Challenges Of Information And Communication Technologies Research Articles

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Interventions for Enhancing Access to Education in Rural sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

The incorporation of ICT in the learning environment is essential for preparing learners for future employment, as education is an ever-evolving process. However, sub-Saharan African learners are being left behind due to limited access to ICT infrastructure, resulting in disparities in education. This study presents the findings of a systematic review conducted in accordance with the PRISMA protocol, which aimed to investigate various ICT interventions, challenges, barriers, and key factors that contribute to their successful implementation and scalability in enhancing access to education in rural sub-Saharan Africa. The review was based on scientific databases, which were the primary sources of articles retrieved. The selected articles underwent a process of defining and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, resulting in the selection of 17 articles that aligned with the study. The study further identified four focus areas that aided in discussions of the findings and recommendations to enhance ICT adoption and integration in education in rural sub-Saharan Africa. The findings revealed a disproportionate focus of research on ICT interventions in rural sub-Saharan Africa, with a notable bias towards South Africa.

Navigating the digital divide: assessing faculty ICT skills and challenges in shaping the future of higher education in India

This article delves into the transformative impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on higher education institutions in India, particularly in the context of the rapid shift to online classes prompted by the global pandemic. The study focuses on evaluating the Information and Communication Technology skills of faculty members across central universities, government higher education institutions, and state universities. Through a random sample of 220 respondents, the research employs statistical tools, including one-way ANOVA and independent-sample t-test, to discern patterns and variations in faculty ICT proficiency. Notably, the findings underscore the significance of assessing faculty readiness for online teaching, revealing a need for targeted interventions to bridge existing skill gaps. Furthermore, the article delves into the challenges encountered during the transition to fully online classes, examining factors such as age, resource availability, and operational difficulties. The disparities in the adoption of online education between faculty and students are explored, shedding light on the emotional dynamics experienced by educators in this transformative process. Additionally, the study proposes recommendations for fostering 21st-century teaching strategies, advocating for a nuanced approach to faculty development that considers both attitudes and skills. The insights provided aim to inform policymakers, educational authorities, and institutions on strategies to enhance the efficacy of online education and address the evolving needs of higher education in the digital era. In conclusion, this article contributes a multifaceted exploration of the challenges and opportunities posed by the integration of ICT in higher education in India. By providing a nuanced understanding of faculty ICT skills, challenges in online education adoption, and recommendations for the future, the article seeks to be a valuable resource for shaping effective and inclusive strategies for the evolving landscape of higher education.

Implementation Challenges of ICT in the Public Sector in Upazila Region of Bangladesh: An Empirical Study

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays a pivotal role in achieving Digital Bangladesh's vision of making the government accountable, transparent and effective in providing services to the citizens. The ICT-based governance (e-governance) in service delivery mechanism has become essential and time worthy. However, the implementation of e-governance is not up to the mark and the government is not getting the full benefits of e-governance due to the structural, organizational, and behavioral barriers. The dilemma between the service providers (agent) with numerous problems and the recipients’ viewpoints (principal) has been analyzed how the problem lies and the principal faces problem to get services. The objective of this study is to analyze the current situation of ICT-enabled Public Service Delivery; implementation challenges of ICT at the Upazila level of Bangladesh and come up with an evidence-based solution. To achieve the objectives, both qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed. Purposive random sampling was used to collect data through offline and online questionnaire surveys. Besides, interview and observation methods were also employed for strengthening the study findings. The study found that strong policy supports of the government i.e. ICT policy, and digital Bangladesh vision enable the e-government services to benefit the citizen. However, it is evident that the dearth of IT physical infrastructure, unstable internet connection, shortage of skilled manpower, and technology fear of public employees create obstacles to provide ITC-enabled services. Sometimes people’s unawareness also serves as barrier to receive e-government services. The study recommends improvement of internet speed, supply of continuous electricity supply, training of public employees, providing upgraded technology, and developing user-friendly softwares to address those problems and enhance ICT-induced public service delivery system. 
 Keywords: E-governance, Readiness, Public Service Delivery, Barriers, Way forward

