Access To Information And Communication Technologies Research Articles

Assessment of the Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Agricultural Extension Service Delivery among Farmers in Yobe State, Nigeria

The study assessed the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in agricultural extension services delivery among farmers in Yobe state, Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study were to identify the ICTs available to the farmers in the study area, ascertain the level of access to ICTs among the farmers in the study area and identify, determine the use of ICTs among the farmers in the study area, identify the constraints to the use of ICTs among the farmers in the study area. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 130 respondents for the study. The target populations were obtained from the sampling frame of all contact farmers in the state Agricultural Zones. Both Primary and secondary data were used in the study. Primary data were collected using a well-structured questionnaire and interview schedule, while secondary data were obtained from records of YOSADP, articles, and publications. Data were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, mean, and Likert scale. The analysis results revealed that mobile phones, radio, internet, and television were the most available and accessible ICT tools used by the sampled respondents in the study area. The severity of the constraints to the use of ICT facilities among the respondents shows lack of electricity supply as the 1st ranked impediment among others (WMS of 3.6), followed by lack of funds and high illiteracy level (WMS of 3.2) each and inadequate access to ICT gadgets (WMS of 3.1). In conclusion, there was low usage of ICT facilities in the study area, and the respondents had low knowledge of useful information, as imposed by some constraining factors. Overcoming these challenges would ensure increased use of ICTs for agricultural activities in the study area. Recommendations such as awareness/sensitization on the use of ICT facilities such as the internet and computer to enable farmers utilize the tools effectively for agricultural information transfer and retrieval, dissemination of agricultural-related information through radio and television programs, as well as mobile phones, would be recommended for agricultural development, the use of renewable energy such as solar panels in the utilization of ICT tools particularly in rural areas and enactment of new government policy for the incorporation of ICT gadgets in extension services delivery to farmers to increase their confidence, competence and skills in using ICTs.

Is GRDP a mediating factor in enhancing local tax revenues due to ICT development in Indonesia?

Purpose: This study aims to investigate whether the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) of the information and communication sector mediates the relationship between Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development and local tax revenue enhancement across districts and municipalities in Indonesia. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study uses a quantitative approach to examine how ICT growth, access, infrastructure and utilization affect local taxes and regional levies using panel data from 2017 to 2021.The GRDP of the information and communication sector is incorporated as a crucial moderating variable. Findings: The findings reveal that the GRDP of the information and communication sector plays a vital moderating role in the relationships between ICT factors and local taxes and levies. ICT development benefits local tax systems through increased efficiency, transparency, reduced disparities and enhanced accessibility. Effective ICT infrastructure enables digital fiscal transactions, increasing revenues while improving collection efficiency and reducing income disparities among provinces. High ICT utilization supported by technological proficiency enables local governments to enhance local taxes and levies. Practical Implications: An increase in the GRDP of the information and communication sector leads to higher tax revenues for local governments, funding public services and infrastructure development. Additionally, it attracts investments from other sectors, boosting regional levies and promoting overall regional economic development. The study highlights leveraging the GRDP of this sector as a strategic factor to enhance local tax revenue and regional levies across Indonesian provinces contributing to fiscal decentralization efforts.

The impact of credit accessibility and information communication technology on the income of small-scale sugarcane farmers in Ndwedwe Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

