213 research outputs found
ENGAGEMENT, OUTREACH, AND ICTD : TOWARDS DEVELOPED ISLAMIC HIGHER-EDUCATION INSTITUTION
As we know that higher education institutions (HEIs) have three main mandatesâteaching, research, and extension. The first refers to the transmission and transaction of knowledge, skills and competencies to learners so as to equip them for their role in the employment market and society. The second refers to the critical role of advancing knowledge through research in different domains. The third refers to the institution reaching out to the community in which it is located, providing the community with a valuable contribution to social development. Outreach and engagement at the higher-education Institution is that aspect of teaching that enables learning beyond the campus walls. That aspect of research that makes what we discover useful beyond the academic community. That aspect of service that directly benefits the public. When the Islamic discourse comes under discussion, the concept should be applicable to the cultural discourse, the literary discourse, the artistic discourse and the information discourse, though the latter can be of more comprehensive nature and encompass all other levels of discourse, in such a way as to become for example the religious information discourse, the philosophical information discourse, the political information discourse, etc. In terms of using ICT or media, the content, again as mentioned before using all media forms, should seek to promote dialogue, understanding, co- existence and co-operation
What is the Role of Taxpayer Education in Africa?
This paper reviews existing initiatives on taxpayer education in Africa, an area that has been largely under-researched in the literature. We start by providing an overview of the wide variety of programmes that African revenue authorities have undertaken in this area, including both traditional training and more innovative approaches. We then ask how effective these programmes are, and what can be done to improve them in the future. We argue that more evaluation is needed in this area. We also highlight the importance of complementing technical training with broader educational content on the importance of paying taxes, fiscal exchange and transparency.Department for International DevelopmentBill and Melinda Gates Foundatio
Theorising the design-reality gap in ICTD: matters of care in mobile learning for Kenyan community health workers
This thesis examines the sociomaterial relations of âdesign practiceâ in order to advance new perspectives on success and failure in Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICTD). I conduct an ethnographic case study of an academic research intervention and update the widely-cited theory of design-reality gaps (Heeks, 2002). Using methods from classic actor-network theory and post-structural material-semiotic tools, the analysis: 1) disentangles the entwined sociomaterial practices around design, production, and use of technology; and 2) integrates these insights into more elaborate conceptualisations of gaps, sustainability, scalability, and project failure. In doing so, my study answers the research question: What are the sociomaterial relations of âdesign practiceâ in a globally-distributed, multi-stakeholder, and technologicallymediated ICTD project for poverty alleviation? My research narrative describes how an array of humans and non-humans participated as designers in a transnational, interdisciplinary Participatory Action Research project to train Kenyan health workers using mobile phones. At least six different patterns of sociomaterial relations operated through a given set of people and things, enacting the material-discursive apparatuses (Barad, 1998) of educational research, healthcare, the market, the state, and the local community. I assert that in this Participatory Action Research project for mobile learning, the design-reality gap was not so much a matter of geographic or socio-cultural divides, but was instead constituted as fluid space (Mol, 2002) separating the educational researchersâ designerly practices from the multiplicity of ways in which health workers, mobile phones, and other actors lived in relation to one another. I conclude that these ontological politics enacted design as an empirical matter of care â an affective and morally-charged sociomaterial practice with an ethico-political commitment to the marginalised (Puig de la Bellacasa, 2011). I therefore present a conceptual model of success and failure in participatory ICTD projects that explicitly incorporates the affective and material dimensions of care, and conceptualises social justice â not solely in terms of universal claims or global standards â but as embodied, sociomaterial enactments
Rights, mobility and integration of intra-corporate transferees in Europe: the case of Slovakia and England
This thesis is placed at the intersection of international labour law, EU law, human rights and migration. It focuses on workers employed and transferred temporarily across borders by multinational corporations within their company structure â intra-corporate transferees (ICTs) â and on their family members. The thesis analyses the protection of their economic, labour and social rights from the perspective of equality and integration. The work examines and compares the level of rights protection granted to EU nationals and third-country (non-EU) national ICTs in Slovakia and England under the national law and policy, EU law, human rights law, and international labour law. The study involves doctrinal and theoretical considerations of the law and policy relating to the protection of rights of ICTs and their families, which are then contrasted with accounts of ICTsâ practical experiences within these legal and policy frameworks, obtained through interviews conducted in Slovakia and England. The aim is to identify the differences in rights protection guaranteed in law and as experienced in practice in each country, and to compare the diverse approaches in the two countries and at EU level (through the Intra-Corporate Transfers Directive) to find the weaknesses and strengths of each system. This comparative exercise enables an identification of the best practices, which could serve as an inspiration for policy makers in Slovakia, England, at EU level and for ICTsâ employers regarding improvements of their rights protection, integration, and experience during the intra-corporate transfer
