Information And Communication Technology Hardware Research Articles

Black software — the energy unsustainability of software systems in the 21st century

Abstract Climate change is happening, and the information and communication technology (ICT) industry is providing solutions to enable a more sustainable future. ICT enables enhanced manufacturing processes, optimized logistics, solutions supporting environmental protection and solutions facilitating climate change adaptation, for example. The performance of ICT hardware and electronics has increased tremendously. The capabilities of microchips have increased ~100,000-fold in the past 30 years and the power efficiency has increased a million-fold. Yet, various reports show that the ICT sector increases its carbon footprint and energy consumption, while other sectors are lowering their impact on our planet. Thus, there seems to be an adverse development ongoing where most industry sectors can lower their carbon footprint while the ICT sector increases its consumption. This paper looks at the development of the ICT sector and seeks to understand the current development. We argue that a major reason for the rebound effect we are seeing within the ICT sector is the lack of understanding in energy consumption and the cost pressures of developing digital services. The results are software and services that could be much greener and energy efficient but seem to rather go toward a darker direction. The ICT industry and software engineering needs to do a clear change of course and take accountability of their activities.

Optimizing information and communication technology applications in chemistry learning

Information and communication technology (ICT) is crucial to the educational growth of any country and the academic interactions and collaborations of students. The study determined the extent of ICT application in chemistry instruction in Anambra State, Nigeria, secondary schools. This study uses a descriptive survey. A total of 133 students and 12 chemistry teachers as samples. The t-test was used to test the research hypothesis. The study's findings revealed a low extent of ICT application in teaching and learning chemistry in Anambra State, Nigeria. Moreover, both the chemistry teachers and students agree that ICT is applied to a low extent for teaching and learning chemistry in Anambra State, Nigeria. The study also revealed that the use of outdated computers; lack of technical assistance; lack of time; lack of computer hardware/software; lack of electricity; broken down computers; lack of internet or slow connectivity, and high cost of computers are some of the challenges of ICT application while the provision/maintenance of adequate ICT software and hardware, exposure of chemistry teachers to workshops and conferences and provision of uninterrupted internet services and power supply by the government among others were proffered as possible strategies to eliminate these challenges.

Multiple effects of ICT investment on carbon emissions: evidence from China.

Little research has been conducted on the multiple possible future environmental effects of different types of information and communication technology (ICT) investment. This paper innovatively calculates the ICT productive capital stock (PCS) in China from 2007 to 2018 and explores the multiple effects of ICT PCS on carbon emissions. The results show that (1) ICT PCS is conducive to carbon emission reduction; furthermore, ICT software PCS has a significant carbon emission reduction effect, while ICT hardware PCS has the opposite outcome. (2) The spatial effect demonstrates that ICT and its hardware and software PCS can significantly reduce carbon emissions in surrounding areas. (3) The ICT PCS indirectly affects carbon emissions through the digital economy and energy efficiency, but the role of the influence mechanism varies according to the type of ICT PCS. (4) There is a nonlinear relationship between all ICT PCS and carbon emissions due to differences in green productivity and ICT PCS levels. Finally, this study provides valuable references for optimizing ICT investment and promoting low-carbon development.

The effects of ICT and FDI on CO2 emissions in China.

With the rapid development of information and communication technology (ICT) and counter-cyclical expansion of foreign direct investment (FDI), most foreign-invested companies in China are highly polluting. Meanwhile, new research shows that the impact of ICT on the environment is uncertain. This study is an effort in dividing ICT into hardware and software, aiming to explore its effects on carbon (CO2) emissions from 2003 to 2017 in 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China and further explore the impacts of its application to foreign-invested enterprises on environmental quality. The findings show that ICT software has a significant negative effect on CO2 emissions, but ICT hardware and FDI have significant positive effects on CO2 emissions. However, when ICT software and hardware are applied to foreign-invested enterprises, they can significantly improve the environmental quality. Moreover, the durative innovation of ICT software ensures environmental sustainability. A set of government measures are published to help stimulate the positive effect of ICT software on CO2 emissions, such as taxes and fees cuts, and no-interest loans. This could provide guidelines for other countries.

