication trends, research collaborations and intellectual structures.FindingsA significant amount of the existing literature on the impact of digital technologies on poverty alleviation demonstrates the need for more studies in this area. Lack of information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and access exhibits less opportunity for work, social networking and entrepreneurship, directly affecting people’s livelihoods in developing countries.Practical implicationsThis study will help country planners, regulatory bodies and academicians get a deeper insight into the impact of digital technologies on poverty alleviation and also develop the future research agenda.Originality/valueThis study employs a considerable period of time, from the year 1982 to June 2023. To the best of authors’ knowledge, the current study is a pioneer in using bibliometric analysis to identify the impact of digital technologies on the alleviation of poverty. This attempt will surely be helpful to academicians, researchers and those working on identifying the impact of digital technology on poverty alleviation.

Dimensions of Accessibility and Use of Information Communication Technology Among Cocoa Farmers in Atwima Mponua District, Ghana

This research examined the drivers of accessibility and use of information communication technologies (ICTs) by cocoa farmers. A sample size of four hundred (400) cocoa farmers was selected using a multi-stage random sampling procedure. Data were analysed using percentage, means, standard deviation, Kendall’s coefficient of concordance and multiple linear regression model. The study revealed that mobile phones, radio and television are the most available (=4.99, 4.95 and 4.85 respectively), accessible (=4.97, 4.83 and 4.40 respectively) and utilised (=4.97, 4.81 and 4.30 respectively) ICT tools by cocoa farmers. There is a relatively high level of availability of ICT (=3.57), a moderate level of accessibility (=2.90) and low use (=2.19) of ICT tools. Cocoa farmers mainly used ICT tools to acquire information on their cocoa farm activities (=4.82). Gender, age, education and farmer-based organisation participation affected farmers' accessibility of ICT tools. Age, education and farm experience significantly affected farmers’ use of ICT tools. The greatest challenge faced by cocoa farmers in accessing and using ICT tools is a lack of skills in operating the tools ( rank=2.24). Training on ICT use should be intensified by all relevant stakeholders to enable cocoa farmers to increase their use of ICT tools.

DAPIC Problem-solving Process Towards Elementary Students’ Statistical Literacy

Statistics learning in the time of distance education makes students uneasy due to the difficulties in the learning environment and processes. This article aims to analyze the level of difficulty faced by students in statistics distance education and captures the causal factors affecting it. Cross-sectional secondary data were used from a current study in literature and described by standard statistical measures. The study utilized the level of difficulty in learning statistics during online setup as the dependent variable in the form of a scale of 1 to 10. The study used standard descriptive measures. Moreover, this study also use quantile regression models were constructed. Results depicted that students were facing "difficulty" as they learn statistics during distance education. The quantile regression revealed that the learning environment, inaccessible places (rural areas), and more family members are the statistically significant factors that influence the difficulty level in learning statistics online. This implies that due to the distractive place of learning, students cannot focus and penetrate their lessons. In addition, students were struggling with communication technology and internet access wherein it is vital in classroom engagement and the acquisition of learning resources. Hence, the study suggests that students must be supported by the government in regard to their learning needs and teachers must promote a positive and interesting educational environment. Furthermore, teachers must undergo training and workshops on how to be equipped in teaching statistics online.

Quantile Regression Analysis for Students’ Difficulty Level in Learning Statistics Online

Statistics learning in the time of distance education makes students uneasy due to the difficulties in the learning environment and processes. This article aims to analyze the level of difficulty faced by students in statistics distance education and captures the causal factors affecting it. Cross-sectional secondary data were used from a current study in literature and described by standard statistical measures. The study utilized the level of difficulty in learning statistics during online setup as the dependent variable in the form of a scale of 1 to 10. The study used standard descriptive measures. Moreover, this study also use quantile regression models were constructed. Results depicted that students were facing "difficulty" as they learn statistics during distance education. The quantile regression revealed that the learning environment, inaccessible places (rural areas), and more family members are the statistically significant factors that influence the difficulty level in learning statistics online. This implies that due to the distractive place of learning, students cannot focus and penetrate their lessons. In addition, students were struggling with communication technology and internet access wherein it is vital in classroom engagement and the acquisition of learning resources. Hence, the study suggests that students must be supported by the government in regard to their learning needs and teachers must promote a positive and interesting educational environment. Furthermore, teachers must undergo training and workshops on how to be equipped in teaching statistics online.

