Access To Information Technology Research Articles

Linking Accessibility, Easiness and Satisfaction of Users for Public Service Deliveries Through ICTs: Do Amenities Make Things Better?

This study explores the complex relationships between the accessibility of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in rural Haryana and user satisfaction with public services. The study explores how ‘easiness’ mediates the relationship between accessibility and satisfaction, putting forth a complex model of moderated mediation in which amenities play a key moderating role. Using a large dataset of 981 respondents, the study makes use of several advanced statistical techniques. The results show that there is a significant mediation impact of ease of use in the link between accessibility and satisfaction. Additionally, the study reveals that amenities have a moderating effect on this association, influencing its nature and degree of strength. Remarkably, the ease of use mediates the indirect effect of accessibility on satisfaction, which is strongest in areas with a lot of good or high-quality amenities. All things considered, this study makes a substantial contribution to our understanding of the complex interactions between accessibility, ease of use, conveniences and user satisfaction when it comes to ICT-based public service delivery in rural regions. The information gathered has important policy implications since it highlights how facilities and technology accessibility play a crucial role in increasing user satisfaction in rural development programs.

Analysis of the Relationship between Digital Literacy Program Development and Lecturer Productivity in Higher Education

The rapid development of digitalization and technology forces the awareness of digital literacy to be in a strategic and vital position as a tool to enhance the academic productivity of lecturers. This study analyzes the relationship between digital literacy and academic productivity among lecturers at Sekolah Tinggi Agama Islam Tangerang Raya. Digital literacy encompasses access, processing, and utilization of information technology to support academic tasks. This research employs biometric analysis methods to gather data on lecturers’ digital behaviour, including the frequency of digital device usage and access to online academic resources. The findings reveal a significant positive correlation, where lecturers who frequently use digital devices experience a 25% increase in academic productivity in scientific publications. Additionally, the study highlights that active participation in webinars and online courses contributes to improvements in the quality and quantity of research output. Recommendations for institutions include the importance of providing comprehensive training programs focused on data analysis software, reference management, and online academic writing to enhance research efficiency. Furthermore, improving access to online academic resources and providing adequate digital devices will strengthen academic performance. Increasing digital literacy focused on technological capabilities not only significantly enhances the academic productivity of lecturers but also serves as an effective solution for improving other competencies, such as research productivity and scientific collaboration, to achieve more optimal institutional outcomes.

Digital Narratives: The Evolution of Storytelling Techniques in the Age of Social Media

This article discusses the evolution of storytelling techniques in the era of social media through the approach of digital storytelling. Digital storytelling is a method of conveying narratives that combines elements of images, text, audio, and video to create a more engaging storytelling experience. This research indicates that digital storytelling can enhance the literacy skills of the younger generation in Indonesia, which faces challenges related to low reading interest. With advancements in information technology and widespread internet access, digital platforms such as vlogs and podcasts can be utilized to introduce stories to young audiences. The research methodology employed is a literature review, gathering data from various relevant sources. The findings suggest that digital storytelling is effective in increasing literacy interest among the younger generation and has the potential to serve as an innovative educational tool. This article aims to provide a deeper understanding of the evolution of digital storytelling within the context of contemporary social media.

The impact of online interaction and information technology accessibility on academic engagement among international undergraduate students in Chinese universities: The mediating effect of learning interest

Academic engagement was recognized as a crucial predictor to measure the effectiveness of online teaching of international students. Therefore, this study established a mediating model to explore the mechanism underlying of interaction and information technology accessibility on academic engagement of international students, as well as the impact of learning interest on these mechanisms with the context of online teaching. Using a stratified random sampling method, 1895 international students from 32 Chinese universities were selected. These international students had completed the academic engagement scale, interaction scale, information technology accessibility scale, and learning interest scale. The study variables were analyzed in sequence for reliability and validity, common method biases test, correlation analysis, structural equation model testing, and bias-corrected percentile Bootstrap testing. The results revealed that online interaction positively affected the academic engagement of international students in Chinese universities (β= 0.35, p < 0.001), and learning interest played a partial mediating role between online interaction and academic engagement (indirect effect = 0.10, 95 % Boot CI = [0.06, 0.13], p < 0.001). Information technology accessibility did not have a direct impact on academic engagement (β= 0.06, p > 0.05); but learning interest played a complete mediating role between information technology accessibility and academic engagement (indirect effect = 0.09, 95 % Boot CI = [0.05, 0.11], p < 0.001). The results of Bootstrap showed that the mediating effects within the model were significant. The findings of this study explored the potential mechanism underlying the online academic engagement of international students in Chinese universities, and provided empirical evidence for universities and educators to implement differentiated learning support, assist international students in adapting to online learning styles, and stimulate the endogenous motivation of students' learning.