IntroductionAccess to credit and information and communication technology (ICT) plays a pivotal role in enhancing the practices of small-scale sugarcane farmers, impacting their financial, social, and economic wellbeing. However, many small-scale farmers need help accessing these resources, thereby affecting their ability to generate sustainable income. This study aimed to assess the factors influencing the adoption of ICT and access to credit and their subsequent impact on small-scale farmers' income.MethodsEmploying a multistage sampling technique, 300 small-scale farmers were selected as participants in the study. The recursive bivariate probit regression model was used to assess the factors affecting adoption ICT and a selectivity-corrected ordinary least square regression model was utilized to estimate the synergistic effect of ICT adoption and access to credit on the income of small-scale sugarcane farmers.Results and discussionThe findings revealed that approximately 77% of small-scale farmers had access to credit, while more than 80% had adopted ICT. The results derived from the recursive bivariate probit (RBP) regression model indicated that access to credit, education, and extension support positively and significantly influenced the adoption of ICT. Conversely, marital status and non-farm income exhibited a negative and significant influence on the adoption of ICT. Gender and marital status were positively and significantly associated with access to credit, whereas age, education, and non-farm income showed a negative and significant relationship on access to credit. Subsequently, a selectivity-corrected ordinary least square regression model analysis revealed that factors such as gender, marital status, extension, government support, and transportation costs positively and significantly influenced farmer's income. In contrast, education, employment status, and non-farm income exhibited a negative and significant influence on income.Conclusion and recommendationsThe study concludes that socio-demographic factors, such as gender, marital status, extension support, government support, and transportation costs, positively contribute to farmers' income. Small-scale sugarcane farmer involvement in other non-farm activities is associated with reduced farm income. This implies that farmers' livelihoods options are reduced as they can only focus on sugarcane development as a source of income. There is a pressing need to educate small-scale farmers on ICT and provide them with access to agricultural credit. Additionally, extension workers should offer advisory support to small-scale farmers requiring assistance in accessing agricultural credit. There is a need to train sugarcane farmers on different agricultural income generating activities to reduce their over-reliance on sugarcane development. By addressing the identified socio-demographic factors and implementing targeted policy interventions, stakeholders can foster an enabling environment for small-scale farmers to thrive, ultimately contributing to the sustainable development of the sugarcane sector and the broader agricultural landscape in South Africa.

Assessment of Smallholder Poultry Farmers’ Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Kwali Area Council of Abuja, Nigeria

ICT can be regarded as the combination of "informatics communication" and other technologies, especially communications technology. Informatics refers to the study of information, computation, and communication. This can apply to artificial systems such as computers or natural systems such as brains, genes, and living cells. Informatics technology refers to the technological application of informatics in society and is the study of the behaviour and structure of any system that generates, stores, processes, and presents information. A simple random sampling technique was used. The total sample size was 100. The questionnaire method of data collection was adopted to elicit information on the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers, their perceptions of ICT, the accessibility of ICT, and factors that affect the use of ICT technology by poultry farmers. The collected data was subjected to descriptive statistics (such as frequency tables and percentages) for analysis. The result showed that 61% of the farmers are actively participating in poultry farming; it also showed that extension service delivery made it easier for the farmers to get ICT information; and it also showed that high costs (71% of the time) were the major constraint to the adoption of ICT by the smallholder poultry farmers in the study area.

Trends in household out-of-pocket health expenditures and their underlying determinants: explaining variations within African regional economic communities from countries panel data

BackgroundThe persistently high out-of-pocket health spending (OOPHE) in Africa raise significant concern about the prospect of reaching SDG health targets and UHC. The study examines the convergence hypothesis of OOPHE in 40 African countries from 2000 to 2019.MethodsWe exploit the logt\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\ ext{log }}t$$\\end{document}, club clustering, and merging methods on a panel of dataset obtained from the World Development Indicators, the World Governance Indicators, and the World Health Organization. Then, we employ the multilevel linear mixed effect model to examine whether countries' macro-level characteristics affect the disparities in OOPHE in the African regional economic communities (RECs).ResultsThe results show evidence of full panel divergence, indicating persistent disparities in OOPHE over time. However, we found three convergence clubs and a divergent group for the OOPHE per capita and as a share of the total health expenditure. The results also show that convergence does not only occur among countries affiliated with the same regional economic grouping, suggesting disparities within the regional groupings. The findings reveal that countries' improved access to sanitation and quality of governance, increased childhood DPT immunization coverage, increased share of the elderly population, life expectancy at birth, external health expenditure per capita, and ICT (information and communication technology) significantly affect within-regional groupings’ disparities in OOPHE per capita. The results also show that an increasing countries’ share of elderly and younger populations, access to basic sanitation, ICT, trade GDP per capita, life expectancy at birth, childhood DPT immunization coverage, and antiretroviral therapy coverage have significant impacts on the share of OOPHE to total health expenditure within the regional groupings.ConclusionTherefore, there is a need to develop policies that vary across the convergence clubs. These countries should increase their health services coverage, adopt planned urbanization, and coordinate trade and ICT access policies. Policymakers should consider hidden costs associated with access to childhood immunization services that may lead to catastrophic health spending.