Settling Digital Divide on Students of Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki-Nigeria

The study on the implications of digital divide on Students of Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, was carried out to determine the level of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) knowledge and access among the students in the system. Previous studies carried out in the developed nations such as United States of American, United Kingdom, and Canada and alike had shown that innovative use of ICT facilities has the potentials to effect students teaching/learning. However, literature search of similar studies in the developing nations of the world seems scanty. In order to have a good foundation upon which the study rests, technological determinism theory as propounded by Lievrouw and Livingstone (2006) was adopted. The major interest of the theory is to elucidate the irresistible power of ICT to propel human actions socially and economically for development. Flowing from the assumption of the theory and its focus, the implication of digital divide on students in Nigerian University emerged. The study adopted content analysis approach and reviewing of extent literature. Consequently, the study recommended repositioning the online teaching/learning among students of Ebonyi State University should be made a priority to increase ICT knowledge and access

Information and communications technology access for people in prison: strategies to maximise the benefits and minimise the harms of communication with families and program workers

ABSTRACT COVID-19 lockdowns accelerated the take up of video calls and other digital communication between people in prison and the outside world. This has altered relationships with families and practice within rehabilitative and reintegration services. Little work has discussed the significance of these changes or articulated a normative agenda for shaping changes in future. This article aims to identify strategies that might help reintegration services and justice system agencies maximise the benefits and minimise the harms from information communication technology (ICT) use between people in prison and their families and services. Drawing from empirical literature, practical insights from service delivery and theoretical insights from assemblage theory and carceral geography, this article proposes three strategies: design spatial, scheduling and security measures to minimise stigma and disruption; actively support ICT users to equitably access the potential of ICT systems; and develop program practices in parallel with the evolutions of the technology they employ. Each of these strategies is set out with sub-components and suggestions for further research.

Information communication technology accessibility and mental health for older adults during the coronavirus disease in South Korea.

As society ages and the digital economy continues to develop, accessibility to information and communication technology (ICT) has emerged as a critical factor influencing the mental health of older adults. Particularly, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for non-face-to-face communication has significantly increased older adults' reliance on ICT for accessibility. This transition from a self-motivated engagement to a more socially passive mode of interaction highlights the importance of creating a digitally inclusive aging society. This empirical study used pooled cross-sectional data from the Digital Gap Survey conducted in South Korea in 2018 and 2020. It aimed to analyze the association between ICT accessibility and the mental health of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. A significant positive relationship was found between ICT and mental health among older adults in South Korea. However, this positive association weakened during the COVID-19 period. Furthermore, the analysis revealed heterogeneity among older adults by age, sex, and place of residence, with older females in their 70s living in rural areas experiencing the greatest weakening. These results highlight the need for tailored interventions and support mechanisms for specific demographic groups of older adults. We recommend that the South Korean government implement various policies to facilitate the post-COVID-19 digital landscape. These include initiatives such as ICT-related education programs, development of user-friendly e-government systems, and creation of social media platforms designed to accommodate the needs and preferences of older adults.

A Study on the Application of Online Speaking Class in Remote Areas: Is the Implementation of the Principle of Education for All Achieved?

Studies on blended and online learning have mostly focused on information and communication technology accessibility. This study investigated aspects other than ICT when students joined the Speaking Class blended and online from remote areas during the COVID-19 Pandemic. This study employed a mixed-method case study. The purposive sampling technique was used to choose two groups of students who enrolled in Speaking Classes at the English Department in the 2020/2021 academic year as the study's sample. The first group (Group A), which included eighteen (18) students, attended fourteen online speaking lectures, whereas the second group (Group B), which included twenty-two (22) students, attended blended learning lectures. The student's achievements in speaking abilities were described. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and interviews were used to obtain information about students' problems, and the data were analysed using content analysis. The data analysis revealed that Group B students performed better than Group A students in terms of learning outcomes. The findings of the data analysis from the interviews and focus groups reveal that some problems were encountered, including; 1) interference from family members; 2) absence of a study room; 3) financial difficulty; 4) absence of peers; 5) difficulty to get local transportation; and 6) problem to concentrate. These findings suggest that the applied online learning system has not been able to meet the principles of education for all during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Solutions to the application of online learning in remote areas, highlighting the roles of the local government, are forwarded.