Students’ And Teachers’ Perspectives on ICT Integration in Learning Process During Pandemic

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) integration allows educators to update traditional coaching to meet the global demand for fully technology-based coaching and mastering equipment and learning tools.
 This study wants to identify students and teachers’ perceptions on how effective ICT integration is in supporting the teaching and learning process in the classroom.
 The researcher used quantitative methodology, developed survey questionnaire and administered to target respondents in the three campuses of Ifugao State University. Respondents were composed of 66 Education students and 35 faculty members. The data for this quantitative study was examined using descriptive and inferential statistics.
 It was found out that most teachers and students agreed on the effectiveness of ICT integration in the teaching and learning process. The findings showed that ICT integration is beneficial for teachers teaching quality, improve learning materials and motivate students to be more creative and imaginative. Thus, learning and teaching become effective with ICT integration.
 Based on the results, it is recommended that for teachers, a digital literacy assessment may be administered to the teachers, after which a series of hands on activities will be conducted. For students, in order to derive the maximum effect regarding the use of ICT in learning, an action research may be conducted first among students to identify and solve issues on the use and challenges of ICT in teaching and learning.

Associated Information and Communication Technologies Challenges of Smart City Development

Smart cities development relies on information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve all urban aspects, including governance, economy, mobility, and environment. The development is usually associated with several challenges and negative effects. This study relies on revealing ICTs challenges by firstly conducting a comprehensive literature review to identify the challenges that are most associated with ICTs. Then, a questionnaire survey was distributed among the Saudi population to study their expectations, perceptions, and concerns on the smart city concept and services. The questionnaire also investigated ICTs challenges identified from the literature review, including information security risks, privacy violation, incompatibility, and digital skill gaps. Consequently, semi-structured interviews were conducted to perceive the reasons for the incompatibility between different systems and digital skill gaps between the public. The findings show that the most likely challenges are information security risks and privacy violations, which are due to the increase in vulnerability, potential attacks, and lack of public awareness regarding personal data protection. The incompatibility between different systems and services in smart cities arouses worries among the public due to the expected high cost and difficulty of adaptation and utilization. Moreover, digital skill gaps arises between members of the population that have a low education level or are elderly persons.

Attitudes and acceptance of information and communication technology (ICT) among urban and rural teachers in teaching and facilitation

The purpose of the study was to find out the attitudes and acceptance of information and communication technology (ICT) among urban and rural teachers in Teaching and Facilitation (TnF). The use of ICT helps in improving the effectiveness of all areas including education. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) introduced by Fred Davis was used to identify the relationship between teacher attitudes and differences in ICT acceptance between urban and rural areas teachers’ behavior in TnF. This was to determine the actual influencing factors among the Tamil language teachers on the use of information and communication technology in Tamil language TnF. There are several other works carried out in this field including computer teaching and learning, challenges of ICT, teachers' perceptions of ICT, and many more, but the present study is based among urban and rural teachers of Malaysia. Other works done in this field do not focus on students and teachers of Tamil schools. This study is a quantitative study involving a questionnaire. The study involved 96 Tamil schools in the state of Selangor and a total of 260 Tamil language teachers participated in this study. 167 urban schools and 93 rural schools were involved in this study. Data obtained through questionnaires were evaluated using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, hence documented in chronology relevant to the objectives of the study. The findings of the study showed that there is a significant relationship between teachers in urban and rural areas in the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Tamil language TnF. Through this study, a strong culture of ICT use is applied in the Tamil language TnF process in urban and rural SJK (T) which can be practiced by various stakeholders.

