ICT Knowledge Research Articles

Socialisation Agents' Use(fulness) for Older Consumers Learning ICT.

This research investigates the socialisation agents older consumers use to learn about information and communication technologies (ICT). We surveyed 871 older consumers in Victoria, Australia, about whom they would most likely turn to for advice (i.e., their preferred socialisation agents) if they needed help using or fixing an ICT device. They were asked to identify the most and second most likely source of advice. Participants were also asked to assess the usefulness of the advice received from their preferred agents and to estimate their level of ICT knowledge. The findings reveal that older consumers tend to rely on younger family members. Still, the agency they receive from non-familial sources is essential when preparing for a digital consumer role. Surprisingly, ICT knowledge is determined by the socialisation agency received by older adults' second advice option-which is less likely to be their own adult children. This research expands current knowledge about how older consumers perceive various ICT socialisation agents. Consumer socialisation theory suggests that socialisation agents impact how consumers function in the marketplace. Although the first choice of socialisation agent may be perceived as beneficial for older adults, the advice given does not relate to marketplace functioning regarding improved ICT knowledge.

Deployment of Computer Science Curriculum: Does That Translate Into Entrepreneurial Skills? Mediating From ICT Role

This research explored at the relationship between curricular development and entrepreneurial abilities, using ICT knowledge as a mediator. In this research, a quantitative analysis style was exploited to make course of study with the various aspects of objectives, contents, teaching tactics, feedback, and assessment. At the OUT Universities regional centers in Tanzania, 66 respondents from graduate students and employers completed two sets of questionnaires, one for the graduate’s survey and the other for employers. The findings demonstrate that all aspects of curriculum development (i) have no bearing on entrepreneurial abilities (ii) Educational Environment have influence in Development of Entrepreneurial Skills and Competencies and (iii) have a favorable impact on ICT knowledge. Additionally, all aspects of curriculum development including objectives, contents, teaching methods, and feedback and assessment were found to be favorably connected in the indirect way for the entire development process. Finally, the discussion, conclusions, and practical implications of this study are presented in detail.

La competencia digital del profesorado canario para atender a la diversidad funcional

Background: teachers have been identified as the cornerstone in the development of digital competences as a guarantee for reducing the digital divide among pupils. Objective: to analyse the level of digital competence of teachers in the Canary Islands with regard to the application of ICT to cater for diversity. Method: a descriptive cross-sectional study was designed with a sample of 382 teachers (100 males and 282 females). The questionnaire used was called Diagnosis and teacher training for the incorporation of ICT in students with functional diversity. Results: Global ICT knowledge scored substantially below the average of the questionnaire in all the Canary Islands. According to the initial training of the teachers, significant differences were found in all dimensions in favour of Special Education teachers (p < .05). Those with 1-3 years of experience have more ICT training (p < .05). Conclusion: there is a low level of training among all teachers in the Canary Islands with regard to the application of ICT with pupils with functional diversity. However, teachers with a specialisation in Special Education and those with less professional experience show greater ICT training. Future lines of research should shed more light on how digital training courses for teachers can have an impact on the holistic development of schoolchildren.

Correlation of Self-Assessments in Knowledge and Skills of ICT Uses and Agency Through Active Learning Lesson at Teacher Training Course

Correlation of Self-Assessments in Knowledge and Skills of ICT Uses and Agency Through Active Learning Lesson at Teacher Training Course

Teachers’ Knowledge about the use of ICT in the ELT Classroom

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a potential tool for enhancing the quality of education in Nepal and other countries. However, there is a lack of research examining secondary level English teachers’ knowledge in the integration of ICT. In this study, we aimed to investigate teachers’ knowledge in the use of ICT in secondary English classrooms. The study employed a quantitative method with a cross -sectional survey approach. It was conducted in Sudurpaschim province where the data were collected from 150 secondary English teachers through a questionnaire survey. The findings suggest that, to a large extent, secondary level English teachers have a largely inadequate knowledge of ICT and knowledge of ICT use in teaching. Based on the findings, we argue that it is crucial to improve English teachers’ knowledge of both aspects, and more training courses for teachers’ knowledge development are needed.

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.

