Communication Technology Usage Research Articles

Challenges in Implementing ICT Tools in Water and Sanitation Services Management in South Africa

This article discusses challenges encountered in implementing Information Communication Technology tools in water and sanitation services management in South Africa. This qualitative study used a Human Capital Development framework. The study area has had limited consultation on Information Communication Technology tools, low Information Communication Technology usage, and skills gap. Attention is paid to the effective use of Information Communication Technology tools, for example, mobile phones and their application to address the challenges faced. This promotes proper water and sanitation services management by implementing relevant tools to increase the knowledge and skills of service providers. South Africa needs to address and eliminate challenges experienced in implementing Information Communication Technology tools, inequalities, and human-made challenges to ensure availability of services and sustainable water and sanitation services management.

Barriers, Challenges, and Requirements for ICT Usage among Sub-Assistant Agricultural Officers in Bangladesh: Toward Sustainability in Agriculture

The present work is the first detailed study of sub-assistant agricultural officers (SAAOs), who are key players in delivering agriculture extension services in Bangladesh. We determined the status of information and communication technology (ICT) usage, knowledge gaps, approaches and tools for information delivery, barriers and obstacles to ICT usage, requirements for adoption, and possible solutions for efficient agriculture extension advisory services. We surveyed key respondents (SAAOs, n = 117) from nine sub-districts under the six administrative districts of Bangladesh with a semi-structured questionnaire. We found that 73.2% of all extension officers had basic knowledge of ICT. We observed that the most effective tool for information dissemination was field visits (90.90%, Moulvibazar district) and the most frequent extension approach was training and workshops (77.31%, Dhaka district). The best sources for information collection were broadcast media and social media. While delivering information, difficulty was found due to technical obstacles in Gazipur district, Rajshahi district, Sylhet district, and Dhaka district among 60% to 70% of SAAOs. However, farmers’ ignorance was reported in both Feni district and Moulvibazar district (36.36%). A shortage of computers in Gazipur district (56.25%) was an essential barrier to ICT usage for extension services. A major challenge in using ICT applications in Dhaka district was inadequate training support (64.51%). Mobile devices, internet connectivity, updated ICT applications, and a farmers’ database were the most important supports needed for the SAAO’s skilled advisory activities. In conclusion, our results and recommendations will help to redesign policies to improve infrastructure and allocate funding for capacity and skill development and ICT-based innovations in this sector to achieve sustainable extension and advisory services and attain food security in Bangladesh.

ICT Technologies in the Education of Elementary School Pupils in the Czech Republic

The paper deals with the state of implementation and usage of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the education of elementary school pupils in the Czech Republic. The aim of the research is to find out the opinions of teachers on the use of ICT in teaching and the extent to which these teachers use ICT technology in teaching, how, for what purpose and how, the use of ICT technologies is related to subjects and other relevant variables in the school context. The questionnaire survey was conducted among 103 primary school teachers in several primary schools. Respondents were selected on the basis of their willingness and voluntariness to participate anonymously in the research survey. The results of the research showed that the competencies of primary school teachers using ICT in teaching were relatively developed. We found that teachers use ICT not only in the teaching process, but also for communication with students, colleagues and parents. Our assumption was confirmed that ICT technologies were used significantly more in science than in humanities (except language subjects). According to teachers, the reaction of pupils to the use of ICT in teaching was positive.

Exploring The Use of Information Communication Technologies among Dairy Farmers to Improve Farm Productivity in Punjab Pakistan

This study was conducted to examine the impact of demographic attributes on the usage of information and communication technologies (ICTs) among dairy farmers in District Sheikhupura, which is a prominent area in terms of dairy potential and dairy households. The use of ICTs was aimed at improving dairy farm productivity through extended awareness and adoption of recommendations. Tota 383 randomly selected respondents were interviewed face to face on a structured questionnaire. The collected data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results indicated that 36% of farmers were aged between 36-50 years, 35.8% had no formal education, 60.1% had less than 5 acres of land and 37.6% had the experience of over 20 years. The chi-square test of association confirmed that education (P0.05), land size (P0.05) and monthly income (P0.05) were significantly associated with the use of ICTs. Whereas, age and experiences were insignificant (P0.05) with the use of ICTs. Multiple Regression analysis confirmed that age, education and size of landholdings had statistically significant relationships with the adoption of ICTs among dairy farmers. This study, concludes that improvement in the socio-economic attributes of the farmers was associated with the improvement in the use of ICTs. Therefore, efforts are needed to improve the socio-economic conditions of farmers through farmer facilitation, subsidies, training and skills development regarding use of ICT gadgets.

