Information And Communication Technology Practices Research Articles

People with Disabilities, the Age of Information and Communication Technology and the Prevailing Digital Divide—A Descriptive Analysis

Technology provides a way forward to bringing improvements in every sphere of life. The issue of disabilities is common throughout the world and the practical implications of information and communication technology (ICT) help people with such disabilities to acquire basic physical and learning support. The purpose of this review is to identify the development of information and technologies for disabled people and to bring into account a broad-spectrum descriptive analysis of the prevailing technologies from a socio-economic perspective. This paper also covers the various shades of ICT practices for disabilities, including future direction related to such practices. The methodology adopted for this purpose was the gathering of the latest and updated data from the scientific platforms to bring to the readers only the relevant and up-to-date information. The results generated illuminate the potential benefits of digital technologies for disabled persons. The article discusses the way these technologies overcome the barriers among digital beneficiaries that may suffer from certain disabilities. It also illustrates how technologies are being improved from time to time as per emerging needs. Moreover, the paper is also a directive for the increasing need for inclusive information and technology spread beyond the barrier of disabilities to truly bring about the digital revolution of the world.

EFL Teachers' Use of ICT and Learner-centered Teaching Strategies to Improve English Listening Instruction - A Bibliometric Analysis

The ability to listen attentively is of utmost importance for individuals who are learning a language, as it serves as the bedrock for effective communication and mastery of the language. Nonetheless, conventional methods employed in teaching listening tend to concentrate on passive listening exercises, resulting in limited engagement and insufficient development of this skill. To overcome these constraints, the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) tools alongside learner-centric teaching strategies has proven to be highly beneficial. This review will look at the current level of research and innovations in the use of ICT and learner-centered teaching techniques to improve EFL teachers' listening instruction from 2012 to 2023. On March 15th, 2023, 232 papers were collected from the Scopus database and a bibliometric analysis was performed to examine the publishing trend and geographic distribution, the contribution and collaboration of various nations, the most influential authors and publications, the most frequently used author keywords, and under-explored issues. From 2012 to 2023, the data revealed a rising trend in overall publication production, with 51 countries contributing to the research on EFL instructors' use of ICT and learner-centered teaching practices to improve listening instruction. The United States, Australia, and Iran were the top three contributors among these countries. The most commonly used author keywords were EFL, ICT, learner-centered teaching strategies, listening instruction, and teaching methods, indicating that these were the major themes of study in this area over the preceding decade.

The Dynamics of Access to ICT and Technology Practices of Secondary School Teachers

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for effective teaching and learning. Access to ICT is a complex and dynamic phenomenon that significantly impacts teachers' technology practices. There is a need for more extensive studies to explore the dynamics of access and teacher technology practices in various contexts. This study explored the influence of access on the technology practices of secondary school teachers in the Western Cape, South Africa. A qualitative online survey was used to explore the lived experiences of teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A diverse sample, in terms of gender, age, years of experience of teachers, and socio-economic status of schools, of 22 teachers voluntarily participated in the study. Van Dijk's cumulative model of access to ICT provided a useful lens to explore how and when the dimensions of access supported or hindered teachers' appropriation of ICT. This study found that most respondents were primarily exposed to traditional face-to-face teaching before March 2020. The suspension of in-school teaching, however, caused a dramatic shift in the way teachers interacted with technology, learning materials and learners. Three dimensions of digital inequality, associated with physical access, manifested in South Africa, namely the Virtual Classroom, WhatsApp, and Radio-Television groups. Most participants in this study returned to traditional teaching practices with increased use of technology when schools reopened again. The findings of this study suggest that access to technology is not a linear progression of successive stages that by default culminates in usage. This paper proposes a more holistic contextualised approach to access to create enabling environments for the use of ICT and empower teachers to use ICT in their teaching practices.