Research Project as Boundary Object: negotiating the conceptual design of a tool for International Development
This paper reflects on the relationship between who one designs for and what one designs in the unstructured space of designing for political change; in particular, for supporting âInternational Developmentâ with ICT. We look at an interdisciplinary research project with goals and funding, but no clearly defined beneficiary group at start, and how amorphousness contributed to impact. The reported project researched a bridging tool to connect producers with consumers across global contexts and show players in the
supply chain and their circumstances. We explore how both the nature of the research and the toolâs function became contested as work progressed. To tell this tale, we invoke
the idea of boundary objects and the value of tacking back and forth between elastic meanings of the projectâs artefacts and processes. We examine the projectâs role in India, Chile and other arenas to draw out ways that it functioned as a catalyst and how absence of committed design choices acted as an unexpected strength in reaching its goals
Community multimedia centers in Mozambique: exploring and experimenting co-design
The overall aim of this doctoral thesis was to elucidate the premises and conditions in which a co-design approach can be used with rural communities in Mozambique and the usage of Information and communication technologies for development as a tool for supporting rural communities on daily activities. The doctoral thesis includes five papers, a systematic literature review, and four case studies. The literature review (I) provides an overview of 34 studies that describe the implementation of co-design with rural communities. In the review, papers published between 2002 and 2013 were clustered in three groups â information system, social design, and ICT4D. The analysis provided insightful information about the knowledge and taxonomies required to understand how actually co-design can be used to support communities. While the conventional development paradigm asserted that developing countries could be propelled to growth path by knowledge emanating from developed nations, new approaches give priority to design partnerships and participation by the local civil society as the best method to achieve sustainable development. Paper (II) describes a case study implemented in the Morrumbene district (Mozambique), which emphasizes the need to explore design spaces and meaningful dialogs to share past experiences and contextual knowledge. Data were collected via focus group sessions, which had as participantâs people from the local community, the CMC staff, and two researchers. Findings from the Morrumbene case show that an equalitarian approach where all participantsâ ideas and perceptions are taken into consideration provides an artefact that unifies ideas and perceptions. It also creates conditions for individuals with social and political differences to work together, share ideas and competencies. Paper (III) brings a case study implemented in the Quelimane municipality. The case outlines a design perspective that brings up proactivity and trust as additional condiments to be taken into consideration while co- designing. Papers (IV) e (V) provides understanding on how co-design can be used to produce sustainable services for the community. The cases analyse aspects that hinder â or even stop â intended positive ICT4D benefits to becoming a reality. The case studies here presented were performed in the three regions of Mozambique (south, central and north), with social groups with different education level, language, and social status working towards the same objective. The findings of this thesis could be used to develop a plan to support CMC and to further improve rural communityâs usage and adoption of ICT. CMC services are an important endeavour with significant payoff in communitiesâ daily lives and activities. This thesis also contributes to a more complete, balanced, and grounded image of how CMCs and local communities can work together to create socially and financially sustainable services
Taxing Africa
Taxation has been seen as the domain of charisma-free accountants, lawyers and number crunchers â an unlikely place to encounter big societal questions about democracy, equity or good governance. Yet it is exactly these issues that pervade conversations about taxation among policymakers, tax collectors, civil society activists, journalists and foreign aid donors in Africa today. Tax has become viewed as central to African development. Written by leading international experts, Taxing Africa offers a cutting-edge analysis on all aspects of the continentâs tax regime, displaying the crucial role such arrangements have on attempts to create social justice and push economic advancement. From tax evasion by multinational corporations and African elites to how ordinary people navigate complex webs of âinformalâ local taxation, the book examines the potential for reform, and how space might be created for enabling locally-led strategies. The eBook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC 3.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com