THE EFFECTS OF ISLAMIC MICROFINANCING, HUMAN CAPITAL AND ICT USAGE ON WOMEN MICRO-ENTREPRENEURS’ PERFORMANCE IN MALAYSIA

This study examines the influences of Islamic microfinancing, human capital development, and information and communication technology (ICT) usage on the performance of Malaysian women micro-entrepreneurs funded by an Islamic microfinance institution (IMFI). It considers Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) as the study setting and adopts a quantitative approach involving 120 women micro-entrepreneurs. The questionnaire was distributed to women micro-entrepreneurs in Selangor state employing a convenience sampling method. The model was analysed utilising the partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that Islamic microfinancing, human capital, and ICT usage positively influence the performance of women micro-entrepreneurs. The empirical findings enhance the literature by extending the resource-based view (RBV), a soft theory in the organisational theory literature, by incorporating Islamic microfinancing in the context. It is hoped the study will assist IMFIs and governments in strengthening infrastructures, developing comprehensive business strategies, and educating women micro-entrepreneurs about the possibilities of the digital economy for long-term business sustainability and development.

CONVERGENCE OF HETEROGENEOUS WIRELESS NETWORKS FOR FUTURE COMMUNICATIONS: ARCHITECTURE, QOS AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Scientific and theoretical approaches to the implementation of a heterogeneous mobile communication network based on SDN/NFV and SDR technologies are described. The architecture of the future heterogeneous network is proposed, taking into account the evolution of emerging standards and key technologies. An algorithm for dynamic bandwidth allocation and reservation between several logical channels at a certain moment of time to provide QoS for information flows in future networks is created. A simulation model of network traffic service with parameters corresponding to real networks has been made. The study of femtocell SDR load, as the main convergent device at the level of heterogeneous network access by users of different generation mobile communication technologies has been conducted.

Evaluation of Individual Innovation and Information Communication Technologies Usage Levels of Industrial Enterprise Employees

Çalışma kapsamında, endüstriyel işletme çalışanlarının bireysel yenilikçilik ile bilgi iletişim teknolojilerini (BİT) kulanım düzeyleri ile çalışanların bireysel yenilikçilik ve BİT’i kullanım düzeylerinin çeşitli değişkenler açısından farklılık gösterip göstermediği araştırılmıştır. Araştırma tarama ve ilişkisel tarama modeline göre yürütülmüş, anket tekniği kullanılarak 416 çalışandan sağlıklı veri elde edilmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda çalışanların günlük BİT’i kullanma sürelerinin ortalaması 4.44 saat (ss=3,30), bireysel yenilikçilik düzeylerinin ortalaması 62,47 (ss=7,84) olarak tespit edilmiştir. Çalışanların bireysel yenilikçilik düzeylerinin eğitim düzeylerine göre; günlük ortalama BİT kullanım sürelerinin ise yaş, medeni durum, eğitim düzeyi ve işyerinde çalışma süresine göre anlamlı farklılık gösterdiği tespit edilmiştir. Sonuç olarak işletmeler tarafından çalışanların yenilik ve teknolojiye yönelik tutumlarının bilinmesi ve bu doğrultuda işletmede gerekli uygulamaların gerçekleştirilmesi önemlidir.

