Policy reform, economic growth, and the digital divide - an econometric analysis

Rapid growth of Internet use in high-income economies, has raised the specter of a"digital divide"that will marginalize developing countries, because they can neither afford Internet access, nor use it effectively when it is available. Using a new cross-country data set, the authors investigate two proximate determinants of the digital divide: Internet intensity (Internet subscriptions per telephones mainline), and access to telecom services. Surprisingly, they find no gap in Internet intensity. When differences in urbanization, and competition policy are controlled for, low-income countries have intensities as high as those of industrial countries. While income does not seem to matter in this context, competition policy matters a great deal. Low-income countries with high World Bank ratings for competition policy, have significantly higher Internet intensities. The authors'findings on Internet intensity implies that the digital divide is not really new, but reflects a persistent gap in the availability of mainline telephones services. After identifying mobile telephones as a promising new platform for Internet access, they use panel data to study the determinants of mobile telephone diffusion during the past decade. Their results show that income explains part of the diffusion lag for poor countries, but they also highlight the critical role of policy. Developing countries whose policies promote economic growth, and private sector competition, have experienced much more rapid diffusion of mobile telephone services. Simulations based on the econometric results, suggest that feasible reforms could sharply narrow the digital divide during the next decade for many countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The authors'review of the literature, also suggests that direct access promotion would yield substantial benefits for poor households, and that cost-effective intervention strategies are now available.ICT Policy and Strategies,Knowledge Economy,Education for the Knowledge Economy,Health Economics&Finance,Health Monitoring&Evaluation

Supporting community engagement through teaching, student projects and research

The Education Acts statutory obligations for ITPs are not supported by the Crown funding model. Part of the statutory role of an ITP is “... promotes community learning and by research, particularly applied and technological research ...” [The education act 1989]. In relation to this a 2017 TEC report highlighted impaired business models and an excessive administrative burden as restrictive and impeding success. Further restrictions are seen when considering ITPs attract < 3 % of the available TEC funding for research, and ~ 20 % available TEC funding for teaching, despite having overall student efts of ~ 26 % nationally. An attempt to improve performance and engage through collaboration (community, industry, tertiary) at our institution is proving successful. The cross-disciplinary approach provides students high level experience and the technical stretch needed to be successful engineers, technologists and technicians. This study presents one of the methods we use to collaborate externally through teaching, student projects and research

Crime and Social media

Purpose-The study complements the scant macroeconomic literature on the development outcomes of social media by examining the relationship between Facebook penetration and violent crime levels in a cross-section of 148 countries for the year 2012. Design/methodology/approach-The empirical evidence is based on Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Tobit and Quantile regressions. In order to respond to policy concerns on the limited evidence on the consequences of social media in developing countries, the dataset is disaggregated into regions and income levels. The decomposition by income levels included: low income, lower middle income, upper middle income and high income. The corresponding regions include: Europe and Central Asia, East Asia and the Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Findings-From OLS and Tobit regressions, there is a negative relationship between Facebook penetration and crime. However, Quantile regressions reveal that the established negative relationship is noticeable exclusively in the 90th crime decile. Further, when the dataset is decomposed into regions and income levels, the negative relationship is evident in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) while a positive relationship is confirmed for sub-Saharan Africa. Policy implications are discussed. Originality/value- Studies on the development outcomes of social media are sparse because of a lack of reliable macroeconomic data on social media. This study primarily complemented three existing studies that have leveraged on a newly available dataset on Facebook

Effectively Teaching a Second Language: Principles and Practices

This portfolio is the amalgamation of the author’s research and experience during his time in the Master of Second Language Teaching program. The first section contains the Teaching Philosophy, which centers on applying effective teaching methods, increasing learner motivation, and incorporating technology into the classroom. The next section consists of three artifacts in which the author further investigates specific aspects of language teaching. The language paper focuses on the effect that identity has on motivation to learn a language. The literacy paper discusses how to increase vocabulary acquisition via a mobile-assisted language learning application called Duolingo. The culture paper addresses how to gain pragmatic competence in the speech act of apologizing among various Spanish-speaking communities. The portfolio concludes with two annotated bibliographies investigating communicative language teaching and mobile-assisted language learning

Mobile Learning and its Effects on Academic Achievement and Student Motivation in Middle Grades Students.

This experimental research investigates the academic achievement and motivation of 104 sixth grade social studies students when incorporating mobile devices into the classroom. Specifically, this study was designed to test the use of mobile devices as a more effective approach to student learning than using paper materials. In addition, the current study specifically examined changes in students’ perceptions of learning, interest in learning and academic motivation when incorporating mobile devices into classroom instruction. The findings show that motivation can be enhanced when incorporating mobile devices. Yet, the current study found no effect of mobile learning on higher academic achievement in this sample. This study sheds light on the importance of mobile devices in the classroom. The findings encourage the use of mobile devices due to their effect on motivation, which may offer an interactive classroom environment where students feel enthusiastic and eager to learn

The state of broadband 2012: achieving digital inclusion for all

With this Report, the Broadband Commission expands awareness and understanding of the importance of broadband networks, services, and applications for generating economic growth and achieving social progress.&nbsp;High-speed affordable broadband connectivity to the Internet is essential to modern society, offering widely recognized economic and social benefits (Annex 1). The Broadband Commission for Digital Development promotes the adoption of broadband-friendly practices and policies for all, so everyone can take advantage of the benefits offered by broadband. With this Report, the Broadband Commission expands awareness and understanding of the importance of broadband networks, services, and applications for generating economic growth and achieving social progress. It has been written collaboratively, drawing on insightful and thought-provoking contributions from our leading array of Commissioners and their organizations, foremost in their fields