Optimal Location-Allocation of Printing Devices for Energy Saving Using a Novel MILP Approach

In recent years, a growing number of enterprises have taken different steps to reduce the energy consumption and carbon emissions of information and communication technology (ICT) assets. Because of the expansion of digitalization and the need for rapid access to information, enterprises have been compelled to optimize the location and utilization of their ICT hardware. In this context, this paper presents a novel method based on a mixed-integer linear programming approach for optimizing the physical location and task allocation of printing devices in office floor plans considering the power usage of the ICT assets, the costs related to the purchase and service of the individual devices, operating costs, and distance between employees and printing devices. The applicability of the proposed model is illustrated using the case study of a company with 100 functional departments located in several office buildings across Poland. The results reveal that the model guarantees the execution of all printing tasks and satisfies the functionality requirements expressed by the users of the workstations. Moreover, the selection of more energy-efficient printing devices leads to a considerable reduction in electricity consumption, related not only to the direct operation of these devices but also to their modes of operation (work, idle, or sleep). Such results also bring tangible effects in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, which is particularly important for businesses operating in countries where fossil fuels still dominate the energy mix.

Correlates of Utilization of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in K to 12 Basic Education Program in Secondary Schools

The objectives of the study are to determine the relationship between the respondent's profile, availability of ICT hardware, software, and facilities, level knowledge of the respondents in using ICT hardware, software, and facilities, and extent of utilization of ICT by the respondents. Samples were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected using a survey questionnaire. In analyzing the correlation of the profile of the respondents to the utilization of ICT, it can be seen that none of the variables exhibited a significant correlation. This signifies that the profiles of the respondents do not affect their capability in the utilization of ICT hardware and software. A negative correlation was exhibited between the availability of ICT to its frequency of use (-.052*). This indicates that the more the ICT hardware and software were available, the lesser the respondents utilized it. On the other hand, level of knowledge (.266**) and frequency of use (.276**) exhibited a positive and highly significant correlation with the utilization of ICT. This indicates that a higher level of knowledge leads to more frequent use of the ICT hardware and software.

Level of Knowledge of Teachers on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Equipment and Facilities under K TO 12 Basic Education Program in Secondary Schools

The objectives of the study were to determine the level of knowledge of the respondents in using ICT hardware, software, and facilities by the respondents. Samples were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected using a survey questionnaire. The majority of the respondents are female, more or less 35 years old, and have been in the service for about seven years. Most of them were college graduates and were major of Filipino or Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE), currently handling grade 10 students having an average class size of 45 students. A greater number of the respondents were Teacher I.Result shows that respondents were very knowledgeable in using the computer. On the other hand, respondents admitted that they need training with the use of the interactive whiteboard. With regards to the use of different software, respondents were knowledgeable about the use of word processing, internet browser, and presentation software. With the use of the facilities, respondents stated that they were knowledgeable about the use of computer rooms and audiovisual rooms. The mean respondents have a fair level of knowledge with regards to the use of ICT hardware, software and facilities were fair.

Availability of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Equipment and Facilities in K to 12 BasiC Education Program in Secondary Schools

The objectives of the study were to determine the availability of ICT hardware, software, and facilities and their frequency of availability in school. Data were collected using a survey questionnaire. The majority of the respondents are female, more or less 35 years old, and have been in the service for about seven years. Most of them were college graduates and were major of Filipino or Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE), currently handling grade 10 students having an average class size of 45 students. A greater number of the respondents were Teacher I.Overhead projector, LCD, Computer set, Internet connection, telephone, digital camera, scanner, and television sets were said to be readily available in the schools of each respondent. Only fax machines as stated as not available in their schools. VCD players and other Microsoft office tools like Word, PowerPoint, Excel Publisher, Spreadsheet, and Database were available in each school of the respondents. Moreover, Programming software was also stated to be available. With regards to the availability of rooms for special purposes, audiovisual rooms (78.4%), computer room, conference room were also available.