GREEN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AT HIGHER EDUCATION ORGANIZATION: SOLUTION FOR SUSTENANCE OF ICT IN FUTURE

The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become an essential component of Higher Education organizations. However, the sustainability of ICT in the future is a major concern due to the high energy consumption and associated environmental impacts. The solution to this problem is Green ICT, which aims to reduce the carbon footprint of ICT while ensuring its sustenance in the future. Green ICT encompasses the use of energy-efficient hardware and software, as well as the adoption of sustainable practices in ICT operations. By implementing these measures, Higher Education organizations can significantly reduce their energy consumption and carbon emissions, while ensuring the reliable and efficient functioning of their ICT infrastructure. One of the key strategies for implementing Green ICT is the use of energy-efficient hardware such as servers, storage devices, and network equipment. These devices are designed to consume less energy while maintaining high performance. In addition, virtualization technologies can be used to consolidate multiple physical servers into fewer, more powerful ones, thereby reducing energy consumption and saving space. Another important strategy is the use of energy-efficient software applications. These applications are designed to consume less energy while maintaining the same level of functionality. For example, cloud-based applications can reduce energy consumption by minimizing the need for local servers and storage devices. In addition to hardware and software, Green ICT also involves the adoption of sustainable practices in ICT operations. These practices include the use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal power, as well as the implementation of energy management systems and the adoption of energy-efficient policies and practices. Higher Education organizations can also promote Green ICT by raising awareness among their staff and students. This can be achieved through training programs, workshops, and seminars on Green ICT practices and their benefits. In addition, the organization can encourage the use of eco-friendly ICT devices such as laptops and Smartphone’s that have been designed to consume less energy and emit fewer emissions. Green ICT is a solution for the sustenance of ICT in the future. By implementing energy-efficient hardware and software, adopting sustainable practices in ICT operations, and promoting awareness among staff and students, Higher Education organizations can significantly reduce their carbon footprint while ensuring the reliable and efficient functioning of their ICT infrastructure. Green ICT is not only good for the environment, but it also benefits the organization in terms of cost savings, improved efficiency, and enhanced reputation.

Information and communication technology use among children separated from one or both parents: A scoping review

AbstractBackgroundThe development and diversification of information and communication technology (ICT) are changing the way family members communicate with each other, creating new opportunities for interaction. When children and parents do not live together on a day‐to‐day basis, these technologies may represent privileged means to keep in touch and maintain a relationship.ObjectiveThis article aims to review the literature on the use of ICT among children separated from one or both parents, paying particular attention to two contexts: parental separation and foster care.MethodA scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O'Malley (2005) framework and the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines (Tricco et al., 2018). The data were analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsOf the 847 references identified, 11 were selected (six related to parental separation and five related to foster care). The literature dated from 1997 to 2020 and was particularly sparse and heterogeneous (e.g., the definition of ICT and characteristics of participants). Three topics emerged: (a) ICT practices and usage patterns, (b) ICT practices: opportunities and issues, and (c) sociolegal support issues.ImplicationThis study highlights the need for all legal and psychosocial actors to consider the place of digital technology in family relationships.

Análisis relacional del impacto de las prácticas tecnológicas en el desarrollo humano de la juventud. Un estudio en organizaciones mexicanas

The purpose of this study was to validate a theoretical proposal to analyze the correlation between information and communication technology (ICT) practices in an organizational structure and their impact on achieving human development in youth. In this text, the authors review the theories of culture in organizations and the structural perspective of technology. Moreover, based on these, a theoretical model is proposed to guide the methodology used. This consisted of estimating a structural equation model applied to the database of a survey carried out in 2016 to 204 Mexican government and civil society organizations oriented to support young people's development. The findings showed that the variables institutional capacity, ICT practices for searching information and internal communication achieved a significant impact on their scope and capacity to attend the human development of youth population.

Information and Communication Technology as a Veritable Tool for Administrators in University: From Teaching Perspectives to Challenge in Education

Information and communication technology (ICT) plays a critical role in improving educational quality. Because of its strengths in facilitating administration operations such as data storage, knowledge management, and decision-making, ICT solutions for administration and management are currently popular in universities. Here, to support teaching and learning processes as well as to achieve the veritable tools for administrators in private universities, the purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how ICT applications are used, the tools used by the school administrator, and the efficacy of ICT applications for administrative and managerial tasks at universities. It is obvious that lack of commitment by Administrators; lack of ICT strategy; lack of competent staff to manage the ICTs and low skill level of the administrators led to the reasons for poor use of the ICTs in Universities. Other reasons that added to the underuse of the ICTs are insufficient budget and irregular power supply. This paper presents a survey of the literature on ICT applications and their efficacy in university administration functions. The findings provided insight into how administrators might improve and expand their use of ICT in daily administrative duties to make their work more efficient and effective. Finally, recommendations for university administrations to improve their ICT understanding and practice will be explored.

