Mathias Hatakka

Build it and They Will Come?: Inhibiting Factors for Reuse of Open Content in Developing Countries

Open content has the potential to change the playing field when it comes to every individuals right to education. Development of new course content is both expensive and time consuming and open content can help educational organizations to deal with these problems by offering free‐to‐use educational resources. Despite the benefits of open content the usage is very low in developing countries and understanding why content developers choose not to use open content is the first step towards finding a solution to the problem. Which inhibiting factors for reuse do content developers in developing countries experience with open content? To answer the question interviews, questionnaires and observations have been made with content developers from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and from UNESCO Open Training Platform. Findings show that many of the inhibiting factors with reuse of open content do not necessarily relate to the actual content. Educational rules and regulations, lack of infrastructure, teaching practices and traditions etc. are major obstacles that need to be overcome if the usage of open content should increase.

The capability approach as a tool for development evaluation – analyzing students’ use of internet resources

Internet resources have been ascribed transformative powers in the development of educational organizations and students in developing regions. However, most development projects relating to Internet resources focus on publishing material without much analysis of the actual use. The question then is how we can go deeper in our analysis and study actual development outcomes. The analysis in this paper is based on Amartya Sens Capability Approach, where both the means and ends are evaluated. The research question is “What are the benefits of using Amartya Sens Capability Approach when evaluating development outcomes?”. We answer the question by evaluating what capabilities and functionings Internet resources can enable for students in higher education. Findings show that the Capability Approach enables us to gain a deeper understanding of why and how development outcomes are achieved. We are also able to follow the development process from the intervention to the realized outcomes. Annika Andersson, Åke Grönlund and Gudrun Wicander are the accepting Guest Editors for this article.

Students’ use of one to one laptops : a capability approach analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate effects of students’ 1:1 laptop use from a capability perspective by investigating increases and decreases of students’ opportunities and choices. The paper investigates changes that have taken place and how these changes enable or restrict students to do and be what they desire.Design/methodology/approach – The paper undertakes an interpretive case study based on group interviews and questionnaires. Sens capability approach is used as theoretical framework and has informed the data collection and the analysis.Findings – 1:1 laptops in schools have provided students with new opportunities and choices, but also restricted others. An evident opportunity is the equalization of access to computers. Other opportunities relate to schoolwork efficiency and increased access to information. Gains also include the use of different media for overcoming disabilities or to fit individual learning styles. Regarding students’ well‐being, a “fun” learning environment is...

Conceptualizing development in information and communication technology for development (ICT4D)

ABSTRACT ICT4D research is faced with the challenge of rapidly changing technologies and increasingly complex social dynamics and development processes. We argue that ICT4D research requires a more acute sense of where our research is situated within a broader picture of development, e.g. with a better understanding of development processes, their ideological nature, the power structures and driving forces, and the mechanisms through which ICTs may be embedded in and shape these processes. Such a reflexivity is crucial not least in justifying our claims of contribution, but also in understanding the implications and potential impact of our research and practice. This editorial seeks to explore key conceptual components in ICT4D and their relationships, including dimensions of development, perspectives of development, conceptions of artefacts, and theory of change. A tentative conceptual schema is presented that connects these conceptual components.

Emerging collaborative and cooperative practices in 1:1 schools

In this article, the authors explored how laptops used in 1:1 classrooms affect cooperation and collaboration practices. Based on an observational time study, the authors found that the most common activity in 1:1 classrooms is group work using the computer. They also found that, despite what the concept 1:1 alludes to about one student working with one computer, most laptop use takes on other forms such as two students working with one computer (1:2) or two students working together using two laptops (2:2). The findings reported in this article about the various different collaboration arrangements have implications for both research and practice. For practice, because teachers can arrange activities based on an awareness of the different student–laptop constellations that emerge when students are given a laptop. Research is likewise informed about the various group work constellations and can build on this knowledge for further analysis of the pros and cons with the different collaborative forms.

A holistic perspective on the theoretical foundations for ICT4D research

ABSTRACT While many theories have guided research Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D), we are yet to construct a clear and coherent narrative that would help us answer the question of how ICT fosters development in underdeveloped communities. In this paper, we argue that one of the main reasons for this is that our holistic understanding of ICT4D is seldom grounded in theories to understand the core areas that define the field, namely, ICT, Development, and, ‘4’ which are the transformative processes that link the two. Through a brief literature review, we list theories that have informed ICT4D research in each of these areas. We present examples of theories, namely, Capability Approach, Affordances, and Actor-Network Theory together with Social Capital and illustrate how we have used them in our research. Building on this holistic perspective on theoretical foundation, we propose five agendas for ICT4D research.