Mobile learning and teacher quality: Assessing the impact of a mobile application on the positive psychology and professional practice of Panamanian teachers

In recent years, Latin America has experienced unprecedented growth in education coverage resulting in an acute strain on an already challenged infrastructure. Given the raft of research illustrating the strong relationship between teacher quality and student achievement the need to develop a proficient workforce to sustain the rapid change and improvement is critical. This study focuses on the improvement of teacher quality as a conduit to improving students' educational experiences. The study incorporates a mixed-methods design in two phases focusing on three key issues: (a) understanding teacher perception of self-efficacy and self-permission; (b) examining whether teacher performance can be improved by addressing teacher confidence; and (c) exploring whether teacher self-efficacy and professional practice can be improved using mobile learning. Phase One investigates the relationship between teacher quality, positive psychology, and the importance of cultural norms in individuals' perceptions of their professional abilities. A small-scale pilot study (n=75) was used to test the validity of a five-level, Likert-style survey generated to explore teacher attitudes regarding perceptions of self-efficacy and self-permission. The resulting survey was then administered to more than 500 Panamanian teachers and a comprehensive quantitative statistical analysis of data collected was used to gain an understanding of the relationships between teacher experience and qualification and levels of self-efficacy and self-permission. These findings ultimately informed the content, and structure of a mobile learning application designed to positively impact teachers’ positive psychology. Using this newly created learning application, Phase Two of the main study determines whether professional development delivered using mobile technology can have a positive impact upon professional efficacy, and performance. Ultimately, the study utilizes the mobile application to deliver research-informed practical tips for professional practice. As with Phase One, a small-scale (n=20) pilot study was carried out to inform the design of the mobile application and the way it might be delivered. Data collected over a three-month timeframe using Likert-style surveys and semi-structured interviews were then used to determine participants' interaction, perceived usefulness, and professional impact of the application. The study finds that Panamanian teachers' perceptions of self-efficacy are closely aligned with their classroom experience, while their perceptions of self-permission tend to be associated with a professional qualification. It also finds that when professional development is effectively delivered using a mobile learning application it shows potential to have a useful impact on teacher positive psychology, self-efficacy, and professional practice

Open Mapping towards Sustainable Development Goals

This collection amplifies the experiences of some of the world’s young people who are working to address SDGs using geospatial technologies and multi-national collaboration. Authors from every region of the world who have emerged as leaders in the YouthMappers movement share their perspectives and knowledge in an accessible and peer-friendly format. YouthMappers are university students who create and use open mapping for development and humanitarian purposes. Their work leverages digital innovations - both geospatial platforms and communications technologies - to answer the call for leadership to address sustainability challenges. The book conveys a sense of robust knowledge emerging from formal studies or informal academic experiences - in the first-person voices of students and recent graduates who are at the forefront of creating a new map of the world. YouthMappers use OpenStreetMap as the foundational sharing mechanism for creating data together. Authors impart the way they are learning about themselves, about each other, about the world. They are developing technology skills, and simultaneously teaching the rest of the world about the potential contributions of a highly connected generation of emerging world leaders for the SDGs. The book is timely, in that it captures a pivotal moment in the trajectory of the YouthMappers movement’s ability to share emerging expertise, and one that coincides with a pivotal moment in the geopolitical history of planet earth whose inhabitants need to hear from them. Most volumes that cover the topic of sustainability in terms of youth development are written by non-youth authors. Moreover, most are written by non-majoritarian, entrenched academic scholars. This book instead puts forward the diverse voices of students and recent graduates in countries where YouthMappers works, all over the world. Authors cover topics that range from water, agriculture, food, to waste, education, gender, climate action and disasters from their own eyes in working with data, mapping, and humanitarian action, often working across national boundaries and across continents. To inspire readers with their insights, the chapters are mapped to the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in ways that connect a youth agenda to a global agenda. With a preface written by Carrie Stokes, Chief Geographer and GeoCenter Director, United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This is an open access book

Updates from the field\u2026stories of regional collaboration ; issue 28, spring 2019

AFRICA\u2022 West Africa Comes Together to Confront Monkeypox\u2022 Zambia at the Forefront on Data for Health\u2022 Tracking Lassa Fever Across Three Countries\u2022 Southern Africa Leads the Regional Approach to Public HealthAMERICAS\u2022 Venezuela Crisis Presents Complex Global Health Security Challenges\u2022 Taming a Triple Threat Fungus\u2022 Colombia\u2019s NPHI Keeps the Public HealthyMIDDLE EAST/EUROPE\u2022 Ensuring Data Quality in the Midst of Insecurity and Uncertainty\u2022 Georgia: A Neutral Hub Brings Disease Detectives Together\u2022 Do You Speak Data?\u2022 ASIA\u2022 Disease Detectives Working Toward Polio Eradication\u2022 Keeping Safe around Highly Dangerous Pathogens and Toxins\u2022 Responding to a Rohingya Refugee CrisisGLOBAL\u2022 Connecting Networks to Solve the Mystery of Zika\u2022 Closing Critical Gaps in Laboratory Leadership\u2022 International Community Renews Commitment to the Global Health Security Agendadghp-field-updates-2019-spring-P.pd2019618