This research investigates capacity building initiatives in developing countries’ ability to aid in a transition toward sustainability. A key system, the education sector, enables and creates human capacity. Teacher Training Initiatives (TTIs) are an organized effort to build the capacity of teachers within the education sector. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are a rising addition to TTIs that can expand the network, knowledge-sharing, and communication potential of TTIs. Yet, is this growing trend aiding in building capacity at the expense of long-term sustainability? Utilizing the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, this research employs literature reviews, interviews, data analysis, workshop participation, and an expert panel to illuminate how ICT enabled TTIs can contribute to sustainability. An intervention in the current planning process was identified as a key leverage point to shift the system toward sustainability. Taking a whole systems perspective when planning initiatives better equip stakeholders to build effective programs today that will not compromise the capacity building of the future. This upstream approach may build the foundation to move toward a strategic ICT enabled TTI, but it is not the only major factor. ICT enabled TTIs function within complex systems, requiring ongoing strategic planning and management toward sustainability. / <p>Address: Tiffany Finley 1306 Bohland Place St. Paul, MN 55116 USA OR Susan McCormack 1145 Hartwell Road Manotick, Ontario Canada K4M 1E5</p>

Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Communication Science at the University of Zululand, 2005. / This is a dissertation presented on the development of e-education in KwaZulu-Natal, beginning with the dawn of the e-education process, covering its development and rate of penetration in previously disadvantaged rural, urban and township areas. The study investigates the problem of applying Information Communication Technologies (ICTs1) in education in the context of KwaZulu-Natal. The first part of the study reviews theories and literature relevant to understanding and defining e-education and the nature and scope of e-education worldwide. Subsequent chapters describe the construction of a survey instrument employed to measure and evaluate the extent of e-education in KwaZulu Natal, and the findings of the survey. Penultimate chapters blend the insights gained from this literature review to interpret the results, obtained through the quantitative research methodology, to describe a set of conclusions and recommendations in the context of applying Information Communication Technologies in the formal learning environment in KwaZulu-Natal.

Данная работа посвящена исследованию социальных сетей ВКонтакте и Инстаграм в качестве новых элементов информационно-коммуникационных технологий на занятиях английского языка в высшем учебном заведении. Особое внимание уделяется вопросам интеграции популярных социальных сетей в учебный процесс с целью дополнительной отработки учебного материала, пройденного в рамках аудиторных занятий со студентами радиотехнических направлений подготовки Уральского федерального университета. Активное и повсеместное использование мобильных устройств и социальных сетей в повседневной жизни обеспечивает актуальность их применения для студентов. Цель данного исследования разработать этапы работы с социальными сетями, определить актуальные методы использования социальных сетей в процессе обучения английскому языку. В работе представлены четыре этапа, которые необходимы для организации процесса обучения иностранному языку: организационный, подготовительный (технический), процессуальный и оценочный. В работе предлагается детализацию данных этапов на пятнадцать шагов. В зависимости от целей и задач образовательного процесса, темы, уровня группы набор предлагаемых шагов изменяется. Практика внедрения социальных сетей в процесс организации самостоятельной работы студентов Института радиоэлектроники и информационных технологий Уральского федерального университета демонстрирует возможность использования разнообразных типов заданий для решения различных учебных задач и повышение эффективности обучения английскому языку. Авторы исследования анализируют не только достоинства использования социальных сетей в обучении иностранному языку, но и недостатки, к которым, в основном, относится маркетинговый контент социальных сетей. / The thesis is devoted to the study of the social networks Vkontakte and Instagram as a new element of information and communication technologies in the classroom of the English language in higher education. Particular attention is paid to the integration of popular social networks in the educational process in order to further development of the educational material given in the classroom with students of radio engineering training areas of the Ural Federal University. Active and widespread use of mobile devices and social networks in everyday life ensures the relevance of their application for students. The purpose of this study is to develop stages of work with social networks, to determine the actual methods of using social networks in the process of learning English. The study presents four stages that are necessary for the organization of the process of learning a foreign language: organizational, preparatory (technical), procedural and evaluation. The authors of the study offer the details of these stages for fifteen steps. Depending on the goals and objectives of the educational process, topics, group level set of proposed steps changes. The practice of introduction of social networks in the process of organization of independent work of students of the Institute of radio electronics and information technology of the Ural Federal University demonstrates the possibility of using different types of tasks to solve various educational problems and improve the efficiency of English language teaching. The authors of the study analyze not only the advantages of using social networks in teaching a foreign language, but also the disadvantages, which mainly include the marketing content of social networks.