Injustices of Shadow Information Technology in Creating Open Educational Resources

The emergence of open educational resources (OER) promotes open access which aims to widen information access as part of smart learning in higher education institutions. However, this has caused these institutions to rely on shadow information technology (SIT) for information access and service delivery, to the point where shadow IT principles contradict open education principles. When adopting and developing OER, academics, developers, and students often opt for different software or system software based on the usability and preferences of the system. Higher education institutions (HEIs), such as the University of South Africa (UNISA), are still conscious of the IT policy in terms of the appropriation of prescribed information and communication technology (ICT). However, this institution advocates for the adoption and development of OER, and social injustices when appropriating shadow IT are not yet addressed. To investigate the challenges and injustices encountered by academics in the utilization of shadow IT when creating OER, this study opted for a qualitative research approach. The data source was academics responsible for tuition and research. For data triangulation purposes, documents such as ICT policy, tuition policy, and comprehensive open distance e-learning (CODeL) policy were considered. To propose a model, this study utilized various concepts from different theories such as "structure", which refers to the rules and resources that actors rely on in their practice and form the systems' pattern; the "used technology", which describes how user groups utilize existing technology; and the negative impacts of shadow IT (cost, risk, inconsistency, and control). The study established that, while creating OER, academics rely primarily on shadow IT which has negative impacts in an organization. This is an indication of academic stakeholders continuing to break the shadow IT roles, consciously or unsuspectingly, by being innovative while complying with the institutional mandate of open access in education. In addition to the suggestion of a shadow IT injustices model as the main contribution, this study further proposed that the institutional social capital needs to articulate social injustices associated with shadow IT to protect academics during the creation of OER. This implies that future research may examine the shadow IT injustices among all other twenty-six public universities in South Africa.

Ảnh hưởng của công nghệ thông tin và truyền thông đến mức độ sử dụng sản phẩm và dịch vụ tài chính của hộ gia đình: Nghiên cứu tại Việt Nam

his paper uses the binary logistic regression method with the 2020 Vietnam Living Standards Survey data set of the General Statistics Office of Vietnam to evaluate the impact of information and communications technology on the level of use of financial products/services of households. Research results show that information and communications technology positively impacts the use of financial products/services. Increasing access and use of information and communications technology increases the likelihood of households having bank accounts, ATM cards, savings accounts, and participating in life insurance. This study also provides new evidence that households' access to information from the commune/ward radio system will increase the level of household use of financial products/services. From the results obtained, the research proposes recommendations for the Government, the State Bank of Vietnam, and financial institutions to enhance the positive impact of information and communications technology on the level of use of financial products/services by households.

Digital divide among college teachers: Assessing faculty’s information and communication technology access

Digital divide among college teachers: Assessing faculty’s information and communication technology access

Assessing the usage of ChatGPT on life satisfaction among higher education students: The moderating role of subjective health

OpenAI's ChatGPT is a widely used artificial intelligence tool that has recently experienced rapid growth and widespread adoption. ChatGPT enhances digital accessibility, performance in communication, and supports the creation of digital content, which can be a powerful assistive technology for the education industry. However, the role of ChatGPT for higher education students remains a topic of contention. Therefore, this study is undertaken to investigate how ChatGPT usage can enhance information and communication technology (ICT) accessibility and performance by influencing life satisfaction among higher education students by proposing a unique conceptual model. The primary data were collected from 305 respondents, and quantitative methodology was used to analyse the data. The results indicate that interaction with ChatGPT increases freedom and productivity by producing understandable and relevant responses that meet emotional needs, which are positively correlated with happiness. ChatGPT usage provides unique experiences to students that evoke their feelings to strengthen academic engagement, and such feelings positively influence their perceptions and behaviour towards academic buoyancy. However, the concerns about the biased response, limited knowledge, and lack of emotional intelligence of ChatGPT limit trustworthiness and cause disengagement, which have been deemed the most significant weaknesses in improving quality of life.