Examining the Factors Affecting the Problem of Experiencing Difficulties while Online Shopping in Turkey with Categorical Data Analysis

The growth of Internet use, along with the ever-evolving and changing technology, has shifted trade made by traditional methods to electronic media. Although there are several definitions, online shopping can be defined as any step in the reciprocal exchange of money, commodities, or services between the buyer and seller through the use of internet technologies. Online shopping has evolved into one of the most important mega-trends in the world economy, with a broad scope. The scope of Internet buying activities is quite broad, extending from individuals to other businesses, governments, and other relevant organizations, and it is possible to reach any market or consumer through quick communication. As a result, economic, political, legal, institutional, cultural, social, and other aspects influence online shopping activities.
 When purchasing goods or services through the Internet, buyers encounter a variety of problems. The goal of this study is to look into the socio-demographic and economic elements that are important in cases when people experience problems with their online purchases. The study used a micro data set from the 2021 Information and Communication Technology Usage Survey in Households conducted by Turkey Statistical Institute. The research's sampling method is a 2-stage stratified cluster sampling. The factors connected to the problems individuals have with online purchases have been determined using binary logistic regression analysis.
 In the last three months, 52.4% of the men in the research said they had problems with purchases made through the website or mobile application. According to the study, 51.9% of individuals in the eastern region reported having difficulty with transactions made through the website or mobile application. As a result of the research, it has been discovered that education level, income level, age, gender, profession, family size, financial transactions conducted over the Internet, and regional characteristics are all linked to experiencing problems with online shopping.

How does financial inclusion affect environmental degradation in the six oil exporting countries? The moderating role of information and communication technology

Progress in financial inclusion has played a major role in economic development and poverty reduction. However, the environmental impact of financial inclusion calls for urgent implementation of environmental strategies to mitigate climate change. Financial inclusion forces the policies of developed countries to advance and not affect the present and future development of developing countries. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate the direct effects of information and communication technology (ICT) usage on environment as well as its moderating role on the association between financial inclusion and environmental degradation for six oil exporting countries (United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Kuwait, Canada, and the United States), using annual panel data from 1995 to 2019. We also analyze the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) phenomenon for the entire sample, as well as the role of energy consumption and population. Employing the Method of Moments Quantile Regression (MMQR) with fixed effects, this study supported the existence of EKC phenomenon here as linkage amid human development index and carbon intensity. We find that energy consumption significantly increases carbon intensity. The empirical results showed that the application of internet- and mobile use as indicators of ICT usage lead to environmental preservation in the six oil exporting economies. Also, we observe that financial inclusion has mitigating effects on pollutant emissions, contributing to environmental preservation. Interaction between ICT usage and financial inclusion jointly reduces carbon intensity in all quantile distributions. A robustness check using an alternative proxy of the financial inclusion also confirms that ICT usage significantly and negatively moderates the association between financial inclusion and carbon intensity. Based on the findings of this study, the selected oil exporting countries should integrate financial inclusion with environmental policies to reduce carbon intensity.

Factors Affecting Information and Communication Technology Use for University Students With and Without Learning Disabilities

The purpose of the current study was to develop an appropriate model to represent the relationships among all the significant factors about information and communication technology use for university students, both with and without learning disabilities. This study was conducted in Taiwan with a sample consisting of an international array of research participants. A 40-item researcher-developed questionnaire was used to collect data from 400 students with learning disabilities and 747 students without disabilities. The structural equation modeling approach was a good model fit for both the measurement and structural models. The results indicated that the model proposed can explain the use of information and communication technology by students both with and without learning disabilities in universities. The model can explain 92% of information and communication technology use for students without learning disabilities, and 73% of that for students with learning disabilities. The present study illustrated that a model developed through structural equation modeling could demonstrate structural relations of the essential factors and information and communication technology usage for universities students, both with and without learning disabilities, in a holistic and comprehensive framework.

Application Software Package as a Means of Professional Training of Sewing Industry Specialists in the Conditions of the University

The article is devoted to the application software package usage as a means of professional training of sewing industry specialists in the conditions of the university. It is established that the information competence formation of future sewing industry engineers should be carried out taking into account the peculiarities of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) usage at modern enterprises. The content peculiar features of information training of future sewing industry specialists have been studied based on of the analysis of educational curricula developed at Mukachevo State University. Foreign experience in the ICT usage in higher education has also been considered on the example of the Technical University of Liberec, Czech Republic. The following scientific methods as systematization, analysis, generalization of theoretical sources and statistical data, structuring of pedagogical information on designing the content of educational curricula as well as the comparative analysis of foreign experience in the ICT usage in higher education have been applied to conduct the research. The authors suggest that the development of own information products by the higher educational establishment, which are used within professionally-oriented disciplines are among the ways to increase the ICT competencies of future specialists in the garment industry. Thorough study of the peculiarities of the application software packages usage during the training and production and engineering practices in the conditions of garment production also improve the level of information competence of students.