ICT Uses, Constraints, and Challenges in Flash Flood Risk Management: A Case Study in North-Eastern Haor Areas of Bangladesh

This study intends to explore the extent of the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in flash-flood-prone haor (wetland ecosystem) areas of north-eastern Bangladesh. Addressing the situation of severe flash floods in 2017 at the community level, this study aims to examine the constraints and challenges in using ICT for flash flood risk management. An empirical study was conducted in two upazilas (administrative sub-districts) within the Sunamganj, the most affected district. A total of 120 household heads were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Focused group discussions (FGD) and key informant interviews (KII) were also used. Results reveal that people in these areas do not use computers or Internet. However, the use of mobile phones is common for communication during disasters. Illiteracy, poor quality of life, poor social capital, poor infrastructure, and poor communication with institutions are highlighted as the main constraints and challenges in the effective application of ICT in flash flood management. The results showed that the local community people of the study area receive early warning and hazards preparedness-related information through mobile phones, television, radio, and Facebook. However, the results also highlighted the constraints and challenges in applying ICT in DRR at the community level. By addressing a remote region and a relatively less focused disaster (flash flood), this study contributes to boosting the application of ICT in DRR, especially in remote, disadvantaged communities.

The Integration of Information Communication Technology in Education: A Review of Policies and Practices in Angola, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in education has expanded significantly worldwide. Many countries develop Educational ICT policies to promote national agendas for economic, social, and political growth. The implementation of ICT in education is designed to prepare students to assimilate into the global market, attain equal access to education, and to be technologically prepared citizens. Many African governments are therefore developing ICT policies to expand integration of ICTs in primary and secondary education. However, successful integration of ICTs requires concerted efforts across stakeholders, as well as consistency in policy implementation and evaluation. Although several Southern African countries have ICT policy blueprints for education, not much is known about the implementation of the policies on the ground. This study reviews educational ICT policy implementation, successes, and challenges in three Southern African countries: Angola, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

Applications and Challenges of Information and Communication Technology in the Forest Sector: A Case Study of Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania

In Tanzania there is rapid adoption of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the forest sector and other allied sciences. Many of the uses of ICT in the forest sector are relatively new or still on the horizon and majority are not documented. Despite that, studies on the application and challenges of ICT in the forest sector of Tanzania are still limited to up to date. This study was conducted in Morogoro Municipality to document the current application and challenges of ICT in the forest sector. Data on awareness, type of professional experts with ICTs based, ICTs application domain in forest, infrastructures, software used and outputs were collected from different forest institutions located in Morogoro Municipality using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics of the parameters were done using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and R statistical package. The results have shown that, there is a promising trend towards applications of ICT in the forest sector, where about 75% of the respondents were aware of the ICT applications, while 25% were not. There were eight types of professionals in the forest sector with background in ICT’s based technology with higher application on data storage and analysis, documentation and forest inventory. The main challenges observed were related to the availability of infrastructures, internet connectivity and qualified personnel.

Assessment of ICT Skills Relevant for Effective Learning Possessed by Undergraduate Students at University of Nigeria

This study examined the information and communication technology (ICT) skills relevant for effective learning possessed by undergraduate students. The study made use of descriptive survey research design. The study participants were 320 undergraduate students of university of Nigeria. The instrument used for data collection was “Relevant ICT Skills for Effective Learning among Undergraduate Students Questionnaire” (RISELUSQ). The reliability of the instrument was determined using Cronbach-Alpha method and a reliability coefficient of 0.84 was obtained. Four research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The data collected were subjected to analysis, the mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while the hypotheses were tested using t-test and ANOVA at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that undergraduate students possessed the relevant ICT skills that will enhance their learning and that the ICT skills of the male students were not different from that of the female. The findings also showed that the ICT skills of undergraduate students differ based on their educational level, particularly, between the 100 level and 500 levels. Equally, the finding reveals that the students face some ICT challenges like non-functional/limited projectors in classrooms, limited e-learning facilities among others. Based on the findings, it was recommended that students be encouraged to continue to improve on their ICT skills as it will enable them strive well academically and that school authorities should ensure adequate and proper infrastructures/ICT facilities be put in place within the university environment.

