Impact Of Information And Communication Technology Use Research Articles

Technological Tools in Higher Education: A Qualitative Analysis from the Perspective of Students with Disabilities

The integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) in education has emerged as a transformative element, contributing significantly to the establishment of more inclusive educational environments. In this context, understanding the impact of technological tools becomes crucial to identifying the opportunities and limitations that students encounter when incorporating these resources in university classrooms. The main objective of this research is to analyse the impact of ICT use in higher education, with a specific focus on the perceptions of students with disabilities. Information was collected through interviews with university students with disabilities. The results reveal both advantages and difficulties and underline the importance of designing and implementing technologies in an inclusive way. Key issues relating to accessibility and participation are addressed, providing valuable insights for improving inclusive higher education in the digital age.

The impact of ICT use on entrepreneurial performance: evidence from Chinese microenterprises

ABSTRACT Following the outbreak of COVID-19, information and communication technology (ICT), as a part of digital technology, was of particular help to microenterprises in obtaining resources. Drawing upon Conservation of Resources Theory, we investigated the impact of ICT use on entrepreneurial performance. To examine our hypotheses, data were collected from 206 Chinese microenterprises. The results suggest that ICT use was positively related to entrepreneurial performance, that network capabilities mediated the relationship between ICT use and entrepreneurial performance and that perceived ICT usefulness moderated the relationship between ICT use and network capabilities. Finally, the implications, limitations and future research directions will be discussed.

Resource-Based Perspective on ICT Use and Firm Performance: A Meta-analysis Investigating the Moderating Role of Cross-Country ICT Development Status

Although there is a stream of literature that considers the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to be an advantage-seeking entrepreneurial activity resulting in superior business performance, the findings regarding the impact of ICT use on business performance are heterogeneous in the existing literature. Consequently, a meta-analysis is required in order to comprehend the direction and scope of this relationship, taking into account the national ICT development status across countries. Hence, with a theoretical grounding in the Resource-Based View (RBV), this meta-analysis combines research studies spanning a twenty-two year period (147 studies) on how a country's national ICT development status impacts the relationship between the use of different ICT tools, categorized as either General Purpose Technology or Enabling Technology, and firm performance by applying both bivariate and meta-regression analyses.

ICT Use, Digital Skills and Students’ Academic Performance: Exploring the Digital Divide

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are an integral part of our environment, and their uses vary across generations and among individuals. Today’s student population is made up of “digital natives” who have grown up under the ubiquitous influence of digital technologies, and for whom the use of ICT is common and whose daily activities are structured around media use. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of ICT use and digital skills on students’ academic performance and to explore the digital divide in France. Data were collected through face-to-face questionnaires administered to 1323 students enrolled in three French universities. Principal component analysis, a non-hierarchical k-means clustering approach and multilevel ordered logistic regression were used for data analysis and provide four main findings: first, poor investment in ICT affects students’ results; second, the ICT training offered by universities has little impact on students’ results; third, student performance improves with the innovative and collaborative use of ICTs; fourth, the acquisition of digital skills increases students’ academic performance. The results show that the digital divide still exists, and this raises questions about the effectiveness of education policies in France. They suggest also that organizational change in universities is essential to enable an exploitation of ICT.

Perceptions and Challenges to ICT Use in ESL Lessons among Malaysian Primary Teacher