Factors Associated with Device, Internet and Videoconferencing Use Amongst Individuals with Moderate-to-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

Videoconferencing (VC) has the potential to improve access to quality healthcare for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who require intensive and ongoing rehabilitation post-injury. Gaps in information and communication technology (ICT) use, access, and skills, however, may undermine equitable participation in remotely delivered healthcare and rehabilitation. This cross-sectional study sought to identify which demographic, injury-related, and psychological factors are associated with gaps in digital inclusion amongst individuals with a TBI. Between March 2020 and December 2023, 186 adults with a moderate-to-severe TBI who were aged 18-65 years and were within five years post-injury completed a range of self-report measures. The results demonstrated that most individuals with a moderate-to-severe TBI reported high levels of technology skills and access and used the internet from multiple devices daily. While injury severity was unrelated to technology use, this finding may reflect an overestimation of technology use amongst individuals with the most severe injuries, who were excluded from the study. Several demographic and psychological factors were found to predict VC readiness and are presented within a model to guide clinicians considering client suitability for VC rehabilitation. The current findings indicate that the use of VC in clinical settings following a moderate-to-severe TBI is feasible and suggest that individuals with a TBI may benefit from the greater provision of remotely delivered healthcare than is currently offered.

Enhancing accessibility in STEM: a survey of accessibility errors in STEM academic databases

Academic libraries must provide accessible electronic and information technology to patrons using assistive technology to access library materials. Accessibility of scholarly material is particularly important in the STEM disciplines, where attrition rates of students with disabilities is higher than in other fields. In this study, the accessibility of STEM indexing databases was evaluated using the WAVE accessibility tool, and the frequency of errors, alerts, and features encountered during the completion of typical searching tasks for each database was noted. The use of accessibility-checking tools like WAVE can supplement other methods used to verify the accessibility of vendor-created library databases.

Identification of Digital Divide across Indonesian Provinces: the Analysis of Key Factors

Despite the economic and societal benefits of digitalisation and digital transformation, it is necessary to map country's digital conditions and identify the digital divide to formulate an effective strategy. The digital divide should be measured periodically to monitor progress and determine continuous improvement. This paper identifies the current digital divide among provinces in Indonesia. The study uses the hierarchical agglomerative clustering method based on The Indonesian Digital Society Index data from the Ministry of Communication and Informatics. It also analyses some key factors of the digital divide based on data from the Indonesian Bureau of Statistics using the multiple linear regression model. The results show three types of the digital divide across Indonesian provinces related to access, usage, and outcomes of information and communication technology. Gross Regional Domestic Product per capita, Wage/Salary, Proportion of Formal Labor, and Size of the Working-Age Population are identified as factors significantly affecting the digital divide.

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

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

Production Chain Organization in the Digital Age: Information Technology Use and Vertical Integration in U.S. Manufacturing

Advances in information technology (IT) may affect the organizational design of production. Exploiting the rapid diffusion of the internet in the United States, we assess the sensitivity of production chain organization to this innovation in IT access and use. Extending theories of the firm that recognize the importance of downstream transfers (selling as opposed to sourcing) and plural governance in organizational design, we predict IT-driven shifts in downstream vertical integration. In a detailed panel of Census Bureau data for over 5,600 manufacturing plants, we observe the extent of a production unit’s downstream transactions within the firm alongside concurrent sales to external customers—a mix we refer to as plural selling. Our main finding is that the use of the internet for external coordination precipitated a significant decline in downstream vertical integration across the manufacturing sector. Instrumental variables estimation points to a causal relationship but also heterogeneous treatment effects. Key drivers of plural organization, such as complementarities and constraints across differently governed transactions, help explain such heterogeneity, as does concurrent use of internal production management IT. Our study is the first study to leverage a plural governance framework and large-scale microdata to understand how U.S. production chain organization shifted in response to this rapid and far-reaching technological change. This paper was accepted by David Simchi-Levi, information systems. Funding: This research was performed at the Atlanta, Boston, and Cornell (supported by the Cornell Center for the Social Sciences) Federal Statistical Research Data Centers [Project 1069 (CBDRB-FY22-279)]. Support for the Research Data Centers network from the National Science Foundation [Grant ITR-0427889] is gratefully acknowledged, as is support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2019.01586 .