Digital Divide among Education Teachers in Northeastern College of Santiago City

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been revealed as key potential factors for economic growth and social development. The diffusion of ICTs drives access to information and knowledge; the uneven distribution of ICTs within or between societies may result in their having a very uneven impact on economic development and wealth. The digital divide has become an extremely important issue for many international organizations and a major challenge for policymakers and academic researchers. To gain insight into the digital divide among basic education teachers in Northeastern College Santiago City, the researcher a quantitative approach where all the education teachers in Northeastern College Santiago City were the respondents of the study. In gathering the data and information needed for the study, the following instruments are used: questionnaire and structured interview. The researcher used Simple Frequency and Percentage Count and Weighted Mean. Initiatives aimed to equip classrooms and build teacher capability in technology use encounter acceptance, sustainability, and scalability challenges. Among all these issues, the most critical challenge is meeting digital equity among students, teachers, and administrations. For ICTs to empower education, there is a need to launch policies and initiatives that provide students and teachers with equitable access to digital technologies. The first and foremost prerequisite for the exploitation of ICT in education is ensuring adequate ICT access by teachers as well as by students. Keywords: Digital Divide, Information Communication Technologies

A Study on the Effect of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on Trade in Services in the United States

The pandemic of COVID-19 appears to boost trade in services and even the ICT service exports in the U.S. The U.S. has been recognized as the world's largest services market and became a leading exporter and importer of services over the last two decades. In this perspective, this study attempts to empirically identify the impact of ICT on trade in services and ICT service exports in the U.S. by employing the modified gravity model of trade from 1990 to 2021. The results indicate that overall ICT access and ICT use have significant positive effects on the trade in services and ICT service exports, but others brought about different results. The study also finds two important facts. First, FTS has a positive effect on the trade in services and ICT services exports, while, MCS has a completely negative effect on both the trade in services and ICT services exports. More interestingly, the dimension of ICT use of IUI and FBS have a different impact on both trade in services and ICT services exports. Another important finding is that the coefficients of IUI and FBS in relation to the trade in services have an unexpected negative sign, while both IUI and FBS have a positive influence on ICT service exports. Finally, these empirical results imply that ICT use has played a more productive role in enhancing ICT service exports than that of ICT access in the U.S. Consequently, these results might provide vital policy insights for the development of ICT and more rapid growth of services trade.

Math Gamification and ICT for University Learning: Systematic Review Article

The integration of math gamification and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in learning has been a subject of growing interest. This approach seeks to improve student motivation and performance by transforming mathematics teaching into a more interactive and hands-on experience in university education. In this research the PRISMA method was used, 80,000 academic papers were systematically reviewed on ICT-supported math gamification in education whereof 79,994 academic papers corresponding to other fields were excluded, selecting and using at the end 55 articles to conduct this research. Studies were identified that explored the effectiveness of this combination at different educational levels, with a particular emphasis on higher education. The results highlight a significant increase in student engagement and motivation, as well as improvement in knowledge retention as shown in the figures and tables of this research. Instant ICT feedback and the application of digital educational games contributed to have a more active learning adapted to individual needs. Although the results are encouraging, challenges remain, such as the need for personalization and equity in ICT access. Continued research seeks to perfect these strategies maximizing the benefits of gamification and ICT, highlighting the importance of adapting to the diversity of learning styles in mathematics education.

