An Investigation of Factors affecting the Use of ICT for Teaching in the Western Cape Schools

The Khanya project has been equipping schools and educators with ICT skills and equipment to be used in the curriculum delivery in South Africa. However, research and anecdotal evidence show that there is low adoption rate of ICT among educators in Khanya schools. This interpretive study sets out to analyse the factors which are preventing the educators from using the technology in their work. The perspective of limited access and/or use of ICT as deprivation of capabilities provides a conceptual base for this paper. We employed Sen’s Capability Approach as a conceptual lens to examine the educators’ situation regarding ICT for teaching and learning. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with fourteen educators and two Khanya personnel. The results of the study show that there are a number of factors (personal, social and environmental) which are preventing the educators from realising their potential capabilities from the ICT

MXit it up in the media: Media discourse analysis on a mobile instant messaging system

Mobile instant messaging has the potential of providing the youth not only with a social space where they can interact and bond but also with a learning environment. MXit is the most popular mobile instant messaging application in South Africa. Due to its nascency, little academic research has been done on the application. The application has drawn considerable local media interest; however, most of the media coverage has been negative. Media discourse of the application is of academic interest, since media discourse is one of the many ways through which reality is constructed. This means there is a relationship between media discourse and public opinion. Distortions in the media may misinform and engender impaired decision making amongst policymakers as well as members of the public. Discourse analysis can reveal distortions in media communication and counter misinformation. Using critical discourse analysis, we have analysed the media discourse on MXit by employing the Habermasian concept of the ideal speech situation and its validity claims as a conceptual tool. The analysis shows that (i) the media discourse is fraught with distortions; (ii) the media have mainly used the voice of adults to legitimise the discourse and the voices of the youth who are the main users of the application are missing; and (iii) there seems to be a moral panic developing around the use of MXit

Should communal computing facilities cohabit with public facilities?

Reasons for establishing communal computing facilities (CCF) in existing public facilities vary from lower setup and operating costs, to easy access for intended users. We explore how CCFs operate in existing public facilities and the effects of these environments on the operations and usage of CCFs. Informed by findings of studies on CCFs in disadvantaged communities, this paper notes a number of merits and demerits of setting CCFs in existing public facilities. We note that hosting institutions may contribute towards achieving CCFs critical success factors. On the negative side, hosting institutions may limit the type of users for CCFs

Moral panics on implementation of Consolidated ICT Regulatory Management System: Case of Malawi

This paper analysed moral panics on the implementation of an ICT sector regulatory system called Consolidated ICT Regulatory Management System (CIRMS). The study focused on how the media reported on the events and opinions of stakeholders on the implementation of CIRMS for the ICT sector of Malawi. Media reports published between 2009 and 2012 were analysed using thematic analysis. The results showed that the media reported both potential benefits and threats of CIRMS. Some of the benefits included effective billing and revenue generation for the regulator. However, some of the reports indicated that the system had a potential of surveillance to record calls of mobile phone users. Some stakeholders perceived that the system would invade personal privacy which led to moral panics. The study demonstrated the unintended consequences of implementing an information system with a wider scope of stakes. Thus, managers responsible for information systems implementation should be cautious of social implications for ICT sector regulatory systems

Educators' motivation on integration of ICTs into pedagogy: case of disadvantaged areas

This paper investigates factors that motivate educators to use Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in schools in disadvantaged areas. The study employed Herzberg’ Motivation–Hygiene theory to guide the process of understanding the factors that motivate or demotivate educators when using the technology for teaching and learning. Qualitative research approach was used to gather and analyse information from educators from randomly sampled schools located in disadvantaged areas in the Western Cape. The study has shown that educators’ motivation to use technology for curriculum delivery could be impacted by satisfaction derived from using the ICTs, individual expectations, responsibility and a sense of achievement experienced when using the technologies

Social Inclusion in the Digital Era: Rethinking Debates and Narratives in the World Bank Report.

The 2019 (5th) proceedings of ACIST focuses on how African societies are leveraging and can leverage the smart capabilities in digital technologies to address organizational and societal challenges. Technology-enabled solutions offer solutions to many of these challenges. Digital technologies are increasingly becoming integral to and interdependent with the African society

Communication distortions in reporting about the implementation of Consolidated ICT Regulatory Management System in Malawi

The paper presents a critical analysis of media reports about the implementation of an ICT Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector regulatory system called Consolidated ICT Regulatory Management System (CIRMS). The study draws upon Habermas’ Theory of Communicative Action to analyse media reports on CIRMS implementation using the case of Malawi. The findings showed that there were potential benefits for implementing the CIRMS to address challenges of regulating the ICT sector including supporting billing, revenue collection and quality of ICT services. However, there were also communication distortions on CIRMS in the media that affected the processes and decisions of implementing the system that had wider implications beyond the ICT sector regulator. The study contributes towards literature on implementation of ICT sector regulatory systems in the context of developing countries

The Role of the Internet in Alleviating Social Exclusion: The Case of the Western Cape Province

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is perceived by many as a means of tackling the problem of social exclusion. This perspective has resulted in governments and donor agencies investing in the establishment of Internet access points (e.g. telecentres) in areas which are perceived to be socially excluded. Yet, beyond the belief of inherently beneficial ICTs, there has been little empirical work done to evaluate the impact of ICTs, notably the Internet, in addressing social exclusion. In this paper, we report on a study investigating whether the Internet contributes to alleviating social exclusion in developing countries. The cross-sectional study uses a qualitative research approach on four communities with government-funded Internet access points in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. The major finding of the paper is that the Internet plays a minimal role in alleviating social exclusion, and only a few members of the communities stand to benefit. The Internet on its own is not sufficient to address the problems of social exclusion; there are necessary preconditions which should be in place for the Internet to have an impact

USAGE PATTERNS AND CHALLENGES OF MULTIPURPOSE COMMUNITY TELECENTRES IN MALAWI

Domestic digital divide denotes the divisions between the haves and the have-nots of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) within a country. To bridge the domestic digital divide, the government of Malawi has been establishing telecentres since the early 2000s. It is now two decades since the first telecentre was opened. However, three important questions persist: Who uses the telecentres in Malawi? How are the telecentre used? What are the challenges in the use of telecentres? Using data from users, telecentre management and within telecentres, the study shows that there is uneven access for multipurpose telecentres in the country, as users are predominantly male, young, relatively educated and belonging to low-income levels; that users mostly used photocopying, printing and library services; and that, at one telecentre, a good number of users accessed the internet and computer services. The main challenges that users experienced included inadequate books and computers, the high cost of some services, lack of information in local languages and lack of internet-searching skills. The multipurpose community telecentres experienced poor infrastructure, lack of technical expertise, bureaucratic delays and demand that the telecentres should be free to the communities they serve. The study shows that telecentres are failing to achieve the objective of bridging the digital divide

External Actors in Forming National ICT Policy in Malawi: A Cause for Concern in Low-Income Countries?

The paper examines external actors in the formulation of national Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policies. It questions how external actors overtly or covertly influence formulation of national ICT policies following that, of the nearly 84% of the countries in Africa that have formulated national ICT policies, most of which have been influenced by external actors. The paper uses Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice to analyze the effects of external actors’ influences in developing countries by using Malawi as a case study. Document analysis is used to analyse external actors’ influences in policy documents, the minutes of policy actors’ meetings, and policy reports. The paper finds that developing countries cannot do without the contribution of external actors in the formulation of national ICT policies. The study did not identify any link between policy formulation and country context. The findings offer stakeholders of public policy important insights into how they can manage external actors during the policy process