In light of society’s progressive adoption of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), 21st-century teachers are expected to integrate technology into language teaching in the classroom successfully. Nevertheless, despite the availability of existing materials on the internet and ICT facilities provided by the Malaysian government to aid the CEFR lessons, English Second Language (ESL) teachers’ perception should consider ICT use in the ESL lessons. Additionally, past researchers also have discovered challenges to ICT use among ESL teachers. This study, conversely, explores whether there is a significant relationship between primary teachers’ perceptions of the impact of ICT integration on teaching CEFR level one (Primary One, Primary Two and Primary Three) classes before and after MCO. This study also investigates the challenges that might influence teachers’ attitudes toward integrating ICT into their level one (Primary One, Primary Two and Primary Three) CEFR lessons to develop ICT skills and competencies. This study used a mixed-method approach, with the survey method as the research design. It is also embedded within two theories: The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TpB). An online survey questionnaire was distributed to all participants. The study involved 55 Malaysian primary ESL teachers in Lawas, Sarawak, Malaysia. Therefore, the result cannot generalize to all English teachers in Malaysia. Based on the findings, the study results indicate that the null hypothesis—there is no relationship between Malaysian primary teachers’ perceptions of the impact of ICT use in their level one (Primary One, Primary Two and Primary Three) CEFR lessons before MCO and after the MCO period, cannot be rejected to a certain extent. The study also discovers four main challenges to ICT Use in ESL (CEFR) Lessons: lack of ICT infrastructure and basic facilities, teachers’ attitude, pupils’ engagement, and parents’ ability. This study can give a relevant picture to policymakers and the Ministry of Education on the current state of ESL teachers’ perception and challenges regarding ICT use in ESL (CEFR) lessons. With thorough analysis, it is hoped that the government can develop a win-win situation for ESL teachers and their students in the rural areas, especially when remote teaching-learning is implemented primarily during the MCO period.

The Relation Between ICT and Science in PISA 2015 for Bulgarian and Finnish Students

The relationship between Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and science performance has been the focus of much recent research, especially due to the prevalence of ICT in our digital society. However, the exploration of this relationship has yielded mixed results. Thus, the current study aims to uncover the learning processes that are linked to students’ science performance by investigating the effect of ICT variables on science for 15-year-old students in two countries with contrasting levels of technology implementation (Bulgaria n = 5,928 and Finland n = 5,882). The study analyzed PISA 2015 data using structural equation modeling to assess the impact of ICT use, availability, and comfort on students’ science scores, controlling for students’ socio-economic status. In both countries, results revealed that (1) ICT use and availability were associated with lower science scores and (2) students who were more comfortable with ICT performed better in science. This study can inform practical implementations of ICT in classrooms that consider the differential effect of ICT and it can advance theoretical knowledge around technology, learning, and cultural context.

Impacts of Urbanization and ICT Use on Loneliness Among the Elderly in Israel

This study explores the impact of residential environment (urban vs. kibbutz community) and use of information and communication technology (ICT) on loneliness among the elderly in Israel. The quantitative study surveys four sub-populations of people above the age of 65: (a) kibbutz residents who use ICT, (b) kibbutz residents who do not use ICT, (c) urban residents who use ICT, and (d) urban residents who do not. Findings confirm the hypotheses that urban residents will report greater loneliness than kibbutz residents, and ICT users will report lower feelings of loneliness than non-users. A significant effect of residential environment is found. A significant impact of ICT use is also found, but the effect size is small. Furthermore, there is interaction between the variables: Kibbutz residents using ICT report greater loneliness than those who do not, while among urban residents, ICT users report a lower level of loneliness.

Do Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Improve Educational Outcomes? Evidence for Spain in Pisa 2015

With the world becoming increasingly digitalized, determining the relationship between the use of ICT in the learning process and educational outcomes takes on special relevance for guiding educational policy decisions in a reasoned way. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect on academic performance of the use and availability of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) at school and at home. For this purpose, we apply a hierarchical lineal regression model approach with data from the Programme for International Student assessment survey (PISA) 2015. PISA 2015 contains a brief but specific questionnaire for ICT that is completed voluntarily in some of the countries participating in the survey, as is the case in Spain. The results show differences in the sign of the impact according to the ICT variable used. The positive impact of ICT use is associated with its use for entertainment at home and with the students’ interest in ICT. However, the use of ICT for schoolwork at home and the general use of ICT by students in schools have negative effects on the learning process. Another significant result is the magnitude of the coefficient for the relation between the starting age for using ICT on the scores in the three competences. The higher the age, the lower the score achieved. The results of the regressions by tertiles of performance show that ICT can also play an important role in improving the academic performance of the students with the worst results. Finally, some control variables related to students, home and location are also relevant in our models.