Implicit, Explicit, and Structural Barriers and Facilitators for Information and Communication Technology Access in Older Adults.

Older adults’ usage of information and communication technology (ICT) is challenged or facilitated by perception of usefulness, technology design, gender, social class, and other unspoken and political elements. However, studies on the use of ICT by older adults have traditionally focused on explicit interactions (e.g., usability). The article then analyzes how symbolic, institutional, and material elements enable or hinder older adults from using ICT. Our ethnographic methodology includes several techniques with Spanish older adults: 15 semi-structured interviews, participant observation in nine ICT classes, online participant observation on WhatsApp and Jitsi for 3 months, and nine phone interviews due to COVID-19. The qualitative data were analyzed through Situational Analysis. We find that the elements hindering or facilitating ICT practice are implicit-symbolic (children’s surveillance, paternalism, fear, optimism, low self-esteem, and contradictory speech-act), explicit-material (affordances, physical limitations, and motivations), and structural-political (management, the pandemic, teaching, and media skepticism). Furthermore, unprivileged identities hampered the ICT practices: female gender, blue-collar jobs, illiteracy, and elementary education. However, being motivated to use ICT prevailed over having unprivileged identities. The study concludes that society and researchers should perceive older adults as operative with technologies and examine beyond explicit elements. We urge exploration of how older adults’ social identities and how situatedness affects ICT practice. Concerning explicit elements, Spanish authorities should improve and adapt ICT facilities at public senior centers and older adults’ homes, and ICT courses should foster tablet and smartphone training over computers.

Information and Communication Technology Practices in Biology Teaching in Lesotho High Schools

Information and communication technology (ICT) has never been more important in schools than in the current context of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many more teachers to use ICT for teaching, even in less resourced countries such as Lesotho. In this quantitative study, teachers’ ICT practices in Lesotho during the year 2020 were examined through the lens of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). The objectives were to investigate the ICT tools that teachers commonly use, describe the practices that characterize the patterns of use, and determine the correlation between teachers’ practices and their use of ICTs for teaching. Altogether, 107 respondents, selected by a systematic probability sampling technique, completed a five-point Likert scale questionnaire comprising closed-ended items that explored their practices on ICT use for teaching the subject of biology. Data were analyzed for frequencies, means, and standard deviations using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program. The results indicated that biology teachers in Lesotho use ICTs rather sporadically in their teaching and are consequently ill-prepared to adapt to and mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on schooling in Lesotho. The study concluded that teachers’ ICT practices are inclined towards supporting more traditional and teacher-centered approaches that rely on face-to-face teaching and learning, with most schools thus remaining closed during the pandemic. The study makes recommendations about the possible ways in which biology teachers in particular could be better prepared to specifically use ICT to teach biology either online or as part of a face-to-face classroom.

Digital Barriers and Individual Coping Behaviors in Distance Education During COVID-19

Information and communication technologies (ICT) have played a pivotal role in facilitating knowledge acquisition and enabling distance education. Yet, knowledge about digital divide in distance education remains limited. This study examines digital barriers that underserved students face in distance education and their coping behaviors during the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Informed by distance education and digital divide literature, this study uses qualitative research method to analyze survey data collected from 206 college students in a four-year public university in the United States. Results revealed five major digital barriers and showed that the distribution of these digital barriers varied by student demographic background and socioeconomic status. Further analysis of respondents’ narratives revealed three coping behaviors, including improvising, building technical assets, and building social assets. Practical implications are provided to educators and policymakers to invest in ICT and implement equity-minded teaching practices to enhance digital inclusion.

Information and Communication Technology Use in Suicide Prevention: Scoping Review.

BackgroundThe use of information and communication technology (ICT) in suicide prevention has progressed rapidly over the past decade. ICT plays a major role in suicide prevention, but research on best and promising practices has been slow.ObjectiveThis paper aims to explore the existing literature on ICT use in suicide prevention to answer the following question: what are the best and most promising ICT practices for suicide prevention?MethodsA scoping search was conducted using the following databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, Sociological s, and IEEE Xplore. These databases were searched for articles published between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2018. The five stages of the scoping review process were as follows: identifying research questions; targeting relevant studies; selecting studies; charting data; and collating, summarizing, and reporting the results. The World Health Organization suicide prevention model was used according to the continuum of universal, selective, and indicated prevention.ResultsOf the 3848 studies identified, 115 (2.99%) were selected. Of these, 10 regarded the use of ICT in universal suicide prevention, 53 referred to the use of ICT in selective suicide prevention, and 52 dealt with the use of ICT in indicated suicide prevention.ConclusionsThe use of ICT plays a major role in suicide prevention, and many promising programs were identified through this scoping review. However, large-scale evaluation studies are needed to further examine the effectiveness of these programs and strategies. In addition, safety and ethics protocols for ICT-based interventions are recommended.