ICT Obstacles and Challenges Faced by English Language Learners During the Coronavirus Outbreak in Jordan

During the Coronavirus outbreak, the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become a necessity, as ICT use in education is a systematic and structured process to improve the quality of education in Jordan. This study aimed at investigating the obstacles and challenges faced by English language students at Jadara University in Jordan while using e-learning programs during the school suspension. To achieve the aim of the study, this qualitative investigation has made use of convenience sample. Twelve students were chosen for a focused group interview where they were requested to answer questions concerning the constraining factors that they experienced while learning through ICT platforms. The findings show that students’ responses revealed three themes, namely, lack of effective training, lack of accessibility, and inconsistent teaching styles of instructors. Some of the recommendations suggested are that further research needs to be conducted into the speech acts used by Jordanians on different social networking platforms. Although barriers were significant, this paper recommended additional institutional support for online learning and increased technical and pedagogical training for students.

Impacts and Challenges of ICT Based Scale-up Campaigns: Lessons Learnt from the Use of SMS to Support Maize Farmers in the UPTAKE Project, Tanzania

Providing smallholder farmers with support through conventional government extension approaches is challenging as the number of extension agents is decreasing. At the same time, new information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as short message services (SMS) sent via mobile phones, show considerable promise to complement existing extension services. In the UP-scaling Technology in Agriculture through Knowledge and Extension (UPTAKE) Project, ICTs were used to create awareness and increase uptake and adoption of agricultural innovations by maize farmers in Tanzania. Two SMS-based maize campaigns were implemented during the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 cropping seasons in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. Prior to the start of the campaigns, formative research to determine maize production knowledge, practices and challenges was conducted in Mbeya and Songwe Region. After the campaign a telephone survey, key informant interviews and focus group discussions were conducted. During the campaign, about 3.8 million SMS were disseminated to over 55,000 farmers. 73% were male, 19% owned smart phones and 86% farmed maize on up to 1.2 hectares of land. Farmers reported maize production challenges as: unreliable markets, inadequate extension services, pest outbreaks and lack of knowledge to identify counterfeit inputs particularly seeds and fertilizers. The UPTAKE mobile SMS campaign was a new approach to agricultural extension in this area. A telephone survey amongst a sample of farmers who received the SMS revealed that 53% of respondents considered that this was now their preferred as a source of information compared to traditional sources including neighbours and family members, demonstration plots, agricultural extension workers and radios. Key lessons learnt relate to management of databases of farmer contacts, importance of participatory processes in developing content and designing SMS campaigns, and the need for flexibility and promptness in responding to emerging threats such as delayed rains and outbreaks of pests. Good practices like buy in and authorizations from the government administrative structures and compliance with country’s regulations on communication are integral to the success of ICT projects.

ICT AND PRESERVICE TEACHERS. SHORT CASE STUDY ABOUT CONDITIONS OF TEACHER PREPARATION IN: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, ECUADOR, URUGUAY AND POLAND

The paper aims at presenting the most important indicators teacher preparation in the context of the developing information society. The text was written as part of the SELI project. It is the international study which seeks to answer the question about the factors determining the efficient use of ICT among the pedagogy students. This theoretical study joins the debate on the curricula and local, national and global conditions related to the education of teachers of the future. The text presents data from three countries from Latin America and the Caribbean region and one from Europe.The development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is key for any society that wishes to develop and face the local and global challenges that arise every day. However, teachers play a fundamental role in ensuring that these technologies are taught and reach the entire population adequately. During this process, an important number of challenges and problems must be faced, as a result of the current context in which the Dominican Republic, as a developing country, finds itself. In the present work we make a brief description of the main challenges and defies faced by ICT teachers.In the section referring to Ecuador, a general outline of the academic education for preservice teachers is presented. The numeric data are presented about the education system and the preparation of future teachers. The legal grounds have also been described. While discussing the conditions in Ecuador, the authors focus on the technical aspects of education, like the use of e-learning technologies. They also refer briefly to the need for lifelong learning.The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the way the challenges of ICT are approached in preservice teacher education in Uruguay. Initially, some background information is provided about how preservice teacher education is organized for at the different levels. Secondly, the focus is on the way Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have been included in the preservice teacher education and training curricula and the changes that this inclusion is undergoing. The overview shows a transitioning process, from a rather disperse and fragmented approach with a variety of courses, projects and programs, to a more consistent and centralized one. The article finishes with a few conclusions and ponders some Uruguay perspectives, joining an ongoing debate around unanswered questions and identified challenges.The Polish section presents several important changes associated with the reform of the education system, which affects the professional teacher preparation. The authors also present the examples of the academic curricula for Information Technologies and Media in Education courses carried out in the Pedagogical University of Cracow.Based on the short analyses, we have noticed that despite the geographical, language and cultural differences, teacher preparation in the area of ICT use shows many common features which are the global challenges. These shared elements include: legal systems preparing teachers to perform their profession, the development of digital literacy, modernisation of the academic curricula and technical infrastructure, and motivation to use ICT solutions among the preservice teachers.