Prácticas letradas en Internet: el caso de Scorchy

La emigración hacia prácticas comunicativas digitales ha sido vertiginosa por lo menos en las últimas dos décadas, sobre todo para una generación que tuvo que aprender a usar las Tecnologías de Información y Comunicación (TIC) de manera casi autodidacta. Presentamos una investigación cuyo objetivo es describir y analizar el impacto que han tenido las TIC en las prácticas letradas de un grupo de adultos profesionales que viven en el extranjero, nos centramos en un estudio de caso en donde la metodología empleada son entrevistas en profundidad con la triangulación de documentos capturados de la red, examinados desde la perspectiva de los Nuevos Estudios de Literacidad. Analizamos la producción de textos a través del uso de un blog llamado El viaje de Scorchy, en donde se valora la apropiación de nuevas formas de uso de la lectura y la escritura. Se analizan 64 textos publicados a lo largo de tres años y siete meses. Se observó cómo el informante se familiarizó con estas formas de comunicación, así como la resistencia, la obstinación, la nostalgia por abandonar o modificar el uso de las prácticas letradas tradicionales y comenzar a adaptarse a una sociedad cada vez más digitalizada.

The role of ICT use to the economic growth in Sub Saharan African region (SSA)

Purpose This paper aims to examine the long run impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on economic growth in the Sub Saharan African (SSA) region. The direct impact of ICTs use was examined for a 27-year period (1990-2014), before the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) era (1990-1999) and during the MDGs era (2000-2014). Second and third objectives examined the nonlinear effect of ICT in the economic growth and their threshold values, respectively. The main growth enhancing transmission channels of ICT use were also looked at. Design/methodology/approach The study uses panel method technique of system generalist method of moment. The data period was collected from the years 1990-2014 from 45 SSA countries. The three main proxies of ICT are fixed telephone lines, mobile phone users and internet users per 100 inhabitants. Findings For the direct impact analysis, mobile phone and internet were found to have triggered economic growth. However, for nonlinear effect analysis, mass penetration of ICT proxies seems to slow economic growth. The threshold analysis showed a penetration rate threshold of 4.5 per cent for both mobile phone and internet, and 5 per cent for fixed telephone line before economic growth gets triggered. Finally, the results indicated that, except for financial development, human capital, institutional quality and domestic investment were the main growth enhancing transmission channels of ICTs use in the economy. Practical implications From a policy perspective, results suggest SSA region to open more doors for investment in technology to ensure sustainable development. Such policy has to focus on investment into main transmission channels of ICT, namely, human capital, institutional quality and domestic investment. The policymakers have to ensure that penetration of mobile phone, fixed telephone and internet is met by improvement in human capital, institutional quality and domestic investment. Moreover, to fully use the potential of ICT, improving the financial sector is highly recommended. Originality/value In SSA, studies that address the impact of ICT on economic growth was almost non-existent, especially on its nonlinear effect and main transmission channels. While few studies have examined the direct impact of ICT, this study extended the scope by including the main growth enhancing transmission channels and nonlinear effect of ICT on SSA economies using recent data.

The impact of ICT use on loneliness and contact with others among older adults

Purpose Older adults are at increased risk of experiencing loneliness and depression, particularly as they move into different types of care communities. Information and communication technology (ICT) usage may help older adults to maintain contact with social ties. However, prior research is not consistent in whether ICTs increase or decrease isolation and loneliness among older adults. The purpose of this study is to examine how ICT use impacts the social isolation and loneliness of older adults in assisted and independent living communities. Method Data from an ongoing study of ICT usage among older adults in assisted and independent living communities in Alabama is used. Simple regression analyses were performed to determine the relationship between frequency of Internet use and isolation and loneliness. As the data comes from an intervention study (ICT training vs. No training), the analyses controlled for the arm of the study participants were in. Results & Discussion Results from post intervention surveys show that going online more frequently was associated with lower levels of loneliness and isolation. Greater frequency of Internet use was associated with greater quantity and ease of contact with others. Using the Internet may be beneficial for decreasing loneliness and increasing social contact among older adults in assisted and independent living communities.