Comprehensive identification, localization, and validation of innovation measurement indices at the farm level in Iran

IntroductionInnovation is a fundamental component of agricultural infrastructure, fostering the sector’s development and productivity. Innovation indices tailored to the farm level are benchmarks for assessing innovation within this agricultural context. Therefore, this study aims to discover, localize, and validate comprehensive innovation measurement indices at the farm level. A distinguishing feature of this research is its endeavor to discover and validate a comprehensive tool for measuring innovation at the farm level. Notably, there has been no prior research on discovering comprehensive innovation indices at the farm level, marking a novel aspect of this study.Method and resultsThe current research is applied in terms of its purpose and falls into the category of mixed research (quantitative and qualitative), as well as exploratory and descriptive research. This study has been conducted in three stages: The first phase involved reviewing existing literature and extracting indices for measuring innovation. In the second phase, a tool was designed specifically to gauge innovation at the farm level. The third phase entailed face and content validation of the identified indices. This validation process was conducted quantitatively and qualitatively through surveys of subject-matter experts in Iran, and by calculating the content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI).To measure innovation at the farm level, 90 items across 7 dimensions (education, infrastructure, market sophistication, business sophistication, knowledge and technology outputs, creative outputs, and innovative outputs) were extracted, localized, and developed. According to the results, dimensions such as innovative outputs (product innovation, process innovation, and marketing innovation), education (farmers’ education status in technology and innovation), and infrastructure (familiarity, access, and application of Information and Communication Technology [ICT]) demonstrated high credibility based on CVR and CVI scores.ConclusionThe utilization of innovation assessment indices can help mitigate the challenges associated with evaluating innovation status on farms, thereby enhancing their condition and increasing farmers’ profitability. Accurate and reliable data on innovation status empower farmers in market competition and improve economic performance. Attention to innovation and the use of assessment tools can facilitate the attraction of new investors to the agricultural industry. Furthermore, improving agricultural processes through innovative technologies can contribute to the preservation of natural resources and the reduction of environmental pollution.

Teachers’ ICT in pedagogy: A case for mentoring and mirrored practice

The rapid expansion of the knowledge society, due mainly to the ubiquity and access of information and communication technology (ICT), places a professional demand on teachers to acquire relevant knowledge to make use of technology in their classrooms. Thus, for teachers to effectively integrate ICT into their teaching repertoire, they must transform their pedagogical practices. In this regard, the quality of pre-service and in-service training is pivotal in preparing teachers for effective technology integration. Utilising a case study approach and Activity Theory principles as a theoretical lens, this study set out to explore the influence of ICT as a tool of instruction on the classroom practice of in-service teachers in Rwanda. Qualitative methods were employed to capture data through interviews, observations, and document analysis. Data was analysed using content analysis to understand in-service teachers’ constructions about learning through ICT and how it influenced their classroom practice. The investigation of the influence of ICT as an instructional tool to in-service teachers yielded unique patterns of their ICT learning-teaching experiences. The findings were two-fold. First, the ICT learning experiences of the in-service teachers changed their perspective towards teaching and learning with ICT in their own classrooms. Second, the teacher participants vicariously mirrored their lecturers’ use of ICT in their own classroom practice. This unintended experience created affordances for the in-service teacher trainees to not only learn ‘about’ ICT, but significantly ‘how to teach’ pedagogically with ICT. It is crucial for teacher trainees to experience the same type of learning environments they are expected to create in their own classrooms.

Utilization of Information Communication and Technology Among Students in St Philomena Catholic Hospital, Benin City

In today’s society, information and communication technologies (ICT) play an important part in almost every area. This descriptive cross-sectional study assessed utilization of information communication and technology among students in St. Philomena Catholic Hospital, Benin City. Convenience sampling approach was used to recruit the 212 participants. The instrument for data collection was structured questionnaire with reliability of 0.786. SPSS version 22 was used to analyze the data. The result shows that the mean ± SD age of the respondent is (22.7 + 4.6 years). Only 29(14.5%) have good access to information communication and technology and 171(85.5%) have poor access information communication and technology. High utilization of information communication and technology was 133(66.5%) while low usage was 67(33.5%). perceived factors affecting utilization of information communication and technology among the respondents include faulty equipment/lack of maintenance 180(90.0%), lack of technical support 178(89.0%), and inadequate computers 165(82.5%), and unavailability of IT equipment in the school 150(75.0%). It is concluded that there is good utilization but poor access to information communication and technology among the students. Therefore, nursing institutions (academic/clinical) should continue to invest in professional development with student-centered ICT labs to encourage students to use modern technology.