Analyzing the role of ICT in bridging the digital divide: a transitional analytical framework for ICT access to impact

PurposeIn light of the shift in focus from information communication technology (ICT) access (access divide) and skills (skills divide) to the tangible impacts of ICT use (impact divide), a growing number of scholars have called for further investigation into the inter-territorial and multi-dimensional aspects of the digital divide in China. This study aims to address these gaps by examining the disparities across 31 provinces, particularly emphasizing the transition from the traditional access and skills divides to the impact divide.Design/methodology/approachMultivariate regression analysis extensively investigates the transition from the access and skills divides to the impact divide across 31 provinces. Additionally, ArcGIS software is used to analyze spatial agglomeration and the auto-correlation (Moran-i) and predict mapping patterns in the data corresponding to all three levels of the digital divide.FindingsAccording to the study's findings, poverty is a significant factor in the digital divide between different regions in China. The research shows that provinces with advanced administrative systems, such as Guangdong, Shanghai, Beijing, Jiangsu, Shandon and Zhejiang, have high scores on the digital development index (DDI). However, regions with poverty-ridden and rural areas, primarily located in southwest, central and western China, tend to have lower DDI scores.Originality/valueThis study offers a novel contribution to the literature by presenting an innovative conceptual framework that explores the impact divide within China's provinces. The authors also address this lacuna in the literature by developing and testing two dimensions to examine the relationships statistically under a wide range of socioeconomic and ICT indicators.

Revisiting Digital Divide: Teaching and Research Considerations

In this editorial, I hope to start the conversation on the deepening digital divide that persists in disadvantaged communities and call upon us as information systems (IS) educators and researchers to create actionable knowledge and solutions to close the gap in the information and communications technology (ICT) access, use, and skills.

Performance analysis of video data transmission for telemedicine applications with 5G enabled Internet of Things

Fifth Generation (5G) communication access technology has been implemented to provide highly reliable and efficient video data streaming in telemedicine applications. The Internet of Things (IoT) advancement enhances the 5G network for smart healthcare services and applications. The existing research work focused only on Lagrangian Encoder (LE) based video compression technique with H.265 Protocol for video data transmission in 5G networks for telemedicine applications. This paper proposes a novel KNN classifier-based H.265 protocol with a single buffer model incorporated with multiple sensors for telemedicine applications. The proposed multiple sensors are placed at the transmitter and receiver base stations to exchange data efficiently and accurately between transmitter and receiver devices. The data transmission performance is measured using collision error, propagation error, sensing error, and visual security with encryption for the proposed and existing methods. The performance of the proposed model is compared with the existing LE-based single buffer and identifies the proposed KNN classifier-based single buffer with a multi-sensor technique that performs better.

Anti-Systemic Movements in the Attention Economy

In recent decades, anti-systemic movements feature new forms of communication for organizing efforts: the use of information and communication technologies. Research on information and communication technologies suggests that mobile phones and internet access have increasingly facilitated horizontal communication for anti-systemic movements across the world-system, creating space for rapid and instantaneous organization and mobilization. However, existing scholarship benefits from a critical evaluation of claims about horizontality by addressing the political economy of information and communication technologies from a world-systems analysis perspective. Specifically, information and communication technology devices and platforms—from cellphones to social media channels—are designed by powerful corporations that are often based in powerful core and semi-periphery nations. The majority of these corporations are based in the hegemonic core of the United States. Within the present context of waning material resources across the world-system, these corporations profit from an online attention economy. Just as traditional material economies exploit the labor and natural resources from the periphery to extract wealth for core states, the attention economy exploits the psychologies and behaviors of periphery populations to extract wealth for core countries. Thus, some of the most powerful institutions in the world-system control the algorithms and structures where anti-systemic movements compete for peoples’ attention. This study utilizes the Mass Mobilization Data Project 1990-2018 historical dataset to determine which kinds of anti-systemic movements thrive as information and communication technology access expands globally. Using population-averaged negative binomial panel models on protest counts, I determine that as information and communication technologies expand, anti-systemic movements that are unlikely to threaten U.S. hegemony thrive, and conversely, anti-systemic movements that pose serious threats to U.S. hegemony and the present capitalist world-system are stifled. To unpack these findings, I draw from the cultural political economy approach, a framework that describes how some imaginations become a zeitgeist over competing imaginations for economic and political realities.