Modeling the ICT Teachers’ Perspective Towards Teaching of Computer Programming at Secondary School Level Using Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA)

Computer programming is viewed and experienced as a subject cognitively challenging to students as well as teachers. The aim of this study was to determine the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) teachers’ perspective towards teaching computer programming in order to comprehend how ICT teachers perceive teaching computer programming and factors that influence their work. Forty-seven ICT teachers participated in this qualitative study. The research method used was an analytical framework known as Interactive Qualitative Analysis to model the ICT teachers’ perspective. The perspective was modelled in terms of affinities (factors) such as the programming curriculum, ICT resources, time, programming language, evaluation, students’ performance, teachers’ programming skills, teachers’ pedagogical programming knowledge, student and professional development programs. Further, the interaction among these affinities was also modelled. Programming curriculum was found to be the most influential affinity which should be revised to decrease the cognitive load on students. Teacher’s ICT knowledge was the most influenced(or influential???) affinity which can be improved by ICT resources, professional development programs and evaluation policy on students. Increase in computer: student ratio is also a contributing factor to students’ achievement.

Bridging the Digital Divide: Participation Inequality in Eastern Croatia

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation that has brought great changes and new opportunities in all aspects of the everyday life of people worldwide. The overall objective of this research was to gain a better understanding of the digital inequality among ICT and Internet users in Eastern Croatia by identifying categorical inequalities (Van Dijk 2005, 2017) in the form of key obstacles that affect their successful use in everyday life, among them being age, insufficient digital literacy and knowledge of the English language. The research was conducted using a questionnaire (Google Forms) covering different age groups and their user characteristics and experiences in acquiring digital knowledge and skills such as understanding multimodal icons that combine verbal and visual material, use of translation tools, use of the English language on the Internet and use of online content. Building upon previous research on the digital divide, this research contributes to broadening perspectives on the importance of caring for older users of digital technologies and understanding the barriers that lead to participation inequality in an increasingly digitized society. The results of the survey show that obstacles related to the lack of knowledge of ICT, difficulty finding their way around search engines, and insufficient knowledge of the English language are the obstacles of respondents over the age of 36.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and youth unemployment in Africa.

Africa is lagging in infrastructural development including Information and Communication Technology (ICT). As there are rising employment opportunities in the ICT-intensive industries globally including Africa, enhanced knowledge and use of ICT may tend to reduce youth unemployment in Africa. Thus, this study investigates the effect of ICT on youth unemployment in Africa using a sample of 41 African countries between 2003 and 2018. The study employs a dynamic Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) approach and constructs a composite ICT index to combine key indicators of ICT, using the principal component approach. We also account for the interactive role of education in the ICT-youth unemployment nexus. Relying on the Phillip curve theoretical model, the effect of inflation, physical capital accumulation, level of corruption, and economic growth are also examined. The results show that youth unemployment in Africa can be reduced by higher ICT deployment and usage, which confirms our hypothesis in this study. There is also evidence that education enhances the potential of ICT usage to reduce youth unemployment. Furthermore, we find that the Phillip curve hypothesis holds, as the inflation rate has a negative effect on youth unemployment. More so, there is evidence that youth unemployment in Africa can be reduced by higher physical capital accumulation, lower level of corruption, and higher economic growth. With falling economic growth and looming economic recession in many African countries, governments would need to revise educational curricula to include ICT-based training to reduce the level of youth unemployment in the medium to long term period.

TECHNOLOGY USE AMONG OLDER CHINESE ADULTS: BENEFITS ON SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING

Abstract The growth of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in recent years has led policy-makers and researchers to look into how these developments affect older adults’ daily lives. The educational attainment of older people in Hong Kong is relatively low, with more than 60% of them only completing primary education or having no formal education. Therefore, their utility of ICT remains low as compared with that of their Western counterparts. One of the objectives of this study is to understand the usage of various forms of ICT among older Chinese adults, including technology use in social, financial, medical, and leisure domains. This study also investigates whether social technology use (such as social media, instant messages, video call) could contribute to better subjective well-being through enhancing their social support. A total of 452 older adults joined this study (M=68.7 years, SD=6.27, Range=60-89; 66.7% female). Among the four domains of ICT, higher usage was observed in the social and leisure domains, particularly among the young old. However, among the participants aged 75 and above, more than 70% of them did not use any form of ICT due to a lack of ICT knowledge. The mediation analyses reveal significant indirect effects of social technology use on life satisfaction (B=0.19, SE= 0.08, p=.010) and positive emotions (B=0.02, SE=0.02, p=.014) through social support, thereby suggesting that social technology use could increase older adults’ perceived support from friends, which subsequently improves their life satisfaction and positive emotions. Practical implications of these findings will be discussed.