Women online: A study of Common Service Centres in India using a capability approach

AbstractIncome‐generating activities by women are an effective means of reducing gender‐based deprivation and disparities. In the constrained familial and community settings of developing economies, online platforms can be an appropriate means for women to carry out economic activities. In this context, important initiatives taken by the Government of India, such as the Common Service Centres scheme, are worth studying. This paper critically evaluates such revolutionary online platform–based entrepreneurial initiatives using the capability approach developed by Amartya Sen. We examine through case studies how women‐run businesses use online platforms and what determines their success, inputs, capabilities, and conversion factors. Further, national enterprise‐level data from Indiaʼs National Sample Survey Office are analysed to show that states with a higher level of gender inequality are also the regions with a lower level of information and communications technology usage by women‐run enterprises.

The Evaluation of Technological Competencies among Leaders of the Renewable Energy Industry: The Case of SMEs in Baja California, Mexico

This research explores and analyzes the context of the renewable energies industry sector of Baja California, Mexico, regarding the adoption, appropriation, knowledge and usage of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) by focusing on human resources, mainly its business managers and directors, as key actors of strategic plans in terms of research and technological development. For this task, a Technological Competencies Profile (TCP), meant for evaluating the incorporation of ICTs by business leaders, was constructed by reviewing the definition of “technological competency” in 140 publications, and by considering the European e-Competence Framework (e-CF), the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA), and other related guidelines. This profile was later applied to analyze 13 SMEs and their leaders’ technological competencies. The investigation was further enriched with the information extracted from 13 interviews made with renewable energy experts in Baja California. The conclusions of this study show that, although SME leaders do have knowledge of ICTs and use them effectively for their own communicative and personal purposes, they do not consider them as a part of their business operation that can optimize their processes and impact its innovative capabilities.

How older adult information and communication technology users are impacted by aging stereotypes: A multigenerational perspective

Older adults (those aged 65 years and above) are stereotyped as warm but incompetent, particularly in their use of modern information and communication technologies (ICTs). Interpretative interactionist data from 17 cases of older adult ICT use suggests that older adults are aware of these stereotypes. Each of these cases included an older adult (the primary participant of each case) and, if possible, two to three individuals the person used ICTs within their relationship (family members, friends, and/or coworkers). Those surrounding the older adults often spoke about older adult ICT use in stereotypical terms, seeing skilled older adult ICT users as exceptional. The most highly skilled advanced ICT users were most likely to have internalized these ageist technology stereotypes.

Digital Exclusion and COVID-19: Does Communication Technology Correlate with Wellbeing?

Aim To explore the implications of digital use on the wellbeing of older people during the pandemic. Method 33 adults aged 70 and above responded to an online and phone survey, a communication technology usage questionnaire, and the Personal Wellbeing Index-Adult (PWI-A). A Spearman test determined the correlation between frequency of communication technology usage and wellbeing. Results A significant medium correlation (r=.488, p=.004) was found between frequent digital communication usage and a higher average score on the PWI-A. Significant correlations were found between frequent technology use and health satisfaction (r=.377, p=.03), a sense of personal security (r=.404, p=.02), and a sense of future security (r=.597, p≤.001). Of all the communication platforms, video calls and emails yielded the most significant positive correlations with personal wellbeing. Conclusion Results suggest that frequent users of communication technology felt greater levels of wellbeing and life satisfaction during the pandemic than non-frequent users.

Digital Exclusion and COVID-19: Does Communication Technology Usage Correlate With Well-Being Among Older Adults in Israel?

