Scenarios for information and communication technology in sub-Saharan African academic libraries: a research proposal

In this research-in-progress paper, the proposal for a research project is presented for discussion. The purpose of the project is to develop a set of scenarios that describes a range of possible future environments pertaining to information and communications technology (ICT) in academic libraries in sub-Saharan Africa over the next 6 years. The value of the study is that this set of scenarios can be used and adapted by libraries to inform strategic planning, decision-making and/or policymaking by various stakeholders when it comes to investing limited resources into ICT infrastructure and capacity building to support academic institutions’ teaching and research. The proposed research design comprises a Delphi study followed by scenario development

Table of Contents: Proceedings of the 11th Annual Midwest United States Association for Information Systems

ISSN: requested from Library of Congres

31W. From Scream Team to Dream Team: Practical Ways to Improve Group Relations

Do you use group projects in your IS course? Do interpersonal issues in your student groups drive you crazy? Whilst students often find group work frustrating, working in groups “better simulates the work environment in which graduates are expected to perform” according to the IS 2009 curriculum guidelines for IS programs (Topi et al, 2009). As lecturers we are responsible to teach not only the content but also to equip students with the necessary skills to apply the content successfully and improve their workplace readiness. This workshop will show you how to use team role preferences to improve group dynamics to reduce group work frustration for both students and lecturers

Building capacity and developing human capital: an exploration of curriculum development in ICT programmes at South African universities

There is a growing consensus on the potential for information and communications technologies (ICTs) to support socio-economic development in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Universities as providers of higher education are critical to developing SSA countries by, amongst others, empowering the region to develop appropriate ICT solutions for local challenges. The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss how contextual realities influence the development of ICT programme curricula at public universities in South Africa, a developing country in SSA, in order to meet the demand for ICT skills. After a brief discussion of the factors that influence the content and delivery in education systems an overview of the South African public higher education context is provided. Against this background the content and delivery of ICT programme offerings and the rationale behind the programmes at four South African public universities are presented in case study format and concludes with a discussion of the case studies. The paper may be of value to academic departments as examples of how other departments are responding and adjusting their offerings, to government departments and policy makers by engendering a better understanding of the impact of policy on programme development and to industry by illustrating the diverse stakeholders in higher education and academia’s responsiveness to these diverse requirements

Deploying design science research in graduate computing studies in South Africa

Design science research is a relatively recent paradigm, which has enjoyed more acceptance in information systems than in computer science. Yet researchers are increasingly accepting this new paradigm where artifacts are to be developed to solve a problem, and the knowledge that is derived during the process is recorded and contributes to the field of knowledge. It is also particularly applicable in a developing world context. In this paper we present two case studies, demonstrating how two postgraduate students used design science research during their research. We reflect on the lessons learned and explain how design science research can be an attractive option for graduate student research at masters and doctoral level in both Information Systems and Computer Science

Evaluating Diplomatic Missions’ Websites: A Case Study of South Africa in the United States

Diplomatic missions have dual roles: providing government services to citizens abroad as well as marketing their countries for tourism and trade and investment purposes. A website is a vital channel for marketing and dissemination of information for diplomatic missions. Ensuring good usability and a consistent global brand is particularly important. Good usability ensures that the content and user interface is easy for visitors to understand and use and supports consistent branding. The purpose of this study was to use the websites of South African diplomatic missions in the United States to illustrate the need for an evaluative framework and guidelines in order to support good usability as well as consistent branding. Since no framework specifically aimed for the evaluation of diplomatic missions’ websites exist, aesthetic and informative evaluation measures based on Han and Mills’ online promotion instrument were used. The study found that each of the four websites have elements in common but that there is room for improvement both at an individual and collective level to improve the visual experience and the associated perception of the reliability and trustability of information presented to both user groups of the websites. The results illustrate the need for a framework adapted to the dual roles of diplomatic missions in general that can be used as basis for government guidelines whilst allowing some flexibility to meet local needs and requirements. The study provides an initial framework that can be used to assess diplomatic mission websites and can be further developed in future research to complement e-government research

Perspectives on university library automation and national development in Uganda

Academic libraries in universities store large volumes of research that can be used for development purposes to support teaching, learning, research, innovation, community outreach and partnerships. Library automation incorporates the adoption of integrated library systems (ILS). Effective adoption of an ILS enables broad-based access to global and local knowledge sources to solve local, regional and national development challenges. Using a sequential mixed methods approach in a case study of a Ugandan public university, Kyambogo University, this study investigated the perceptions of librarians, information workers and other university stakeholders with respect to library automation and the contribution thereof to national development. The results confirmed that the ILS improved library operations and plays an important role in supporting national development. This study also highlights the continued challenges of adopting an ILS in developing countries such as Uganda, which, if addressed, could further improve information service delivery for a nation’s socio-economic transformation.The Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY)http://ifl.sagepub.comhttp://journals.sagepub.com/home/iflhj2017Information Scienc

Building Capacity and Developing Human capital

Proceedings of SIG GlobDev Fifth Annual Workshop, Orlando, USA, 16 December 2012There is a growing consensus on the potential for information and communications technologies (ICTs) to support socio-economic development in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Universities as providers of higher education are critical to developing SSA countries by, amongst others, empowering the region to develop appropriate ICT solutions for local challenges. The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss how contextual realities influence the development of ICT programme curricula at public universities in South Africa, a developing country in SSA, in order to meet the demand for ICT skills. After a brief discussion of the factors that influence the content and delivery in education systems an overview of the South African public higher education context is provided. Against this background the content and delivery of ICT programme offerings and the rationale behind the programmes at four South African public universities are presented in case study format and concludes with a discussion of the case studies. The paper may be of value to academic departments as examples of how other departments are responding and adjusting their offerings, to government departments and policy makers by engendering a better understanding of the impact of policy on programme development and to industry by illustrating the diverse stakeholders in higher education and academia’s responsiveness to these diverse requirements.http://www.globdev.org/?q=node/11