Knowledge and utilisation of information and communication technology among radiographers in a lower-middle-income country

IntroductionUnderstanding the current ICT-related experience is essential for planning and effectively implementing quality healthcare services. Hence, this study aims to assess the knowledge and utilisation of ICT among radiographers in Sri Lanka. MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 590 practicing radiographers in Sri Lanka. Data was collected through a postal survey using a structured self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of three sections: socio-demographic characteristics, existing knowledge of ICT, and utilisation of ICT applications and facilities. ResultsA total of 416 radiographers returned the questionnaire giving a response rate of 70.5%. Considering the overall ICT knowledge, 24.0% of the respondents possessed good knowledge, while 54.3% and 21.6% reported having fair and poor knowledge, respectively. The knowledge of ICT was significantly associated with gender, age, level of education, duration of service, and previous ICT training experience (p < 0.05). Digital radiography and electronic patient record (EPR) systems were used by 8% and 17.8% of respondents, respectively. Inadequate ICT facilities (56.7%) were identified as the most significant challenge for radiographers to use ICT. ConclusionsThe majority of the respondents in this study had a fair knowledge of ICT, and this knowledge was significantly associated with certain demographic factors. Further, it was found that access to certain ICT applications, such as digital radiography and EPR systems, is limited. Hence, this study highlighted the importance of providing systematic, comprehensive and regular ICT training programmes and improving access to ICT facilities for radiographers. Implications of practiceThe study provides insight into the significance of improving ICT literacy among radiographers in the field. In addition, the findings may draw policymakers' attention to improving radiographers’ access to the latest technologies

Residual post-pandemic ICT literacy in higher education

The COVID-19 pandemic forced higher educational institutions to an emergent transition to online education, which required that teachers and students were ICT literate enough to continue with their curricula. As most universities in Japan have already transitioned back to face-to-face lessons, this study aimed to analyze the process of acquisition and use of ICT knowledge in a pre, mid and post-pandemic scenario. Findings showed a drastic gap of ICT literacy between teachers and students. However, results suggest that the acquired ICT knowledge remained and is currently being used in a face-to-face or hybrid environment.

Acceptance of digital health services among older adults: Findings on perceived usefulness, self-efficacy, privacy concerns, ICT knowledge, and support seeking.

Over the last decade, the rapid advancements in information and communication technologies (ICTs) have also driven the development of digital health services and applications. Older adults could particularly benefit from these technologies, but they still have less access to the Internet and less competence in using it. Based on the empirical literature on technology acceptance among older adults, this study examines the relations of perceived usefulness, self-efficacy, privacy concerns, ICT knowledge, and support seeking (family, informal, formal/institutional) with older adults' intention to adopt new digital health services. The study included 478 older adults who participated in an online or paper/pencil questionnaire (M = 70.1 years, SD = 7.8; 38% male). Sociodemographic characteristics, subjective health status, and variables related to technology acceptance were assessed. Latent structural equation modeling revealed that higher perceived usefulness, higher self-efficacy regarding digital health technologies, and lower privacy concerns contributed to a higher intention to use digital health services among older adults. Contrary to our expectations, general ICT knowledge was not a significant predictor. Older adults who reported seeking more support regarding technology problems from family members and formal/institutional settings also reported higher usage intentions, whereas informal support was not as relevant. Furthermore, higher age was associated with higher perceived usefulness and lower self-efficacy. Future studies should further explore mediating factors for intention and actual use of digital health services and develop educational programs including follow-up assessments.

Teacher intention to transfer ICT training when integrating digital technologies in education: The teacher transfer of ICT training model (TeTra‐ICT)

AbstractThe aim of this study is to propose a new structural model for how teachers transfer their ICT training (TeTra‐ICT), shedding light on the factors that tend to affect their intention to integrate digital technologies in educational practices as well as train their colleagues. The proposed model exploits training programme design characteristics and ICT‐related individual factors. A total of 117 new ICT instructors for primary and secondary education teachers in Greece were evaluated. The instructors participated in a national Teacher Training Programme on applying ICT in education. Results indicate significant effects of individual (ICT‐related self‐efficacy in teaching) and programme design characteristics (platform's ease of use, support, content, and resources) on the teachers' final motivation and intention to transfer their ICT knowledge and skills. The model also reveals significant correlations between individual and training characteristics, the teachers' post‐training self‐efficacy for transferring skills and their perception of the usefulness of the training programme. The examined constructs explain 86% of the variance in teacher intentions to transfer their ICT knowledge and skills, and 72% of their perception of the usefulness of the training programme. Interestingly, while there were no gender differences in individual ICT‐related characteristics, women expressed significantly higher values than men in their perception of the usefulness of training, self‐efficacy, motivation, and intention to transfer.

