Information And Communication Technologies Research Research Articles

Design and validation of a music technology course for initial music teacher education based on the TPACK framework and the project-based learning approach

This project outlines a design for, and presents an evaluation and validation of, an information and communication technology (ICT) training course on an initial teacher education programme for pre-service music teachers at a Spanish University. The primary objective was to improve initial teacher education in music technology through a course design with two key components: (1) constructivist learning through collaborative projects (PBL) and (2) the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) integration framework. The course saw students carry out four real-life projects, three of which involved the elaboration of educational material through the exclusive use of musical technology, and one of which involved an ICT research project. Results were obtained through an end-product evaluation and a self-assessment questionnaire and indicated that the course was well received and highly valued by the participants. In their self-assessment responses, students spoke of the academic value of the course, a confidence in their own skills, their willingness to use ICTs in future teaching contexts, the importance of ICTs in their degree programme, the fact that the course surpassed their expectations in terms of achievement (a fact corroborated through data triangulation in the end-product evaluation) and the transferability of the knowledge acquired to the music classroom. Finally, they provided suggestions for potential improvements to the course.

Reviewing the progress of information and communication technology in the restaurant industry

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify the progress of research of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the restaurant industry. More specifically, this paper reviews the main academic contributions from the area of hospitality and tourism over the past 18 years by addressing the adoption and implementation of ICT in restaurant activities. Design/methodology/approach This study analyses 68 full-length ICT research articles that were published in the period 2000-2018 in 29 journals (with Science Journal Citation Reports or Scimago Journal Rankings impact) and eight subject areas. Findings The review reveals a number of significant findings. It highlights the scarcity of contributions within academic research related to the area of hospitality and tourism focused on addressing the issue of ICT in restaurants. Moreover, and predictably, several dimensions clearly emerge from the consumer and supply perspectives as being the most prominent. On the one hand, the adoption of ICT has changed the behaviour of consumers in at least three dimensions: information search and evaluation of alternatives purchase decision and post-purchase behaviour. On the other hand, ICT has revolutionised the core business areas of restaurants by dramatically transforming the following areas: operational and strategic management, marketing and Web design, customer services, security, food and nutrition and human resources. Originality/value Given the fact that ICT in the restaurant industry remains a largely unexplored subject, this paper can offer a useful tool for researchers who pursue advances in this field, by providing an overview that outlines the main aspects that need further research.

Stakeholders’ Contribution towards Responsible Innovation in Information and Communication Technology Research Projects

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) research projects engage stakeholders who contribute towards different aspects of research and innovation. One of the aspects that stakeholders contribute towards in ICT research projects is responsibility. There is a need for those engaged in ICT research projects to take into consideration the impacts of their activities on society as part of responsible research and innovation (RRI) through finding solutions to emerging societal problems and developing sustainable processes of carrying out research and innovation. In this paper, the focus is two-fold. Firstly, I focus on understanding how stakeholders are identified to contribute towards responsibility in ICT research projects and secondly, I focus on how stakeholders contribute towards responsibility in such projects. I conducted an interpretive case study in which data were collected by semi-structured interviews with 11 stakeholders from two ICT research projects. Through thematic data analysis, their perceptions and understanding of their contribution towards responsibility were conceived. From the study findings, I established that there are problems in understanding the meaning of term ‘responsibility’ among stakeholders which later affects the identification of roles that deal with it. Despite the ambiguity of the meaning, I found that stakeholders contribute towards responsibility in many ways although there are barriers that affect their contribution.

Project governance and portfolio management in government digitalization

PurposeThis paper aims to increase the current understanding of the connection between operational level information and communication technology (ICT) projects and national level digital transformation by researching how project governance structures and practices are applied in an e-government context.Design/methodology/approachAn elaborative qualitative study through public documentary analysis and empirical multi-case research on Finnish central government is used.FindingsThe study constructs a multi-level governance structure with three main functions and applies this in an empirical setting. The results also describe how different governance practices and processes, focusing on project portfolio management, are applied vertically across different organizational levels to connect the ICT projects with the national digitalization strategy.Originality/valueThis study integrates project governance and portfolio management knowledge into public sector digitalization, thus contributing to project management, e-government and ICT research streams by improving the current understanding on the governance of ICT projects as part of a larger-scale digitalization. This study also highlights perceived gaps between current governance practices and provides implications to managers and practitioners working in the field to address these gaps.