PACMAS state of media and communication report 2013
The PACMAS State of Media and Communication Report 2013 was undertaken through a partnership between RMIT University (Australia), the University of Goroka (Papua New Guinea) and UNITEC (New Zealand). The research for this report was developed and undertaken between June 2012 and April 2013 across 14 Pacific Island nations: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Nauru, Niue, Republic of Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The report provides a regional overview of the PACMAS key components (Media Policy, Media Systems, Media Capacity Building and Media Content) as they emerged through 212 interviews focused upon the six PACMAS strategic areas. It also provides basic background information, an overview of the media and communications landscape and discusses in detail media and communications technicians; emergency broadcast systems, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVETs), media associations, climate change and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). For this reason, observations on the four PACMAS components should be understood to represent changes in the media and communication environment based upon an investigation focused on the PACMAS strategic activities. Part 1 & Part II of the report make up a Regional Overview of the State of Media and Communication in the Pacific. The report also includes 14 separate Country Reports which provide additional information on the media and communications landscape specific to each of the Pacific Island countries included in the PACMAS program. The country reports were written with the objectives of the PACMAS program in mind, however they may have utility for media, communication and development practitioners across the region
DocCert: Nostrification, Document Verification and Authenticity Blockchain Solution
Many institutions and organizations require nostrification and verification
of qualification as a prerequisite for hiring. The idea is to recognize the
authenticity of a copy or digital document issued by an institution in a
foreign country and detect forgeries. Certificates, financial records, health
records, official papers and others are often required to be attested from
multiple entities in distinct locations. However, in this digital era where
most applications happen online, and document copies are uploaded, the
traditional signature and seal methods are obsolete. In a matter of minutes and
with a simple photo editor, a certificate or document copy may be plagiarized
or forged. Blockchain technology offers a decentralized approach to record and
verify transactions without the need for huge infrastructure investment. In
this paper, we propose a blockchain based nostrification system, where awarding
institutions generate a digital certificate, store in a public but permissioned
blockchain, where students and other stakeholders may verify. We present a
thorough discussion and formal evaluation of the proposed system.Comment: The Fifth International Conference on Blockchain Computing and
Applications (BCCA 2023), held in Conjunction with Kuwait Fintech and
Blockchain Summit 2023, 24,26 Oct 2023, Kuwait City, Kuwai
Doctor of Philosophy
dissertationOne out of every six children in sub-Saharan Africa dies from treatable diseases before reaching age 5. Millions of these deaths could be averted if health care providers followed evidence-based protocols, such as the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI), to provide care. IMCI assists providers to diagnose and treat problems for children under 5, and specifies key information for the provider to teach to the child's caretaker. While IMCI has been adopted as official policy throughout Tanzania, the protocol has been neither universally used nor consistently followed. An innovative IMCI-based protocol that runs on a mobile phone, called eIMCI, was designed for this study using user-centered design (UCD) principles to assist provider navigation of the protocol and improve provider-caretaker communication of key information points, including the problem and treatment of the child, and when to return to the clinic. The electronic protocol, eIMCI, was compared to an equivalent paper-based protocol, pIMCI. This study was based on the mHealth Communications Theoretical Framework. The aims of the study were to (1) utilize UCD design principles to develop eIMCI and evaluate its usability, and (2) evaluate the effect of protocol delivery platform on (a) provider communication and (b) caretaker recall of key information points. A randomized cluster trial was conducted in which health care clinics in Tanzania were randomized to implement each platform. Results suggested that electronic protocol use led to improved provider-caretaker communication. Providers who used eIMCI were more likely to give counseling that covered the key information points specified, and caretakers in the eIMCI arm recalled more of these key information points overall. The implications of this work suggested that the eIMCI mobile protocol may lead to improved provider-caretaker communication, which may result in a greater ability for caretakers to carry out treatment plans in the home. When utilizing mobile devices to deliver such interventions, the structure, clarity, and direction enabled by the electronic platform are suggested to promote adoption of the complete sphere of high-quality clinical care. As such adoption is continued, understanding of key health information may become firmly rooted in caretaker health literacy levels
- âŠ