A Study on Challenges Faced by Farmers Using E-Commerce in Agriculture - A Survey of Thrissur District in the State of Kerala, India

Purpose: Traditional methods of farming and marketing has worsened the condition of farmers in our country. My study is on challenges faced by farmers by using E-commerce in agriculture. While examining the real scenario, farmers in India fail to make a living. The majority of farmers earn an income below Rs.22000 per month. Only 12.6% of the respondents are fully aware about e- commerce opportunities. They face various challenges in making use of e-commerce opportunities, there is a lack of storage facilities, improper pricing, lack of computer literacy, and perishable nature of products as the major challenges of Farmers. Farmers should be equipped with electronic devices and knowledge in ICT for the betterment of their living conditions. Agricultural economics must relate technology in the production and marketing of goods. Methodology: The study was carried out in Kerala's agricultural industry. A questionnaire was used to collect the main data. The purpose of the study was to examine the difficulties farmers encounter while attempting to advertise their products online. In the study, both primary and secondary data were employed. A total of 220 samples were selected for the study. The samples were chosen in a random manner. The questionnaire served as the main method for gathering data. Finding: The results found that, in Kerala, the farmers are not fully aware about e- commerce opportunities. And the study also found that farmers agree that there is a lack of storage facilities, improper pricing, lack of computer literacy, and perishable nature of products as the major challenges of faced All industries need to invest in and pay attention to the development of agricultural e-commerce. The growth of the cultural, infrastructural, social, and educational backdrops are the total solutions for implementing E-Commerce in agriculture. The creation of appropriate e-commerce portals for agricultural products, education of farmers about the benefits of e-commerce, entry of the private sector into e-commerce, and easing the process of online payment system with community level initiation in this sector were prioritized solutions for implementing e-commerce in agriculture. Therefore, if the recommended techniques are put into practice to overcome the identified obstacles, E-Commerce in agriculture has a strong chance of developing in the future. Originality: This is utilized to conduct a survey of the Thrissur district in the Indian state of Kerala to learn more about the difficulties farmers face when adopting e-commerce in agriculture. Paper Type: Descriptive Research

AN INVESTIGATION INTO QUANG TRI PRIMARY SCHOOL ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER’S PERSPECTIVE OF ICT INTEGRATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

With the transition from face-to-face classes to online classes during Covid-19 epidemic, teachers in Quang Tri have no choice but to integrate ICT into their teaching. At this time ICT has become the most essential tool in educational settings and the subject of many researchers. This study aims to investigate how English teachers perceived ICT integration in terms of the benefits, difficulties as well as challenges of incorporating ICT. The study adopted both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection, i.e., questionnaires and interviews. The findings revealed that the majority of English teachers had a positive perception of integrating ICT due to its effectiveness. However, it was also reported that lack of technical support from schools, and limited knowledge and training in ICT discouraged teachers from using ICT. The study offers useful implications for teachers to integrate ICT in teaching English during the pandemic time.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0903/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

ICT Self-efficacy scale: the correlations with the age of first access to the internet, the age at first ownership of a personal computer (PC), and a smartphone

ABSTRACT Background Because of the wide use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in healthcare, medical students’ knowledge and skills of modern ICT have been considered essential for their successful learning and future careers. According to Bandura’s self-efficacy, enhancing ICT self-efficacy, which might be affected by technology experience, could be a pathway to improving ICT literacy and competence, which should be one focus of medical educationalists. However, there is a lack of suitable measurements of medical students’ self-efficacy and a clear understanding of its relationship with technology experience. Materials and methods We conducted a literature review and direct consultation with an expert panel to identify potential items for the ICT self-efficacy scale. Based on the data collected in a survey of 486 first-year medical students in China, the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was employed to confirm the structure of the final version. Furthermore, we used linear regressions to quantify the association between ICT self-efficacy and technology experience measured by the age of first access to the Internet, the age at first ownership of a personal computer (PC) or a laptop, and that of a smartphone. Results The EFA results derived 15 items of four factors, with 67.02% of the total variance explained: Privacy and Safety, Differencing, Communication, and Learning and Application. The Cronbach’s alphas for the four subscales and the overall scale ranged from 0.78 to 0.89. Regression results demonstrated a significant association of ICT self-efficacy with age at first ownership of a personal computer (PC) and the mediation role of the general self-efficacy in the ICT self-efficacy’s association with the age at first ownership of a personal smartphone. Conclusion The ICT scale developed is a reliable and valid task-specific measure to assess ICT Self-Efficacy for medical students. In addition, enhancing students’ technology experience might improve their ICT self-efficacy.