Unique Degradation of Flash Memory as an Identifier of ICT Device

The counterfeit and stolen information and communication technologies (ICT) devices are an essential and growing problem. Reliable technology for the identification of ICT devices is required to enable blocking of these devices in the network worldwide. Motivated by this challenge, we elaborate on the idea of using the unique degradation image of flash memory chip (DFMC) as the identifier of the device. This idea is based on the assumption that the distribution of degraded segments in the memory chip is unique enough to provide reliable identification of the device. In this paper, we provide a proof of concept through a hardware experiment. For this experiment, we developed a custom test bed and special software enabling the forced degradation of NOR-flash memory chips. We, then, consider the uniqueness of such identifiers using combination theory and consider practical issues of DFMC implementation, including the initial identification procedure, light dynamic identifiers, and identification using a cross-correlation function and options of dynamic identification. We conclude that using DFMC addresses relevant challenges of ICT devices identification.

Mapping ICT Use along the Citrus (Kinnow) Value Chain in Sargodha District, Pakistan

The value chains of fresh fruits and vegetables are sensitive to timeliness and require a quick information flow. Keeping in view its importance, this study has focused on mapping the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) along the citrus value chain, including information channels being used, factors influencing ICT use, challenges, and weaknesses faced by value chain stakeholders. Cross-sectional data were mainly collected by structured and semi-structured interviews with value chain stakeholders and key informants. The citrus industry is very important for Pakistan as it is the 4th most important export commodity. There are two product flows in the citrus value chain, one is more traditional with abundant intermediaries, in which contractors, commission agents and wholesalers are the main stakeholders, and the other is export-oriented with processors and exporters (P&Es) as the main stakeholders. It has been noticed that growers are not using ICT extensively at the production stage. Logit analysis has proved that education significantly has influenced ICT use while age has a negative impact on ICT use at the production stage. Mobile usage is quite common at the production stage and intermediary trade; however, the use of the internet is very limited as the majority of intermediaries have lower education. Moreover, both mobile phones and internet are used to a significant extent along the export oriented flow. The results have indicated that there is a vast digital divide among value chain players. Processors and exporters are high ICT users followed by growers and intermediaries. In order to develop an effective information system, all the stakeholders in the chain need to have a certain level of knowledge and expertise of ICT use to improve information use efficiency. This study presents a whole picture of ICT use along the citrus value chain as well as challenges faced by different stakeholders. It also provides suggestions for policymakers to establish an ICT-based information system and enhance ICT adoption at each stage, especially production and intermediary trade, which can further increase growers’ market participation and improve market efficiency. In addition, it is necessary to make policies under the value chain framework rather than just focused on one stage or one stakeholder.

Mass Media’s Perspective on the Challenges of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Indonesia

This study investigated the challenges of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Indonesia based on mass media’s perspective. The challenges of ICT on mass media’s perspective are very complex. Some of these challenges include the consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of ICT, threats to the unity of the country, cultural problems, regulation, business competition among operators, Pokemon Go booming, the existence of social media which triggers hostility between people and the increasing rate of the interconnection cost. Among the main reasons to this phenomenon is a need of massive investment to build the infrastructures. This study used Robert N. Entman framing model to analyze the headlines of Majalah ICT (an ICT magazine).