Abstract Date Presented 04/01/2022 During the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the use of communication technology has become more important than ever before, magnifying the issue of digital exclusion. In light of social distancing guidelines, technological proficiency or lack thereof can determine one’s ability to maintain social participation. We explored this troubling trend and assessed the implications of digital inequality on the well-being of the elderly population. Primary Author and Speaker: Sharon Goldman Additional Authors and Speakers: Tal Mazor-Karsenty, Danit Langer Contributing Authors: Elaina Delore, Sara Flesh

A study on the concerns about the privacy of personally identifiable information in the context of information and communications technology use, the internet, and social media

The development of information technology has led to a dramatic growth in the sophistication of web applications that can support the majority of the tasks performed by users. In this day and age, information and communication technologies have evolved into an essential component of our everyday lives. The vast majority of us are dependent on various forms of modern technology. Whether or not we agree, we cannot ignore the significant contribution that technology makes to our day-to-day lives. In addition to the utilisation of information and communication technologies (ICT), one other issue that we need to be aware of is the privacy problem, particularly in regards to the personal information. These days, we conduct the business of our daily lives through the use of internet transactions. With the help of ICT, we were able to include social networking into our day-to-day lives in the form of activities such as online banking, online gaming, and social media networking through platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, amongst others. In point of fact, we do expose our own personal information completely on our own volition and without bias. This article will discuss the ways in which the usage of information and communication technologies (ICT), the internet, and social networking sites affect privacy concerns around personal information.

The Gender Gap in Online Shopping in Turkey

The main aim of this study is to explore the gender gap in online shopping in the Turkish population. The gender gap in internet use and online shopping is investigated using the results of annual national surveys on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Usage in Households and by Individuals by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat). The study results reveal that females in Turkey tend to be on the wrong side of the digital divide. Even though internet use has increased over the years in the Turkish population, there remains a significant and persistent gap between females and males in internet use and online shopping. It is also found that there are differences between females and males in the purpose of internet use and the type of goods purchased online.

ANALYSIS, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN INNOVATIVE ENTERPRISE DIGITALIZATION SYSTEM FOR REMOTE WORK

This article presents innovative development of the system for the remote activity implementation. It’s all about from remote customer service to the company and private conferences for employees, online conferences, meetings, training, etc. This system refers to devices for implementing the employees’ remote production activities of the enterprise, to devices for organizing and managing the business processes. The developed system may be used without restrictions. The most important particularity of this useful system is the opportunity to add various features depending on the demand for a separate enterprise, upon that having saved a range of using the already existing opportunities. By applying this system, it is possible to increase by several times the level of the information and communication technologies usage for enterprises. The developed data device essentially allows economizing various resources on data transmission and storage. Besides, the requirements to the infrastructure of the enterprise may be used either by browsers or mobile devices, upon that by increasing the efficiency of analysis and the agility of making production decisions. Research and analysis of fault tolerance, applicability of modern IT technologies to increase the efficiency of enterprise digitalization have been carried out

THE RESULTS OF THE USE OF CLOUD TECHNOLOGIES IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS OF PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITIES IN A PANDEMIC

The research relevance ties with the necessity to form future teachers’ digital competence under forced blended learning conditions due to COVID-19 preventive quarantine measures implementing. The purpose of the article is to reveal the content and analyze the results of the study on the experience in cloud technologies usage while teaching pedagogical courses to students in a modern pedagogical higher education institution. The methods are: theoretical analysis of the cloud technologies usage in higher education institutions, documentation analysis in the European Higher Education Area, information collection, questionnaires for students and lecturers, observation, evaluation, systematization of the results. The results are: the experience in cloud technologies usage while teaching pedagogical courses to future teachers is determined; issues with the information and communication technologies usage are identified: constant access to the network, poor service, lack of equipment. It has been clarified that students gained an enough experience in cloud technologies usage before the quarantine same as during it, identified the factors that contributed to it (inclusion in distance learning, studying the course “Digital Technologies”, testing of cloud services and technologies). It has been established that the lecturers used to have small experience in cloud technologies usage before the quarantine because there was no special necessity, but during it, these indicators have changed (forced distance learning and the conditions for its implementation contributed to the rapid capture of cloud services, attending courses, testing the experience in cloud technologies usage). The most popular cloud technologies are Classroom, Zoom, Meet, Moodle have been lined out.