Telehealth information and communication technology access for family caregivers of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental health needs

BackgroundTelehealth is increasingly used to deliver mental health services. However, the potential benefits of telehealth for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental health needs (IDD-MH) may not be fully realized. This study addresses gaps in knowledge about access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) for individuals with IDD-MH from the perspective of their family caregivers. ObjectiveWhat factors are associated with access to ICTs among family caregivers of people with IDD-MH who use START services? MethodsRetrospective analysis of cross-sectional interview data gathered for START use at the onset of COVID-19. START is a crisis prevention and intervention evidence-based model for people with IDD-MH implemented across the USA. To assess needs during COVID-19, START coordinators conducted interviews with 1455 family caregivers between March and July 2020. A multinomial regression model examined correlates of ICT access, as indicated by an index (poor, limited, and optimal access). Correlates included the level of IDD, age, gender, race, ethnicity, rural setting of the person with IDD-MH, and caregiver status. ResultsAge (ages 23–30 years) and sole caregiver status were significantly associated with limited access (both p ≤ .001). Age (ages 23–30 years and ≥31 years, p < .001), race (Black or African American, p = .001), ethnicity (Hispanic, p = .004), and sole caregiver status (p < .001) were significantly associated with poor access. ConclusionsDisparities existed in ICT access for adults, specific racial/ethnic groups, and sole caregiver households. Healthcare policy related to telehealth must consider how ICT access can be equitable for all users with IDD-MH.

Leveraging digital technology for development: Does ICT contribute to poverty reduction?

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1 requires countries to end poverty of all forms. At the same time, SDG 9 target 9.c calls for increasing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) access and striving to provide universal and affordable access to the internet in the least developed countries by 2020. While the existing studies have explored the effect of ICT on economic growth, there is a limited empirical study on the effect of ICT on poverty reduction. This article, therefore, investigates the effect of ICT on poverty reduction using comprehensive panel data for 44 sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries from 2010 to 2019. Using the dynamic system-generalized method of moment estimator to control endogeneity, the findings show that telephone penetration, mobile phone penetration, and ICT goods imported contribute to poverty reduction, while internet penetration, broadband penetration, and ICT goods exported increase poverty rate regardless of gender and age group. The net effect estimates reveal that at the maximum value of most ICT variables, economic growth, income inequality, and access to credit significantly increase poverty rate regardless of the age group. We argue that for SSA to leverage ICT to drive economic prosperity, policies that seek to drive ICT availability and affordability should be supported with policies that ensure income redistribution, trickle-down development, and minimizing the cost of accessing credit.

Determinants of Information Communication Technology Accessibility for Community Development Activitiesamong Male and Female Agriculture Extension Workersin Edo State, Nigeria

This study identified the determinants of (information communication Technology) ICTs accessibility among male and female agriculture extension workers for community development activities in Edo State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected from randomly selected one hundred and twenty-five (125) agricultural extension workers with the use of validated questionnaire. Means and Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) statistics were used as analytical tools. Results showed that the mean deviations of gender of agriculture extension workers in terms of age ( = 1.4), household size ( = 0.2), years of training ( = 0.4), and job experience ( = 0.7) were nuance. PPMC results showed that male and female agriculture extension workers age (r = -0.32; r = -0.31) and female job experience (r = 0.29) were the significant correlates of accessibility of ICTs at 5% significance level while male and female agriculture extension workers age (male r=0.32; female r =0.31), years of training (male r= 0.63, female r=0.55), and male job experience (r=0.39) correlated with their accessibility to ICTs at 0.01 level of significance. The study recommends that agriculture extension institutions should make adequate provisions for staffs to take care of their household members which will in turn enable them pay much attention to official work and have sufficient time to access ICTs facilities. Also, young people should be employedto carry out extension works since they have higher accessibility to ICTs than older staffs.