Etiologija maloletničke delinkvencije

In contemporary societies characterized by advanced information technology and widespread accessibility to various resources, social and psychological factors leading to adverse personal and societal consequences significantly influence minors, providing fertile ground for the emergence of juvenile delinquency. Juvenile delinquency is a serious problem for all contemporary societies, encompassing different forms of deviant behaviors among minors, including criminal acts that trigger legal proceedings and sanctions. Since there are a lot of theories and studies which focus on the distinctions between delinquency and criminality, this paper does not deal with that in greater detail. Instead, it focuses on elucidating juvenile delinquency as a foundational concept for understanding diverse forms of deviant behavior from criminal, psychological, and sociological perspectives. The paper identifies causes of juvenile behavior and early indicators for identifying young offenders. The primary research objective is to explore delinquency prevention strategies tailored to offenders. The examples illustrate the most frequent criminal acts perpetrated by reported, accused, and convicted minors, categorized by gender, age, and type of criminal sanction.

Application of machine learning techniques and the Internet of Things for smart, sustainable agriculture

The integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been extensively utilized in the agricultural sector for an extended duration in conjunction with various other sophisticated computing technologies. In the past few years, there has been a notable advancement in greenhouse development within the agricultural sector, driven by the guidance of information technology and resulting in increased productivity. The IoT encompasses a range of intelligent systems and remote monitoring technologies, including those that support sustainable development. This study examines the accessibility of information technology in the context of training and developing smart systems and forecasting models within organizations, focusing on real-time applications using Machine Learning (ML) and AI techniques. This paper aims to enhance the efficacy of agricultural sustainable growth governance by investigating the Smart Sustainable Agriculture (SSA) platform, utilizing IoT and ML technology as its foundation. Hence, a proposed system called Remote Sensing Aided Framework for Smart Sustainable Agriculture (RSAF-SSA) aims to enhance the fulfillment of greenhouse agriculture prerequisites by applying ML techniques and the IoT. The proposed methodology employs AI and ML technologies to strengthen the green development prospective industry’s capacity to manage financial resources and foster innovative trends in agricultural product development. Also, this study integrates the requirements for sustainable development in the field of SSA by establishing a Smart Agriculture (SA) platform that utilizes IoT and ML. Additionally, experimental designs are devised to assess the effectiveness of the system platform developed in this work. With 50 IoT devices, the Irrigation Control Ratio (ICR) and Agricultural Production Ratio (APR) for the proposed RSAF-SSA achieve a noteworthy efficiency rate of 95.8% and 95.3%, respectively.

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

SHARIA IN PUBLIC SPACE: COMMUNICATION MODELS IN THE ADOPTION OF ISLAMIC SHARIA IN URBAN MUSLIM SOCIETY IN LANGSA, ACEH

The application of Islamic law in Langsa City is currently still reaping the pros and cons, until now the application of Islamic law is not going well. Good communication is needed between the government and the people of Aceh to build harmony in the application of Islamic law. This article aims to analyze the communication model built by the Langsa City government for the Urban Muslim Society to socialize the implementation of Islamic law. This paper is generated from empirical research with a qualitative approach, the main data obtained from in-depth interviews with parties directly involved in policy-making and implementing Islamic law in Langsa City. The results of the study show that there are several communication models built by the Langsa City government in the application of Islamic law, including; First, the interpersonal communication model that focuses on a personal approach, so that the message that reaches the community is more concrete and there is no miscommunication; second, the mass communication model that focuses on the pattern of delivering messages through several media such as social media and print media. The use of social media and print media is very useful in disseminating Islamic law, although, on the one hand, the mass communication model carried out by the Langsa City government is not able to reach remote areas that cannot access information technology. The communication model is carried out as a form of government authority in the enforcement of Islamic law in Langsa City because when religion enters the state system, the implementing authority belongs to the government.