The current landscape of learning analytics in higher education

Learning analytics can improve learning practice by transforming the ways we support learning processes. This study is based on the analysis of 252 papers on learning analytics in higher education ...

Mobile Phones as a Citizen-Controlled Anti-corruption Tool in East Africa - A Literature Review

Despite agreement amongst donors, business and political leaders concerning the negative effects of corruption, levels have not fallen in East Africa. The continued high levels of corruption, reassert the need for a better understanding if mobile phones, if prolific enough, can be an effective tool against corruption. Through a literature review of ten years M4D and ICT4D research on mobiles as a citizens-controlled tool for (a) accessing government information either directly or through citizens’ crowd-sourcing of information and (b) mobilization to demand greater government transparency, as well as, (c) instantaneous reporting of corruption in East Africa; this study attempts to gauge the status of this research field. The review included the ten highest ranking open access ICT4D journals, and six journals from parent disciplines; information system and development studies, as well as conference proceedings from the M4D conferences, and the SIG Globdev Workshops. The review concludes that earlier optimism around mobiles’ potential to support citizens’ counter-corruption actions, has not resulted in a significant body of research. Nor does the literature provide any substantive clues as to why this urgent topic has not been explored more fully.

Understanding ICT in ICT4D: An Affordance Perspective

Understanding the role of ICT for development is at the core of ICT4D research. However, prevailing research in this field most often focuses on access or readiness of a technology, or on the outco ...

Introduction to ICT4D: ICTs and Sustainable Development Minitrack

In 2012 Walsham[1] published an article with the question “Are we making a better world with ICTs?”. Walsham encouraged the information systems community to explore how ICTs could help improve individuals’ capabilities and opportunities, and how to use technology to improve their lives. These questions are at the core of the information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) field that focuses on the use of ICT to foster positive changes for individuals, communities or nations. The focus is on the lives of the poor and marginalized by improving their economy, health, security, education and so on. The field is multidisciplinary and often includes theories from fields such as information systems, development studies, business and political science. That ICTs can foster positive development is widely accepted in the research community. The question now is rather how ICT can contribute to the betterment of the poor and marginalized. However the mechanism by which ICT lead to development is not fully understood. There is also a shortage in the understanding of the role of different stakeholders in development efforts using ICT. Six papers were accepted for the presentation in this Minitrack. The papers explore various topics in ICT4D such as understanding the role of ICT, assessment of impact, and new research avenues. The summary of the papers are as follows. In “Understanding ICT in ICT4D: An Affordance Perspective” Thapa and Hatakka propose theory of affordances to unfold the “black box” nature of ICT in ICT4D. This study addresses the question of why ICT in a development context sometimes work and sometimes does not work. In “Understanding the role of Technology in the Development of Micro-Enterprises: Concepts to study in making a better world,” Qureshi and Xiong argue that many ICT4D projects have failed to make a better world, and present new concepts that can be studied in ICT4D to offer contributions to make a better world. In “The power of Participatory Photography in ICTD programs: freedom to explore beyond images” Gomez, Gomez and Vannini discuss the contribution of participatory photography as a method to elicit lived experiences from the perspectives of participants in ICT4D research. The method allows participants to add not just description but also context, representations, meanings, feelings and memories, among other interpretations. In “An Analysis of Aid Information Management Systems (AIMS) in Developing Countries: Explaining the Last Two Decades” Park presents a critical view on aid information management systems (AIMS). The study shows that in spite of significant attention given to new technologies and heavy investments made in AIMS, many cases have not achieved the anticipated outcomes and even failed to reach sustainability. In “Toward an Assessment of Cultural Relativity and Impacts of ICT Interventions: Assessing ICT4D at the National Level” Osei-Bryson and Carter examine the role of ICT impacts and culture on IT decision-making in developing countries. For this purpose, they propose an integrated framework of Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions and the Decision Style Inventory into ICT4D security impact assessment. In “Facebooks ‘Free Basics’ and Implications for Development: IT Identity and Social Capital” Yim, Gomez, and Carter analyze different uses of Facebook, particularly services provided through Free Basics, and their relation to IT identity and social capital. The paper suggests ways to analyze both the contradictions and contributions of Free Basics to individual and community development, and examine implications for sustainable development.