Intersectional observations of the Human Brain Project’s approach to sex and gender

Purpose This paper aims to critically assess approaches to sex and gender in the Human Brain Project (HBP) as a large information and communication technology (ICT) project case study using intersectionality. Design/methodology/approach The strategy of the HBP is contextualised within the wider context of the representation of women in ICT, and critically reflected upon from an intersectional standpoint. Findings The policy underpinning the approach deployed by the HBP in response to these issues parallels Horizon 2020 wording and emphasises economic outcomes, productivity and value, which aligns with other “equality” initiatives influenced by neoliberalised versions of feminism. Research limitations/implications Limitations include focussing on a single case study, the authors being funded as part of the Ethics and Society Subproject of the HBP, and the limited temporal period under consideration. Social implications The frameworks underpinning the HBP approach to sex and gender issues present risks with regard to the further entrenchment of present disparities in the ICT sector, may fail to acknowledge systemic inequalities and biases and ignore the importance of intersectionality. Shortcomings of the approach employed by the HBP up to March, 2018 included aspects of each of these risks, and replicated problematic understandings of sex, gender and diversity. Originality/value This paper is the first to use an intersectional approach to issues of sex and gender in the context of large-scale ICT research. Its value lies in raising awareness, opening a discursive space and presenting opportunities to consider and reflect upon potential, contextualised intersectional solutions to such issues.

Progression and development of information and communication technology research in hospitality and tourism

PurposeThis study aims to present a state-of-the art review on information and communication technology (ICT) research in hospitality and tourism published between 2014 and 2017.Design/methodology/approachA total of 288 full-length articles from eight top-tier hospitality and tourism journals were gathered by harnessing a systematic literature search approach. Subsequently, the authors used a qualitative content analysis to review, analyse and assign all included articles into a framework with six consumer-related and five supplier-related research streams.FindingsIn terms of volume (i.e. the amounts and ratios of ICT research in top-tier journals by publication year) and variety (i.e. the diversity of research topics), a significant progression of ICT research in hospitality and tourism is observed. However, some old and new knowledge gaps are still inadequately addressed, thus requiring scholars and practitioners to conduct additional research in the future.Practical implicationsThe accumulation of knowledge and actionable clues in this study is expected to keep practitioners updated with the overwhelming volume of ICT research.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by accelerating the accumulation of knowledge on research topics and setting forth an agenda for future research. The findings also complement prior literature reviews by providing an overview of how knowledge on ICT research in hospitality and tourism has progressed since 2014.

Use and Affordances of ICTs in Interorganizational Collaboration: An Exploratory Study of ICTs in Nonprofit Partnerships

Interorganizational collaboration relies on the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). However, previous ICT research often takes place within a single organization, lacking insight into how ICTs sustain interorganizational structures. This study examined both the product categories and functional uses of ICTs for interorganizational collaboration, drawing from surveys among a random sample of 181 human services nonprofit organizations in the United States. Results showed that email, teleconference, and shared repositories (e.g., Dropbox) were most popular product types. Content analysis revealed that ICTs were used for coordination, information sharing, relational communication, and client management and ICT utilities varied based on collaboration types. Analyses also indicated that collaboration type, as opposed to organizational attributes (e.g., organizational capacity, resources, size), was related to the frequency of ICT use in nonprofit collaboration. Theoretical contributions to the study of ICTs, interorganizational collaboration, and management communication are discussed.

Information and communication technologies: where are persons with intellectual disabilities?