Factors Influencing ICT Accessibility among the Farming Community of Odisha

In the dynamic agrarian landscape, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) herald a transformative era for agricultural services, providing a realistic and efficient platform essential for adapting to constant change and optimizing agricultural productivity. A study was conducted in the year 2023 to delineate the accessibility of ICTs in two purposively selected districts of Odisha, having the highest numbers of farmers using ICTs i.e. Khurda and Bargarh, constituting randomly selected 200 respondents. The study categorizes accessibility of ICTs among farmers into high (30%), medium (41.5%), and low (28.5%) levels. The significant predictors were ICT accessibility, with educational qualification (b = 0.133, p < 0.01), annual income (b = 0.068, p < 0.01), social participation (b = 0.0341, p < 0.01), and media exposure (b = 0.478, p < 0.01) exhibiting positive regression coefficients. Conversely, age (b = -0.888, p < 0.01) demonstrated a negative association with ICT accessibility. By prioritizing equitable access to resources and tailored interventions, policymakers and development practitioners can contribute to inclusive agricultural development and digital empowerment in Odisha, thereby fostering sustainable growth and resilience in the agricultural sector.

Analysis of the Conditions of Access and Use of ICT and LKT in Remote Teaching and their Impact in the Linguistic Aspect in First-Year Students of the Bachelor’s Degree of English Teaching at Universidad Nacional, Coto Campus, in 2021

This qualitative research paper explores the reality that freshman students lived in the Bachelor’s Degree in English Teaching at Universidad Nacional, Coto Campus, Brunca Region, during remote-teaching classes in 2021 with regard to accessibility, competence, and the importance of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Learning and Knowledge Technologies (LKTs). The information gathered shows that the competence in using these tools was very poor due to the students’ not having enough knowledge at the beginning of the semester. Also, the access to ICTs and LKTs was limited because of different factors that tend to happen in rural areas; therefore, it is necessary to work on trainings and the accessibility to these devices in the Brunca Region. However, the ICTs and LKTs were important to the learning and teaching process of these students because the results show that without these tools, the access to the lessons would not have been possible nor the development of the four linguistic skills of the English language.

The digital divide among caregivers of pediatric patients aged 0 to 12 years. Design and validation of a questionnaire.

Introduction. Health care strategies based on information and communication technologies (ICTs) may perpetuate health inequity, especially among vulnerable populations. In our setting, there are few validated tools to assess access to ICTs in pediatrics. Objectives. To develop and validate a questionnaire to assess ICT access among caregivers of pediatric patients. To describe the characteristics of ICT access and assess whether there is a correlation among the three levels of the digital divide. Population and methods. We developed and validated a questionnaire and then administered it to the caregivers of children aged 0-12 years. The outcome variables were the questions in the three levels of the digital divide. We also assessed sociodemographic variables. Results. We administered the questionnaire to 344 caregivers. Among them, 93% had their own cell phone and 98.3% had Internet access via a data network; 99.1% communicated via WhatsApp messages; 28% had had a teleconsultation. The correlation among the questions was null or low. Conclusion. The validated questionnaire allowed us to establish that the caregivers of pediatric patients aged 0-12 years mostly own a mobile phone, access the Internet via a data network, communicate mainly through WhatsApp, and obtain few benefits through ICTs. The correlation among the different components of ICT access was low.

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

U.S. state health agencies and organizational learning: An exploratory analysis of website accessibility during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the inaccessibility of government information and communication technologies (ICTs) for members of the disability community. Organizational learning around ICT accessibility can be impacted by factors influencing strategies and assumptions or values and norms. Using data collected over two time periods in 2021, we study how the accessibility of US state health agencies COVID-19 information and vaccine websites improve over time. We examine how time, state policies, and partisanship influence organizational learning around website accessibility. Our analysis determines that the longer a COVID-19 related website exists on the Internet, the less accessible the website. We also find that more extensive internal state accessibility policies are more correlated with websites that meet fundamental accessibility requirements. Additionally, we find that partisanship plays an unexpected role in meeting fundamental accessibility demands, although both state policies and politics do not influence if an ICT meets the best practices standards of accessibility. Our paper initiates a discussion around the factors that influence organizational learning about government website accessibility and points to future research questions where the primary ICT function is not influenced by a rapidly evolving pandemic.