Sustainable ICT: An essential enabler of sustainable research and innovations in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria

Globally, sustainable Information and Communication Technology (ICT) innovations are significant in realizing sustainable research and innovations in tertiary institutions. Despite this laudable global impact of ICT on research and innovations, poor ICT policies and practices, coupled with bad economy that plagued sustainable ICT innovations in Nigeria have hindered sustainable research and innovations in tertiary institutions. This study adopted the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) as the study conceptual framework. UTAUT model postulates that users’ acceptance behaviour toward a technology is determined by users’ decision to use a technology, and the perceived benefits thereof. The authors explored a narrative review, analysis, and synthesis of vast works of literature that revealed significant information on impact of sustainable ICT on sustainable research and innovations in Nigeria. The authors also extracted peer-reviewed articles within the last five years from electronic databases using some keywords such as “ICT impact on research innovations”, “ICT adoption in tertiary institutions”, “ICT usability Trends ”, and so on. The results from this study revealed that strict adherence to ICT policies, laws, guidelines, and sustainability, coupled with good formulation and communication of same, are the major impact of sustainable ICT that can leverage research and innovations in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Results from this study may increase understanding, minimize corrupt practices and encourage value for ICTs that can positively impact research and innovations in tertiary institutions for economic development in Nigerian.

Time to Disentangle the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Constructs: Developing a Taxonomy around ICT Use for Occupational Health Research.

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the workplace has gained considerable research attention in the occupational health field due to its effects on employee stress and well-being. Consequently, new ICT-related constructs have proliferated in occupational health research, resulting in a need to take stock of both potential redundancies and deficiencies in the current measures. This paper disentangles ICT-related constructs, developing a taxonomy of ICT-related constructs in terms of ICT demands, resources, motivation, use, and strains. We then integrate this taxonomy with stress and motivation theories to identify three key implications for ICT and workplace health research and practices in terms of providing suggestions on understudied areas for building better theories, highlighting important psychometric issues for building better constructs and measures, and offering recommendations for building better interventions. This review aims to serve as a guide for researchers to move forward with the current state of research and provide recommendations for organizations in terms of both potential repercussions and best practices for ICT use in the workplace.

The Role of Information & Communication Technology in Elearning Environments: A Systematic Review

The role of information and communication technology (ICT) in education continues to serve the development of teaching and learning for most subjects, and the subject of Islamic studies is no exception. However, to date, a systematic literature review (SLR) on the role of ICT for this particular subject is lacking. Therefore, to facilitate the implementation and adoption of ICT, we focus on e-learning for the majority of subjects, including Islamic education and ICT applications, e.g. educational software and the Internet, which are gaining exponential importance with time. This SLR considered research works in the literature that have been published in the temporal range of June 2007 to June 2020. We derived 41 publications from an initial 301 candidate publications, by applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria in two distinct rounds. This rigorous review explored teachers' and students' opinions on the application of technology, and shed light on the challenges to date, as well as the potential opportunities and future research directions. We also performed Tweet analysis in an example of public opinion available on social media, e.g. Twitter, for learning education through ICT-based methods. This study delivers several implications for researchers and practitioners, and provides insight on state-of-the-art. Our findings suggest that ICT-based teaching methods for learning Islamic studies as a research context require more attention. Further empirical investigation is crucial to better understand the impact of ICT practices and use, especially in the context of Islamic studies.

Teachers’ ICT practices and perspectives on ELF aware ELT

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) tools, highly representing out-of-school life, can motivate students to be more involved in the process of learning. As these tools can be used by students to communicate with their peers, create, disseminate, store, and manage information, they become integral to the teaching-learning interaction and process. The global society we currently live in requires that individuals develop both digital and cultural integration skills and competencies in order to become successful global citizens; teachers, as educators, not only as language teachers, are ‘important actors’ on this scene. This contribution discusses the responses to the Roma Tre University PRIN Teachers’ survey investigating teachers’ awareness and effective use of ICT in their daily English language teaching.