Digital Competencies among Higher Education Professors and High-School Teachers: Does Teaching Experience matter?

Abstract Background: To provide high-quality education and remain innovative, thus contributing to sustainable development goals, educational institutions use digital tools and implement ICT in the teaching process. In addition to providing technical resources, it requires the appropriate education of teachers who should have the appropriate knowledge and skills to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by ICT. Objectives: The main objective of this article is to identify the current state of ICT knowledge and skills of university professors and high school teachers and to establish if there exists a relationship between their digital competencies and teaching experience. We strive to discover areas where digital competencies are already relatively high and ICT knowledge and skills gaps. Methods/Approach: Survey was conducted on a sample of university and secondary school professors who were asked to estimate their perceived level of knowledge and skills in various ICT domains. Results: The results of our research show that the total self-assessed level of competence is intermediate, with slightly higher values for ICT knowledge than for ICT skills. The results vary depending on the different subcategories of competencies and the years of respondents’ teaching experience. Conclusions: Our research findings, which revealed variations and gaps in digital knowledge and skills among professors and teachers, may have significant policy implications for policymakers and educators committed to ensuring quality education.

Students' Perceptions in Online Physical Education Learning: Comparison Study of Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness in Saudi Students during the COVID-19 Lockdown.

The interest in the efficiency of online learning was and remains a major concern to researchers especially during the worldwide pandemic crisis (COVID-19). Nonetheless, there is a lack of studies focusing on students' perceptions in online physical education (PE) learning sessions. Based on the self-determination theory (SDT), the present investigation aimed to explore psychological need satisfaction (PNS) to understand the autonomy, competence, and relatedness of Saudi PE students during the online sessions undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. PE students (N = 321, 161 females and 160 males) completed an online questionnaire composed of demographic characteristics, grade point average (GPA), sleep and physical activity (PA) habits, and the physical education autonomy relatedness competence scales (PE-ARCS). A t-test and one-way ANOVA were conducted and revealed that female students presented higher PNS compared with males. Students practicing PA had higher autonomy values than those not practicing PA (p = 0.001). However, no differences were recorded concerning competence and relatedness perceptions. The groups practicing walking, aerobic exercise, muscular training, and specialty training had higher values in autonomy and relatedness. The groups that slept for more than six hours a night, had previous experience with online learning, and had a GPA of more than three recorded higher PNS values. Correlation analysis showed high interdependence of the three PNS variables as well as with the variables of gender, experience with online learning, sleep hours, and type of PA practiced, but not with GPA or frequency of PA practice. The PNS values regarding online PE sessions were (i) higher in female students compared with males and (ii) related to previous experience in online learning, GPA, sleep habits, and type of PA. Walking, aerobic exercise, muscular training, and training in a specialty affected both autonomy and competence perception; however, relatedness was mainly affected by walking activity. Therefore, it is necessary to support ICT knowledge of students with low GPAs and to encourage them to adopt balanced sleep and physical activity habits to increase their perceptions of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in online PE lessons.

Integration of Management Information Systems and Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises in Embu County

Kenyan’s need to use information systems in order to increase efficiency of operations within their enterprises. Survival of businesses to beat competition depends on their ability to use information systems. Those SMEs that use information systems are able to compete with their rivals in larger firms. Information systems allow SMEs to cut down costs, make better products and offer quality service to customers. SMEs that have integrated information systems are able to cut down cost and provide better services to customers. SMEs in developed economies have exploited the full benefits of information systems unlike those in developing nations like Kenya. This is so because of the slow development of information systems within SMEs in developing nations. There are a number of challenges experienced by SMEs in developing countries that impedes the adoption and use of information systems. These challenges include; poor ICT infrastructure, lack of management support, inadequate user expertise and poor information storage. This study sought to investigate how these challenges affect performance of SMEs in Embu County, Kenya. The study targeted 250 SMEs with a total of 400 employees. Stratified random sampling was employed to select 80 employees from the targeted population. Primary data was collected using closed and open-ended structured questionnaires with reliability coefficient of 0.6 and above. Data was collected using drop and pick method. It was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics using SSPP 20. Descriptive analyses were done using tables, graphs, mean and standard deviation. Inferential analysis was based on multiple regression models. The study revealed that SMEs had adequate ICT infrastructure that enabled them communicate effectively with their stakeholders. The study also found that staff had adequate Skills and knowledge in ICT that enabled them use ICT tools efficiently. The study concluded that ICT infrastructure, Management support,...