Improved Chi Square Automatic Interaction Detection on Students Discontinuation to Secondary School

Improved Chi Square Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID) with bias correction is the developmentof the CHAID method by relying on Tschuprow’s T test calculations with bias correction in the processof forming a classification tree. This study aims to obtain a classification of factors which influencestudents for not continuing their education from junior high school or equivalent to high school orequivalent. The results obtained in the classification tree produce nine classifications. Based on theresults of the classification tree, the classification of students who do not continue their education tohigh school or equivalent is: students with disabilities who do not have access to Information andCommunication Technology (ICTs) (0.89); students who work without disability but do not have accessto ICTs (0.73); and students who do not work without disability but do not have access to in ICTs(0.60). Based on the classification obtained the factors which influence students for not continuingtheir education to high school or equivalent are access to ICTs, employment status, and persons withdisabilities. The classification accuracy of the results uses the Improved-CHAID method with biascorrection with a proportion of 80% training data and 20% testing data, namely 72.3033% on trainingdata and an increase of 73.3300% on testing data.

Gender Digital Divide and Women's Digital Inclusion: A Systematic Mapping

The digital divide is a multiple phenomenon that visualizes inequalities in the access, use, and appropriation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) of disadvantaged groups to others. There are currently several digital divides, such as a) the Gender Digital Divide (GDD), b) the generational digital divide, c) the disability digital divide, d) the educational digital divide, and e) the geographic digital divide. Specifically, the Gender Digital Divide exhibits a digital divide between women and men. This issue can be increased or decreased depending on the specific background of each woman. This study aims to provide a current and comprehensive overview of recent studies about the gender digital divide from 2017 to 2021, identifying key topics that require further exploration for a complete understanding of the topic through a systematic mapping. Findings show that recent studies have focused on analyzing the differences and inequalities between women and men regarding access, use, and appropriation of ICTs. For future years, it is needed more research on the subject.

Do students’ ICT skills pay off in math performance? Examining the moderating role of countries’ ICT promotive environment

Students’ information and communication technology (ICT) skills have been shown to be a valuable resource for their educational performance, although to varying degrees across countries. Our paper adds to existing knowledge to understand how and why country-specific ICT characteristics make a difference to math performance benefits students glean from their ICT skills, thereby adding to a general understanding of how digital divides at different levels are interrelated. We home in specifically on two features that reflect a country’s ICT promotive environment, respectively national ICT access in education and government promotion of ICT. We specifically elaborate on how these country level features augment the learning and signaling function of student ICT skills. Multilevel linear regression analyses were conducted on a sample (PISA 2018) of 248,720 students across 43 countries, enriched with contextual information from the Networked Readiness Index 2016 and World Bank’s data. Congruent with past research our results indicate that student ICT skills serve as an education resource. This, our study reveals, is indeed dependent on the country’s ICT promotive environment, as students’ ICT skills translate to greater math performance gains in countries with higher levels of ICT access in educational environments.

Examining the linkages between ICTs, economic development and the sustainable development goals: evidence based on the ICT4D value chain