Application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Administration of Physical Education and Sports

The paper focused on application of information and communication technology (ICT) in the administration of physical education and sports. Information and communication technology was seen on the convergence of audio-visual and telephone networks with computer networks which covers any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit and receive digital information. This facility was shown to be very useful in the administration of physical education and sports. The device enhances communication of information in the administration of physical education and sports. It also enhances experience in dance and dance education, and provides feedback that make teachers evaluate success in the programme and make students work harder. The paper saw ICT hardware and software as veritable tool for teaching physical education and simplifying data collection and analysis. The paper concluded that ICT represents one of the most useful tools for enhancing the decoding of physical education and sports curriculum if used correctly, and therefore recommended that proper practical ICT training should be provided for physical education teachers and student in schools and colleges by the ministry of science and education. Keywords: Physical Education, Computer, ICT and Sports DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-24-01 Publication date: August 31st 2019

An Assessment of Green Computing Awareness and Adoption in Higher Education Institutions in Zambia: A Case of ZCAS

As the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) increases in Zambia, there is a general concern about whether the use and eventual disposal of ICT hardware will have minimal impact on the environment. The grooming or modification of behavior of users for the future generation takes place in educational institutions. This paper therefore explored the level of use of ICTs in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) with regard to the awareness and adoption of green computing in these institutions. The results indicated that though there is a high level of use in the HEIs, the level of green computing awareness was simply moderate and the level of green computing adoption was low. Therefore, there is need for HEIs, the IT community and the legislative bodies to do more in introducing practices that will promote eco-friendly use and disposal of ICTs in Zambia.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS AND TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION: EVIDENCE FROM TUNISIA

This study investigates the effect of Industrial Upgrading and Modernization Program (IUMP) on the information and communication technology (ICT) adoption in Tunisia. Based on the Industrial Upgrading Survey 2016, we use the matching estimators to estimate the effect of subsidies, granted in the framework of IUMP, on the adoption of three groups of ICT (Software, Hardware and Network communications). Our results show that although the IUMP has a positive impact on the intensity of ICT adoption, the level of adoption remained under that the transition to knowledge economy requires. We also find that investment incentive has reduced the digital gap between developed and backward regions in the adoption of Software and Network communications, by contrast to the case of Hardware, for which the gap has increased.

Measuring the environmental impact of ICT hardware

Society needs information and communication technology (ICT) hardware to produce, process and store highly valuable information. This hardware, of course, affects the environment throughout its whole life cycle, starting with manufacturing, where the necessary scarce and precious resources (e.g. rare earth metals) are often mined under miserable environmental conditions. This leads to pollution of soil, water and air in the present as well as for the future. During the use phase of ICT hardware, energy consumption impacts the environment. At the end of life of ICT hardware, recycling, disposing as e-waste in landfills or disassembling are additional impacts that affect the environment. More and more producers and users, especially companies, want to measure these impacts, which is a complex task. However, approaches to measure the impacts are at hand, either as single indicators, measuring one specific impact, or as composed indicators, combining different single indicators into one summarizing indicator. However, collection of data, measurement, assessment and interpretation are challenging. Unfortunately, guidelines for those who want to measure the impact of ICT hardware are rare. With our research, we aim to shed light on the various approaches to measure impacts of ICT hardware as well as their application in practice. Based on a literature review, we identified different indicators and them to the attention of experts from companies to assess these approaches in terms of practicability, significance and value for practice. The results show that research investigates and proposes a variety of different more or less complex indicators. However, business prefers single indicators, which are easy to measure and understand.