The impact of ICT use on new millennium learners' educational performance

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) use on the educational performance of new millennium learners (NMLs). Even though many factors might influence individual performance besides ICT use itself, the research focus was on the relationship between the behavioral patterns of ICT use and educational performance.Design/methodology/approachA nation‐wide survey with 1,071 tenth graders considered as NMLs was conducted in Korea. The behavioral patterns of the learners' ICT use were identified in three dimensions of place, purpose and context, and the educational performance was measured in cognitive, affective and socio‐cultural domains.FindingsBased on correlation and regression analyses, the better use of ICT for NMLs and the directions for the future study related to ICT use and educational performance were suggested.Research limitations/implicationsMajor contribution of this study is to divide ICT use into place, purpose and context of using ICT and to investigate their relationships with educational performance refined with cognitive, affective and socio‐cultural domains. Limitations of the study are coined with the samples and self‐report survey tools. Continuing effort to validate the tools and various samples is needed.Practical implicationsPolicy makers could use the results of the study to implement the ICT diffusion and adaption process.Originality/valueThere is no such questionnaires related to ICT use and educational performance in Korea, as well as in other nations. More cross‐cultural studies would be a great help in the field of education.

Positive to a Degree: The Effects of ICT Use in New Zealand Secondary Schools

ABSTRACT A key question for educational researchers is whether information and communication technology (ICT) use enhances teaching and learning. In this paper, the authors report findings from a three-year study (2001–2004) investigating teaching and learning effects of ICT use in 26 secondary schools in New Zealand as perceived by teachers. The most obvious effects did not include changes in teaching philosophy or pedagogy but rather increased efficiency of management and administration of teaching, including lesson preparation and presentation. In terms of student learning teachers considered that improved presentation was the biggest impact of ICT use. In addition to the positive consequences of ICT use in education, negative aspects were also reported by teachers, with plagiarism being a frequent concern. Overall, social and motivational effects were more frequently observed in comparison to learning and cognitive effects so that, although the study identified some positive effects of ICT use on teaching and learning, these were mostly surface or indirect and did not change pedagogical beliefs or practice to a great extent.

The changing allocation of activities in space and time by the use of ICT—“Fragmentation” as a new concept and empirical results

Theoretical and empirical research about the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) on transport relies on the hypothesis that ICT use leads to a reorganization of activities in time and space thus having as a consequence impacts on travel behavior. The breaking up of activities into discrete pieces by the use of ICT is the starting point of the fragmentation concept that underlies the present article. The concept argues that transport demand increases by the fragmentation of activities and explores the relevant mechanisms for this process. In all, however, the concept is still rather vague. Therefore, the authors discuss some elements of the concept on a theoretical level, in particular the question why individuals “fragment” their activities. In the empirical section they use a data set about activities, ICT use and travel behavior in Germany to find out how far an activity like work, which is particularly apt for fragmentation, shows signs of temporal and spatial disintegration. With the help of a cluster analysis they identify groups with different “fragmentation behavior” and investigate if a statistically significant relation exists between fragmentation behavior and ICT use. Accordingly, the focus of the article lies on the impact of ICT use on the performance of activities by different behavioral groups. The link to travel behavior is made by examining mode choices for different purposes and travel related attitudes.

Critical Review of Research Findings on Information Technology in Education

This article analyses the field of research on information and communication technology (ICT) in education. It reviews the results of ICT researches carried out in the world. First, the article presents the retrospective of researches on ICT implementation into education. Summarizing them, it reviews main research findings in five areas of ICT implementation: 1) the impact of ICT use on students achievements and attitudes; 2) the impact of ICT use on teachers; 3) the effect of teachers' factors and instructional methods on ICT efficiency; 4) the influence of infrastructure and organizational factors on ICT efficiency; 5) the effect of specific software design features. Then, the paper reviews the main recent and future directions of researches on ICT in education, in the world. Finally, it shortly reviews the most important future directions of ICT research and development in Lithuania. The article concludes that in spite of numerous ICT studies worldwide the national research and experiments have to be carried out in order to implement ICT in an appropriate for Lithuania and efficient way.