Individuals with disabilities are entitled to equal access to information and communication technologies (ICT), including the Internet. The study to which this commentary refers has shown that over time (between 2003 and 2015), Internet access by persons with disabilities has increased, but a gap still exists between people with and without disabilities. One population that has been excluded from this study is that of individuals with intellectual disabilities. This is unfortunate because these individuals may face an even greater gap than others in access to the Internet. In this commentary we review the state of ICT use specifically by individuals with intellectual disabilities, and make a few recommendations for future ICT research and for reducing this gap.

Editorial

In order to support the achievement of the UNESCO University Network UniTWIN in Gender, Media and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) objectives, this issue of the journal is dedicated to disseminating research in gender, media and ICT led by members of the Network. All of them assume the two principles of feminist research: it is scientific as well as political, since it seeks to transform social conditions for the achievement of gender equality. In summary, what these works show, is the holistic nature of the feminist agenda in communication and invite to take advantage of the possibilities of the UNESCO UniTWIN Network in Gender, Media and ICT, to promote gender equality and the human rights of women and girls.

Exploring challenges to ICT utilisation in construction site management

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the nature and occurrence, and peculiarities and dynamics, if any, of perceived challenges to the adoption of information and communication technologies (ICT) in construction site management; using South Africa as context for empirical study.Design/methodology/approachLiterature on the constraints to technology transfer and ICT adoption in construction is used as basis for the study. A national survey of registered persons in South Africa was used to collect qualitative data. A robust multi-stepped analytical approach was used to derive results.FindingsFindings suggest appreciable similarity between literature and primary data, in types of individual challenges and their categories. Lack of technology and management support, and knowledge and information related issues, are relatively more prevalent in site management. There is a fair level of commonality in perception of technical barriers among the various categories of respondents who are active in site management. However, project managers seem to be more sensitive to some inhibiting factors, more than other respondent groups.Research limitations/implicationsInherent limitations of survey strategy were experienced, but highly qualitative data were collected at a national level. The study highlights the range of barriers to ICT in site management, and compounding effects of technology-, knowledge- and management-related constraints.Practical implicationsThe possibility of knowledge-based factors remotely manifesting in other categories was highlighted. There is need to consider all challenges in planning for ICT in projects, and prioritise technology-, knowledge- and management-related challenges. A classification for exploring challenges to ICT in the site management process is also proposed.Social implicationsAppreciable paucity remains in research focused on ICT in the site management process, as opposed to the popular operations/application focus of IT/ICT studies. Furthermore, there is still scarcity of ICT research in Africa, with regard to the built environment and specifically site management.Originality/valueThis study contributes to research in ICT innovation adoption in the construction industry, by developing a better understanding of the dynamics of perceived challenges to ICT adoption in the site management process; according to types and classifications of challenges, and roles and age groups of stakeholders. The study further sets a baseline for future studies in this area by proposing a frame of categorisation that is focused on site management.

Systematic Mapping Study of Information Technology for Development in Agriculture (The Case of Developing Countries)

AbstractWith its rapid proliferation in the developing world, information and communication technology (ICT) has been accepted as an opportunity to assist disadvantaged people. Many projects have piloted ICT supporting rural communities in developing countries. Such rural communities are socially complex and infrastructurally weak environments that demand clear understanding of the social, economical, cultural and political preconditions when implementing ICT innovations. To provide a comprehensive overview of what kinds of ICT intervention and research contributions have been achieved, a systematic mapping study (SMS) was carried out. This work presents the state‐of‐the‐art based on related journal and conference papers published between 2006–2014. The review indicates that ICT supporting farmers has gained attention over the past few years with a growing number of contributions. However, the field is still in a consolidating phase. Theoretical concepts are sparse, so it is difficult to generalize and transfer the findings. Specifically, there is limited research in IT design and development process; user‐interface design for illiterate people; and user and community involvement in the design process.