Technological socialities: The impact of information and communication technologies on belonging among deaf and hard‐of‐hearing people

AbstractThis review article examines how different types of communication technologies, from the specialized medical to generic social devices, influence belonging and sociality among deaf and hard‐of‐hearing (DHH) people. The emphasis is on DHH adolescents and young adults who may be impacted differently across countries, given state‐specific policies regarding the status of sign language and deaf education, and based on different availability, affordability, and accessibility of communication technologies. We introduce different perspectives on deafness, ranging from pathological to cultural, a heuristic on which we build to explore DHH socialities as complex and evolving. We then analytically review ethnographic research on how cochlear implants impact DHH people's belonging to the “deaf world” and/or the “hearing world,” and how they navigate between these worlds. Then we move on to technologies such as text messages and social media, which enable DHH people to extend their socialities beyond local communities. Belonging is a fluid phenomenon, and technologies which are in a constant process of innovation and development may influence it in complex ways. We argue that to explore questions of belonging, identity, and sociality among DHH people, and how they are shaped by technologies, (visual) ethnographic methods are particularly productive.

Accessibility and Inclusiveness of New Information and Communication Technologies for Disabled Users and Content Creators in the Metaverse

Accessibility and Inclusiveness of New Information and Communication Technologies for Disabled Users and Content Creators in the Metaverse

Decreasing Corruption and Increasing Competitiveness through E-Government

This paper investigates the contribution of e-government and the implementation of digital practices in the daily administrative procedures of the state/ government to the prevention of corruption and the consolidation of transparency in the transactions between citizens and authorities. It focuses in particular on the period 2007-2021, covering the years 2020 and 2021, when the implementation of digital practices skyrocketed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The analysis employs a series of variables that represent the development of e-government and the digitization of public procedures and uses a series of econometric models to detect their impact on (the perceived) corruption, the rule of law and competitiveness in different member-countries of the European Union. These variables express the perceptions of citizens of different European Union countries with respect to digitized public services. The data come from the public databases of the World Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United Nations and Eurostat and cover the period 2007-2021. The study provides evidence that e-government and the use of public internet to interact with the public authorities exert significant positive impact on competitiveness at all model specifications; the use of public internet to interact with the public authorities posts significant positive influence on (the fight against) corruption at all models; and the information and communication technology access for business has significant positive effect on the rule of law in the model specifications that use foreign direct investment inflows or outflows as control variables. In contrast the positive impact of e-government on (the fight against) corruption is not statistically significant, whereas its impact on the rule of law was found to be statistically significant and negative. These findings can be of value to the policy makers across the European Union countries as they can at least secure the digitization of the transactions of the citizens with the state, as well as the digital transition of the enterprises as a means to decrease corruption, increase competitiveness and improve the rule of law.

Exploring Age and Gender Differences in ICT Cybersecurity Behaviour

Known age differences exist in relation to information and communication technology (ICT) use, attitudes, access, and literacy. Less is known about age differences in relation to cybersecurity risks and associated cybersecurity behaviours. Using an online survey, this study analyses data from 579 participants to investigate age differences across four key cybersecurity behaviours: device securement, password generation, proactive checking, and software updating. Significant age differences were found; however, this is not a straightforward relationship. Older users appear less likely to secure their devices compared to younger users; however, the reverse was found for the other behaviours, with older users appearing more likely to generate secure passwords and show proactive risk awareness and regularly install updates. Gender was not a significant predictor of security behaviour (although males scored higher for self-reported computer self-efficacy and general resilience). Self-efficacy was identified as a mediator between age and three of the cybersecurity behaviours (password generation, proactive checking, and updating). General resilience was also a significant mediator for device securement, password generation, and updating; however, resilience acted as a moderator for proactive checking. Implications of these findings are twofold: firstly, helping to guide the development of training and interventions tailored to different cybersecurity behaviours and secondly informing cybersecurity policy development.

Alone and lonely? How physical and perceived isolation can lead to problematic internet use

ABSTRACT Although physical isolation measures can stem the spread of COVID-19, they can also heighten individuals’ perceived isolation and feeling of loneliness, resulting in problematic internet use (PIU). However, studies have rarely investigated both the effects of physical and perceived isolation on PIU. Given the widespread availability and accessibility of digital communication technologies, it is difficult to conclude that the former may necessitate the latter inducing PIU. Using a two-wave longitudinal national survey in Singapore (n = 689), this study found that, at Time 1, both physical and perceived social isolation have direct and independent effects on internet users’ preference for online social interaction (POSI), driving PIU. This, in turn, leads to their experience of negative outcomes at Time 2. The results highlight the importance of considering the independent effects of physical and perceived isolation in affecting POSI leading to PIU.