ICT and the greatest technology: A teacher's mind

My three years as national team leader of the Early Childhood Education Information and Communication Technology Professional Learning (ECE ICT PL) programme has given me plenty of time to observe and puzzle over the inclusion of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in programmes for children up to six years old. As we all know, the basic components do not come cheaply. Due to the speed of technological advances and the technical intricacy with which they are made, the average lifespan of most hardware is approximately three years. Equipping a centre with useful ICT requires a very different budgeting mindset than (say) purchasing a set of wooden blocks, which could be expected to last indefinitely and require next to no maintenance. It is important that discussion and debate about the contribution of ICT to teaching and learning is ongoing, and this article is an attempt to foster just that. ICTs do have certain seductive qualities. The resources themselves are visually appealing and clever, and can make us feel about working at the cutting edge of innovation. In the excitement to get on board with new technologies, a considered evaluation of their merits is often overlooked. Many centres appear to be less discerning about the added value of ICT hardware than they would be about similar spending on less glamorous resources. It is worth remembering that many of the advantages attributed to ICTs can also be achieved through other means in a good early childhood programme. For instance, an electronic whiteboard that costs thousands of dollars can be used in a way that serves no greater purpose in terms of learning opportunities for children than a magnetic board story. There are, however, benefits offered by current ICTs that are not so easily replicated through other means. It is for this reason they can no longer be regarded as a luxury accessory, nor can their inclusion in an early childhood programme be left to chance. Their propensity to work well in visual and, increasingly, oral modes makes them particularly well suited--some would say tailor-made--for early childhood settings. Indeed, it is hard to imagine documented learning stories having the same impact without the easily constructed visuals facilitated by digital technologies. Within a curriculum that places high value on responsiveness, the speed with which technology allows us to create and share is ideal for meeting young children's desire for immediacy. Another argument for the inclusion of ICT is that it has the to encourage and support the kinds of activities associated with the new learning emphasis of the 21st century. I say potential because, just as with any equipment, like blocks, books, trolleys or swings, these resources are only as as the teachers who work with them. Put another way, the greatest technology available is the teacher's mind. As technology becomes more accessible, and its communication function expands, increasing numbers of children are coming to centres with their own Internet presence already--photos on Flickr, family YouTube videos and relationships with extended families and friends maintained through blogs and Skype. Yet how much are teachers aware of these funds of knowledge that children bring with them? As each year passes it becomes more important that teachers take time to find out about and engage with children's virtual lives, just as they do with other areas of experience and expertise children bring. The ECE ICT PL programme is an initiative that is funded by the Ministry of Education. It emanates from Foundations for Discovery (Ministry of Education, 2005a), the framework for development of ICT in early childhood settings. Its origins can also be traced to the government's broader Digital Strategy (Ministry of Economic Development, 2004, p. 4), aimed at creating a society where ICT gives everyone the power to create, access, use and share information so that individuals and communities can achieve their full potential. …

Attitudes Toward Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Residential Aged Care in Western Australia

Determine why introduction of health consulting services via Telehealth video conference consultations failed in residential aged care facilities (RACF). Semistructured interview groups and quantitative survey. Two participating not-for-profit RACF. Managers, employed carers, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, registered nurses, and residents from RACF. A survey initially followed by focus groups that centered on 4 questions. How can computers help improve care? What kind of electronic services and products could help improve care? Who should have access to the technology and why was the technology not used? The survey revealed there was awareness of information and communication technology (ICT) in RACF. However, respondents were uncertain of potential benefits provided to their clients. Only 43% of respondents thought a minority of clients would receive the benefits of ICT use. The focus groups revealed several themes regarding the attitudes toward ICT in RACF. Positive attitudes to ICT included themes of saving time, easier doctor access, cost saving, and improved communications. Negative attitudes included themes of loss of human contact, inadequate training, security barriers, not user friendly, limited ability to comply with suggestions, privacy issues, and capital cost. Residents were also concerned about confidentiality and loss of human interaction with the use of Telehealth in residential aged facilities. More training for staff is required to enable them to use ICT efficiently. ICT hardware and software at the user interface must be designed to maintain confidentiality with ease of access. Access to Telehealth services should not impede the routine delivery of personal care and human contact for residents. Studies are required as to where human input to residents is unable to be replaced by Telehealth services.

The effect of hard and soft information and communication technologies investment on manufacturing business performance in Greece – A preliminary econometric study