ICT and Green Sustainability Research and Teaching

The centrality of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in modern life means that ICT plays a part in many aspects of human activity. The search for ways to mitigate the effects of climate change is no exception, and the many potential roles which ICT can play, including the ability to enable data gathering for monitoring purposes; to deliver alternative ways of working; to change supply chains and to control transport and energy supply are well understood. Indeed, examples like these are widely used in predictions of our future. However, ICT has a dual role: as an enabler of change it can support changes to societal behaviour which can reduce the environmental impact of life, housing, work and leisure activities, but as a significant user of resources, it is a contributor to the adverse effects. In order to fully reap the benefits of ICT’s contribution while limiting the resource requirements, we require education and research. Meeting the separate but related challenges of delivering sustainability by the intelligent use of ICT, whilst maximizing ICT’s own sustainability is not a simple task. Education is necessary to make all those involved – general public and ICT professionals – aware of the situation and to give them the understanding necessary to make changes, to conduct research to explore the potential of new methods and processes, and to verify that they can make a positive difference. This paper considers the state of ICT education and identifies that sustainability is not in the forefront of consideration, it is suggested that much of the research that is being carried out is often not defined as sustainability or green IT research, and discusses ways in which these issues might be addressed.

The relationship between national innovative capability and performance in Europea

Purpose: The aim of this study is to empirically investigate the relationships between capacity and performance indicators of National Innovation Systems in European countries over the period from 2000 to 2014. Methodology: As an analytical tool in order to examine the dynamics of innovation process at macro level, we used National innovation System approach which has had a large scope in innovation literature over the last decades. In this analytical framework, we employed Canonical Correlation Method to empirically examine the relationships between two variable set of capacity and performance components. National innovation capacity is represented by the dimensions of Research and Development activities, Human Capital and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure. Dimensions of invention and innovation are chosen the proxies for performance components of NIS. Thus, this study applies an empirical method to get different capability dimensions of system together in order to determine their effectiveness on innovation performance. Findings : Results of the empirical study reveal that the most significant contribution to innovation performance comes from Human Capital while dimensions of ICT infrastructure and Research and Development take second and third place, respectively. In addition, it seems that educational attainment and ICT-using levels are better indicators for determining the impacts of Human Capital and ICT infrastructure on innovation performance rather than the levels of education spending and ICT investment. Conclusion: As generally argued, increasing of R&D intensity at country level is not only sufficient condition for improving innovation system in Europe. Accordingly, innovation policies like European Union focusing on an R&D–to-GDP ratio 3% is not enough without providing the requirements for an appropriate human capital development in national innovation system.

Organizational Media Affordances: Operationalization and Associations with Media Use

The concept of affordances has been increasingly applied to the study of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in organizational contexts. However, almost no research operationalizes affordances, limiting comparisons and programmatic research. This article briefly reviews conceptualizations and possibilities of affordances in general and for media, then introduces the concept of organizational media affordances as organizational resources. Analysis of survey data from a large Nordic media organization identified six reliable and valid organizational media affordances: pervasiveness, editability, self-presentation, searchability, visibility, and awareness. Eight media scales based on frequency of use of 10 media within each of three organization levels were differentially associated with these affordances. The conceptualization, measurement approach, and results from this study provide the foundation for considerable future organizational communication and ICT research.

Technology enhanced teaching and learning in South African higher education – A rearview of a 20 year journey

AbstractIn the last 20 years, the South African higher education has changed significantly, influenced by global trends national development goals and pressure from local educational imperatives, in the context of a digitally networked world. Shifts in technology enhanced pedagogical practices and in discourses around information and communication technologies (ICTs) have had varying degrees of influence in higher education. This paper takes a rearview of a 20‐year journey of technology enhanced learning in South African higher education. An analysis of literature view is presented chronologically in four phases: phase 1 (1996–2000), phase 2 (2001–05), phase 3 (2006–10) and phase 4 (2011–16). In phase 1 technology was used predominantly for drill and practice, computer‐aided instruction, with growing consciousness of the digital divide. In phase 2 institutions primarily focused on building ICT infrastructure, democratizing information, policy development and research; they sought to compare the effectiveness of teaching with or without technology. During phase 3 institutions began to include ICTs in their strategic directions, digital divide debates focused on epistemological access, and they also began to conduct research with a pedagogical agenda. In phase 4 mobile learning and social media came to the fore. The research agenda shifted from whether students would use technology to how to exploit what students already use to transform teaching and learning practices. The paper concludes that South Africa's higher education institutions have moved from being solely responsible for both their own relatively poor ICT infrastructure and education provision to cloud‐based ICT infrastructure with “unlimited” educational resources that are freely, openly and easily available within and beyond the institution. Although mobile and social media are more evident now than ever before, teaching and learning practice in South African higher education remains largely unchanged.