A window to teachers’ ICT practices: Discerning between teaching and the complex science of pedagogy

Resumo Utilising Loughran’s notion of the complexity of teaching, this study set out to explore how teachers used information and communication technology (ICT) in their classroom practices. The study is grounded in qualitative research methods. Data capture included a mix of semi-structured interviews, observations and document analysis. Data was analysed using content analysis methods. Findings were fourfold. First, small pockets of innovative teachers changed their pedagogy. Second, teachers’ beliefs suggest (mis)understandings about their ICT induced teaching, which they perceived as changed pedagogy, but actually only their mode of curriculum delivery changed. Third, most teachers seemed to reposition their practice using technology to facilitate the demands of a scripted curriculum, thus merely changing their teaching practice. Fourth, teachers’ apprenticeship of observation is further perpetuated through pre-service training that does not promote pedagogical experiential change.

Connecting meanings of ageing, consumption, and information and communication technologies through practice

AbstractPractices involving the consumption of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are increasingly important to the maintenance of everyday life for older New Zealanders. Developing competency with ICT can provide a way of challenging negative discourses of ageing. Interviews with 20 older New Zealanders reveal that “keeping up” with the times, with changing technologies, and with others is a means by which to shape aged subjectivities. However, while competency in ICT practices enables participants to refute discourses of ageing that locate older people negatively as part of an aged digital divide, it can also work to reproduce this divide. Consequently, understanding the nuanced and situated nature of meanings related to ICT practice is necessary in order to interrogate normative assumptions associated with the “more than human” possibilities of ageing well.

Optimal professional development ICT training initiatives at flagship universities

This study explores best practices and roles of information and communication technology (ICT) in select professional development centers at 16 flagship universities. Through adopting a qualitative case study design, this study explores the strengths and weaknesses of current technology training initiatives in the selected professional development centers. As part of the research and teaching programs at flagship universities, professional development center leaders shared about the current ICT practices as well as the strengths and limitations of their own centers. The analysis section includes a critical look at ICT practices among flagship universities from a human resource theory lens. Findings indicate common successes that facilitate the ICT practices of these centers including delivery mediums, services, ideas, and goals, as well as various barriers of implementing ICT training initiatives. The paper concludes with suggestions on how professional development center leaders, senior administrators, and educational policy makers can help improve professional development processes with the assistance of optimal ICT initiatives.

Mobile Information Technologies and Firm Performance: The Role of Employee Autonomy

We investigate whether the returns to mobile information and communication technology (ICT) in the workplace are contingent on granting employees autonomy over the structure of their workday through trust-based work time arrangements (TBW). Our regression analysis is based on a production function framework and exploits fine-grained firm survey data on ICT use and organisational practices for 1,045 service firms in Germany. We find empirical support for the argument that the returns to mobile ICT are higher when TBW allows for discretion over when, where and how to perform work-related tasks. The finding holds when we account for more limited forms of workplace flexibility, suggesting that the high degree of formal employee autonomy under TBW drives the complementarity between mobile ICT and organisational practices.

Exploring the relationship between ICT, SCM practices and organizational performance in agri-food supply chain

PurposeThis paper presents the concerns in agri-food supply chain. Further the research investigates the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in agri-food supply chain and determines the impact of supply chain management (SCM) practices on firm performance.Design/methodology/approachThe theoretical framework was proposed for the study on the basis of existing literature. Data for the study was collected with the help of structured questionnaire from 121 executives and officers of the public food distribution agency. Partial least square (PLS)–structured equation modeling was employed to test the framework and hypotheses.FindingsThe results indicate that ICT and SCM practices (logistics integration and supplier relationships) have a significant relationship. Furthermore, SCM practices (information sharing, supplier relationship and logistics integration) have a significant and positive impact on performance of the organization.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research could be carried out to test the moderation effect of SCM practices between ICT and organizational performance (OP). Extending the research study to the companies operating in other sectors can enhance the external validity of the study and improve the accuracy of parameters examined.Practical implicationsThis study can be of interest to the agri-food industry as well as other industry practitioners interested in improving the performance of the organization from the view of supply chain.Originality/valueThe outcomes of this study have important implications that translate into a series of recommendations for the management of public food distribution as well as other agri-food-based supply chains.