This paper presents the results of the first empirical investigation of the effect of information and communication technologies (ICT) investment on business performance in Greece. It investigates the effect of both ‘hard’ ICT investment (in ICT hardware, software and networks) and ‘soft’ ICT investment (in ICT human resources, skills and organization) on firm output. It is based on data from big Greek industrial firms, which have been collected via a questionnaire-based survey conducted in cooperation with the Federation of Greek Industries (FGI). Using these data, econometric models of output have been constructed based on the microeconomic production theory. Our analysis shows that the Cobb–Douglas production function can adequately describe the output, as compared to the more general transcendental production function. Using this type of production function it has been found that hard ICT investment in Greece makes a positive and statistically significant contribution to firm output; however its output elasticity is lower than the one of the non-computer capital and much lower than the one of the labour. Also, from the dimensions-measures of the soft ICT investment we examined, it has been found that the existence of a separate ICT department has a positive and statistically significant effect on firm output, which is of considerable magnitude of about two thirds of the effect of the hard ICT investment. The possibility of an effect of firm size on the structural stability of the econometric models we employed was also investigated; it was found that for firms with total sales above about €20 million the structure of the models is reasonably stable, and therefore the conclusions drawn from them are valid, at least for the range of firm sizes that our data cover.

The Rise and Fall of German Productivity Software Investment as the Decisive Driver

Investments in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are the source of the global growth resurgence that commenced in the mid-1990s. Most studies focus on broad ICT measures, or on computer hardware; here we examine the contributions of software-intensive industries to productivity growth. The price of prepackaged software has been falling exponentially since the 1960s, which has led to substitutions towards software investments, and to reductions in the total cost of ICT hardware investments. We use novel German ICT investment data to show that software-intensive industries have been the crucial determinant of German productivity growth since 1995. Not only did these industries contribute strongly to productivity growth, but they offset declining investments and productivities in other industries. Post 1995, other industries’ investments in new equipment per worker collapsed, while software-intensive industries’ capital investments rose steadily to generate over half of Germany's productivity growth by 2000–04. We document sharply diverging productivity paths for software-intensive and other (non-software-intensive) industries. Post 1991, total factor productivity (TFP) declined secularly in other industries to generate a −0.39 percent drag on German labor productivity by 2000–04, while TFP in software-intensive industries rose steadily to contribute 35 percent to German labor productivity growth by the same period. Overall, the results combine to paint a stark picture of rising capital per worker and TFP growth in software-intensive sectors, contrasting with falling capital per worker and increasingly negative TFP growth in other sectors. About two-thirds of the impact from software-intensive industries is generated by investments in prepackaged and purchased custom software. (JEL codes: O03, O04)

Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the Early Childhood Curriculum: Chinese Principals' Views of the Challenges and Opportunities

This study investigated the challenges and opportunities associated with the introduction of information and communication technologies (ICT) into the early childhood curriculum in Hong Kong kindergartens. Thirty-one principals completed questionnaires before they implemented a new curriculum initiative plan that involved the integrating of ICT into children's learning activities. They completed the same questionnaire and were interviewed within 1 month after they had implemented the curriculum. Findings indicated that the main problems were as follows: the low level of teachers' ICT competence, hardware and software problems, the lack of resources and technical support, and parental level of ICT competence. In-service training was regarded as the pivotal solution to these problems. The 5 levels of ICT transformation of the educational and learning processes (Mooij & Smeets, 2001) were evident in the participating schools. Most of the principals admitted that they were just "technology learners" (Yee, 1999), with regard to their information technology leadership. Sociocontextual accounts and implications of these findings are discussed.

The grey side of ICT

The information and communication technologies (ICTs) have a profound impact on economy and environment. The performance improvements in ICT leads to increased consumption of ICT products and services, which has numerous environmental implications on different levels. The author points to the analogy between the rebound effects in the energy sector and the growth effects in ICT. A multilevel taxonomy of rebound effects is taken from the energy economics literature in order to structure the discussion on the environmental implications of increasing use of ICT products and applications. The author distinguishes two levels of environmental impacts from ICT: first, related to the life cycle of ICT hardware and second, related to the way the ICT applications are being used. By presenting examples from different literature, the paper illustrates the complexity of the environmental impacts and stresses the decisive role of human behaviour in determining their significance. The issues presented in the paper are highly relevant to any decision-makers, who are placing large expectations on ICT and who needs to be aware about its potential environmental implications in the complex socioeconomic system of today. Huge investments are being made into the sector with large expectations for economic growth and environmental improvements, but neglecting the issue of rebound effect causes a risk of misallocation of funds. Having more information on effects and causes will allow decision-makers to optimise future development with a balance between economic growth and environmental quality.