Research degrees in Information and Communication Technology (ICT): Why so few doctoral students?

A ‘knowledge society’ relies on a workforce with high-level skills in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Continuing development of ICT will arise partly from research undertaken by doctoral graduates. However, compared to other cognate disciplines, ICT has relatively few students taking up doctoral studies. This article explores some of the perceived barriers to undertaking doctoral studies in ICT in three Australian universities. Current students were surveyed regarding their post-course intentions relating to employment and further study, and the resulting data was analysed in terms of type of university attended, gender, nationality and first-in-family status. Overall, the perceived barriers to doing a research degree were related to the financial implications of such study and a limited understanding of what research in ICT involves. The following recommendations are made to universities and higher education policy-makers: that universities ensure that students have accurate information about the financial costs of doctoral studies; that students be provided with authentic undergraduate research experiences; and that pathways be developed to facilitate a smooth return to research degrees after periods of working in industry.

Editorial: Special issue on ENTER2015

As information and communication technology (ICT) has become integral to key processes supporting travel and tourism, it is important for research and development to continue providing innovative approaches and critical reflections for the effective use of ICT in the tourism industry. The papers published in this volume are extended versions of highly selected research papers among the many contribution presented at ENTER2015 eTourism Conference, which took place in Lugano, Switzerland, on February 3–6, 2015, organized by the International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT). While far from being inclusive of all research areas in ICT and tourism, the collection of five articles in this special issue provides an excellent selection of the latest research on applications of ICT in travel and tourism. Social media has been one of the prominent areas of research in tourism and ICT since the last decade (Dwivedi et al. 2011; Hvass and Munar 2012; Leung et al. 2013). In tourism literature, the topic is highly associated with the different aspects of tourism marketing (Hays et al. 2013), including consumer behaviour (Munar and Jacobsen 2014; Tham et al. 2013; Xiang and Gretzel 2010) and destination branding (Lim et al. 2012; Munar 2011). The first three articles in this volume discuss how tourism destinations and hospitality businesses make strategic use of social media and user-generated content to communicate and assess destination brands among their consumers. The first article (Huertas and Marine-Roig 2015) explores the effectiveness of destination brand communication via social media by analysing user reactions (i.e., likes, comments, shares, mentions, etc.) to destination brand

Comparing ICT Oriented Phd Research in Turkey with Recent ICT Research Trends

This study, examined the number of research done, research methods used, application area and degree of the research established throughout the years 2010 to 2016 in the computer & instructional technology study field. Content analysis was used to analyse 100 PhD thesis published in Turkish universities and 70 articles in EBSCO and Science Direct journals. For gathering data, key word sampling search method was used. According to the results, “mixed research method” is the most commonly used method, while “university students” leads the “candidate teacher” group as sampling research groups in the studies. Although some research exists on system & design dimensions of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) education and related areas published in the world in recent years; there is not much evidence that such research is reflecting to PhD studies in Turkey.

Human Resource Information Systems in Health Care: Protocol for a Systematic Review.