Two viewpoints on the challenges of ICT in education: knowledge-building theory vs. a pragmatist conception of learning in social action

The paper contrasts two different approaches to the educational challenges of the ubiquitous, rapidly developing information and communication technologies (ICT). The first is the constructivist ‘knowledge building’ theory spearheaded by Carl Bereiter and Marlene Scardamalia and recently further developed by Kai Hakkarainen and Sami Paavola; the second is a pragmatist standpoint drawing in particular from John Dewey’s ideas about learning as a natural part of human social actions and transactions. The knowledge builders have set their approach out as a suitable answer to the challenges of the present-day, ICT-characterised ‘Knowledge Age’. But here it is argued that a pragmatist approach can be advanced that avoids the over-intellectualisation of education characteristic of knowledge builders and thereby offers a viable alternative for improving present-day educational practices in ways that promote appropriate utilisation of ICT in schools in particular.

Assessing Open Government Performance through Three Public Administration Perspectives: Efficiency, Democratic Responsiveness, and Legal-rational Process

Open government is a growing feature of public administration in governments across the globe. Open government has long been considered vital to democratic society but, with the arrival of digital government, openness has become touted by governments that use information and communication technologies (ICT) without making the necessary legal and institutional reforms to support accountability and transparency. The intersection of openness and ICT challenges our approach to digital government in public administration practice and theory, and it calls for better theoretical frameworks to make sense of open government performance. In this paper, I propose a threefold framework of efficiency, democratic responsiveness, and legal-rational process. The framework is conceptually analyzed through four types of open government: budget transparency, citizen engagement, open data, and freedom of information. The analysis results in the creation of a set of measurement items that help to clarify important aspects of open government performance, and which can be used to generate indicators for evaluating open government initiatives.

Introducing modern technology to promote transparency in health services.

Quantitative indicators show that Bangladeshi maternal and child healthcare is progressing satisfactorily. However, healthcare quality is still inadequate. It is hypothesised that modern technology enhances healthcare quality. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how modern technology such as electronic record keeping and the internet can contribute to enhancing Bangladeshi healthcare quality. This study also explores how socio-economic and political factors affect the healthcare quality. This paper is based on a qualitative case study involving 68 in-depth interviews with healthcare professionals, elected representatives, local informants and five focus group discussions with healthcare service users to understand technology's effect on health service quality. The study has been conducted in one rural and one urban service organisations to understand how various factors contribute differently to healthcare quality. The findings show that modern technology, such as the internet and electronic devices for record keeping, contribute significantly to enhancing health service transparency, which in turn leads to quality health and family planning services. The findings also show that information and communication technology (ICT) is an effective mechanism for reducing corruption and promoting transparency. However, resource constraints impact adversely on the introduction of technology, which leads to less transparent healthcare. Progress in education and general socio-economic conditions makes it suitable to enhance ICT usage, which could lead to healthcare transparency, but political and bureaucratic factors pose a major challenge to ensure transparency. This paper can be a useful guide for promoting governance and healthcare quality in developing countries including Bangladesh. It analyses the ICT challenges that healthcare staff face when promoting transparent healthcare. This paper provides a deeper understanding of transparency and healthcare quality in an ICT context using empirical data, which has not been explored in Bangladesh. This critical thinking is useful for policy makers and healthcare practitioners for promoting health service quality.

New Horizons on Education Inspired by Information and Communication Technologies

Nowadays, society is affected by the information and communication technologies (ICT) challenges that come with the Internet network and the World Wide Web. We are talking about e-society, e-commerce, e-learning, web of things … and so on. For education, what has changed after the ICT challenges? Are there improvements with this new “materiel”? What are the new horizons? First of all, ICT introduces e-learning which is a way to learn using networks with a distant tutor. Second, we have digital learning resources to manage, which gives new learning scenarios and disciplines. Third, we can access a lot of pedagogical resources over the world, a good and a problematic fact. Recently, some studies present the finding that ICT are used without a mature integration in educational contexts. As result, sometimes there is no added value to the teaching/learning processes. Blended learning is a new direction to find how to integrate ICT tools to real classes so that the quality of teaching and learning will be really improved. This paper discusses these different points of views and gives a conclusion about some horizons where ICT will take the adequate place in classes.