Purpose Globally, information and communication technology (ICT) is regarded as a reliable tool that facilitates economic development and propels sustainable development. However, little empirical work exists on the specific effects of ICT access and usage on economic and sustainable development. This paper aims to investigate the nexus between ICTs, economic and sustainable development at the global level. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents ICT for Development (ICT4D) value chain empirical evidence on the linkages between ICTs, economic development and sustainable development goals (SDGs). The research model based on the capability approach is validated by using archival data from 130 global countries and partial least squares–structural equation modelling. Findings The findings reveal that ICT access and usage significantly influence a country’s attainment of the SDGs. Whilst ICT access plays a crucial role in promoting economic development, ICT usage does not. Also, findings show that economic development significantly mediated the nexus between ICT access and SDGs but not between ICT usage and SDGs. This calls for countries to ensure that access to ICTs is accompanied by a low cost of usage to achieve the full benefits of economic and sustainable development. Originality/value Using the ICT4D value chain, this paper empirically shows how ICT readiness and availability in the form of ICT access and ICT uptake (individual ICT use) promote economic development and SDGs (impact). Furthermore, with many studies conducted on SDGs at the country level, this study provides a broader understanding of the roles of ICT access and use on SDGs at the global level. This allows for easy generalisability and reproducibility of results.

Factors influencing the use of information and communication technologies by students for educational purposes

Implementation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in education is defined as the incorporation of ICTs into teaching and learning activities, both inside and outside the classroom. Despite widely studied, there is still no consensus on how it affects student performance. However, before evaluating this, it is crucial to identify which factors impact students' use of ICT for educational purposes. This understanding can help educational institutions to effectively implement ICT, potentially improving student results. Thus, adapting the conceptual framework proposed by Biagi and Loi (2013) and using the 2018 database of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and a decision tree classification model developed based on CRISP-DM framework, we aim to determine which socio-demographic factors influence students' use of ICT for educational purposes. First, we categorized students according to their use of ICT for educational purposes in two situations: during lessons and outside lessons. Then, we developed a decision tree model to distinguish these categories and find patterns in each group. The model was able to accurately distinguish different levels of ICT adoption and demonstrate that ICT use for entertainment and ICT access at school and at home are among the most influential variables to predict ICT use for educational purposes. Moreover, the model showed that variables related to teaching best practices of Internet utilization at school are not significant predictors of such use. Some results were found to be country-specific, leading to the recommendation that each country adapts the measures to improve ICT use according to its context.

Use of the informed health choices educational intervention to improve secondary students' ability to think critically about health interventions in Uganda: A cluster-randomized trial.

The aim was to evaluate the effect of the Informed Health Choices (IHC) educational intervention on secondary students' ability to assess health-related claims and make informed choices. In a cluster-randomized trial, we randomized 80 secondary schools (students aged 13-17 years) in Uganda to the intervention or control (usual curriculum). The intervention included a 2-day teacher training workshop, 10 lessons accessed online by teachers and delivered in one school term. The lesson plans were developed for classrooms equipped with a blackboard or a blackboard and projector. The lessons addressed nine prioritized concepts. We used two multiple-choice questions for each concept to evaluate the students' ability to assess claims and make informed choices. The primary outcome was the proportion of students with a passing score (≥9 of 18 questions answered correctly). Eighty schools consented and were randomly allocated. A total of 2477 students in the 40 intervention schools and 2376 students in the 40 control schools participated in this trial. In the intervention schools, 1364 (55%) of students that completed the test had a passing score compared with 586 (25%) of students in the control schools (adjusted difference 33%, 95% CI 26%-39%). The IHC secondary school intervention improved students' ability to think critically and make informed choices. Well-designed digital resources may improve access to educational material, even in schools without computers or other information and communication technology (ICT). This could facilitate scaling-up use of the resources and help to address inequities associated with limited ICT access.

Access and Uses of ICTs: Can Virtual Learning Be an Alternative Mode of Education in India?

This study analyses household access and persons’ uses of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in India by using the latest National Sample Survey Organization’s (NSSO) Education survey (2017–2018) datasets. Accordingly, an ICT Index is computed, and a logistic model is applied to examine the pattern and likelihood of digital technology usage and access. The result shows that access to ICTs is lower in rural areas and access increases with the level of education. The study also observes that factors like education, income and regional variations are significant aspects of the disproportionate uses and access of ICTs at the household and individual levels. This study also observed that the low level of access to ICTs will be a huge challenge for the Government to ensure alternate online or virtual modes of education.