BackgroundCompared with the eHealth literature as a whole, there has been relatively little published research on the use and impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) designed to support business functions within health organizations. Human resource information systems (HRISs) have the potential to improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness by facilitating workforce planning, financial and operational administration, staff training, and management analytics. However, the evidence base regarding HRIS in health care is widely distributed across disciplinary boundaries and previous reviews have been somewhat limited in scope. This rigorous systematic review will identify, appraise, and synthesize existing international research on the implementation and impacts of HRIS in health organizations, to provide insights and recommendations that may guide future purchasers, commissioners, implementers, evaluators, and users of such systems.ObjectiveThe objectives of this review are threefold: (1) to determine the prevalence and scope of existing research and evaluation pertaining to HRIS in health organizations; (2) to analyze, classify, and synthesize existing evidence on the processes and impacts of HRIS development, implementation, and adoption; and (3) to generate recommendations for HRIS research, practice, and policy, with reference to the needs of different stakeholders and communities of practice.MethodsA high-level scoping review was first undertaken to inform a draft search strategy, which was refined through several cycles of piloting and iteration to optimize its sensitivity and specificity. This was used by the first author, with the help of a medical librarian, to search international electronic databases indexing medical, business, ICT, and multi-disciplinary research. Sources of gray literature and reference lists of included studies were also searched. There were no restrictions on language or publication year. Two reviewers are now screening and coding titles and abstracts for potentially eligible studies, for which full text articles will be retrieved. Reasons for exclusion will be noted for the remaining articles. A structured form will be used to summarize and classify the articles. Any disagreements between reviewers will be resolved through consensus or arbitration by a third reviewer. A PRISMA flow diagram will illustrate the study selection process and ensure transparency of the review. Finally, content experts will be consulted to ensure that important articles have not been missed.ResultsThe initial searches have now been completed and the results are being analyzed. The review is expected to be completed and published by the end of 2015.ConclusionsBy synthesizing the existing evidence base, identifying areas in which knowledge is currently lacking, and generating recommendations for research and practice, this review will be a useful resource for decision makers and managers considering or implementing HRIS, as well as encouraging new research in this area.Trial RegistrationPROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews: CRD42015023581; http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.asp?ID=CRD42015023581#.VYu1BPlVjDU (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6ckJCDdCL)

Overview of a multi-stakeholder dialogue around Shared Services for Health: the Digital Health Opportunity in Bangladesh.

BackgroundNational level policymaking and implementation includes multiple stakeholders with varied interests and priorities. Multi-stakeholder dialogues (MSDs) can facilitate consensus building through collective identification of challenges, recognition of shared goals and interests, and creation of solution pathways. This can shape joint planning and implementation for long-term efficiency in health and other sectors. Scaling up the effective use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) requires cohesive strategic planning towards a shared goal. In Bangladesh, the government and partners convened an MSD in March 2015 to increase stakeholder engagement in policymaking and implementation of a national ICT or electronic or mobile health (eHealth or mHealth) strategy, which seeks to incorporate ICTs into the national health system, aligning with the Digital Bangladesh Vision 2021.MethodsRelevant stakeholders were identified and key priorities and challenges were mapped through key informant interviews. An MSD was conducted with key stakeholders in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The MSD included presentations, group option generation, agreement and prioritization of barriers to scaling up ICTs.ResultsThe MSD approach to building consensus on key priorities highlights the value of dialogue and collaboration with relevant stakeholders to encourage country ownership of nationwide efforts such as ICT scale-up. This MSD showed the dynamic context in which stakeholders operate, including those from academia, donors and foundations, healthcare professionals, associations, multilateral organizations, non-governmental organizations, partner countries and the private sector. Through this MSD, participants improved understanding of each other’s contributions and interests, identified existing relationships, and agreed on policy and implementation gaps that needed to be filled. Collaboration among stakeholders in ICT efforts and research can promote a cohesive approach to scaling up, as well as improve policymaking by integrating interests and feedback of different key cross sectoral actors.ConclusionMSDs can align stakeholders to identify challenges and solution pathways, and lead to coordinated action and accountability for resources and results. In addition, the MSD template and approach has been useful to guide ICT scale up in Bangladesh and could be replicated in other contexts to facilitate multi-constituency, multi-sector collaboration.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12961-015-0063-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.