Knowledge management (KM) has become a vital process in all types of institutions in our society, institutions that also include academic libraries. Furthermore, academic libraries have become an integral part of the knowledge system. These institutions and academic libraries contribute to knowledge development in the current digital age. This study sought to investigate knowledge management processes at St Paul’s University library and to suggest ways by which these processes may be enhanced in order to promote efficiency and effectiveness in knowledge management. The study was based on knowledge management processes that include knowledge capture, knowledge acquisition, knowledge organisation, knowledge creation, knowledge retention and knowledge sharing as advanced in existing literature. The context of this study was St. Paul’s University Library, the academic library of St. Paul’s University. St. Paul’s University is an academic institution of higher learning based in Limuru Kenya. St. Paul’s University Library was found to be encountering challenges in the implementation and adoption of formal knowledge management processes such as knowledge creation, knowledge application, knowledge retention, knowledge acquisition, knowledge organisation and knowledge sharing. These challenges affect the library’s ability to manage and disseminate knowledge to its different stakeholders. This research thus set out to address these challenges. This was a case study of St. Paul’s University library which involved the collection of qualitative data from study participants through the use of interview guides. In the study, interviews were used to collect data from 10 library management committee members, 20 faculty staff and 20 library staff. These three groups of study participant were purposively selected as the target population for the study because they play a key role in knowledge management enhancement at St. Paul’s University library. Interviews were conducted for all categories of participants separately through face-to-face interview method based on their pre-determined availability. Out of 50 interviewees, only 32 were successfully interviewed. Qualitative data collected were analysed using content analysis. Findings of this study were then deduced from analysis done. From the study, it emerged that all the knowledge management processes under study were utilised albeit to varied degrees. From the study, varied gaps were noted on the various knowledge management processes and the use of ICT in knowledge management. The study recommends that St. Paul’s University Library should fully incorporate all the knowledge management processes and ensure appropriate policies be in place to support knowledge management and also increase effectiveness and efficiency in the library. The study further recommends a survey study on academic libraries to be undertaken on knowledge management processes in Kenya. / Information Science / M. Inf.

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been embraced by a number of public institutions in Masvingo province of Zimbabwe as part of the government’s drive towards e-governance and improved service delivery. This has resulted in the generation of large volumes of digital records that are invaluable for strengthening accountability, transparency, decision making and service delivery. Preservation of these digital records has been cited as a daunting task for most institutions especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The dynamic nature of information technologies, obsolescence issues, as well as media degradation require digital preservation strategies in place to ensure that digital records remain accessible and usable over time. However, the National Archives of Zimbabwe (NAZ) mandated to preserve all types of records is at the moment unable to ingest digital records from public departments for preservation due to lack of adequate digital storage facilities and skilled manpower. The records creating agencies in Masvingo have been left on their own to deal with the digital preservation conundrum yet they are also faced with similar challenges. This qualitative study utilised the Open Archival Information System (OAIS) reference model as the conceptual framework to explore the strategies for preservation of digital records in Masvingo province in Zimbabwe. Data was gathered through interviews with officials from 13 out of 15 public departments that preserved digital records in Masvingo province, augmented by observation and document analysis. Research data was manually processed and thematically analysed in line with the objectives of the study. The study established that the strategies for preservation of digital records in Masvingo province were failing to guarantee their long-term preservation and security due to lack of supportive legislation, standards, policy guidelines, budgets, adequate and conducive infrastructure and skills. This has resulted in swathes of digital memory being lost. The study recommended the adoption of trusted digital repositories (TDRs) that are compliant to the OAIS standard, close co-operation between records creating agencies, NAZ, information technology (IT) experts and the academia in tackling digital preservation challenges, and the development of preservation policies and guidelines, as well as continuous training and provision of budgets to cater for preservation of digital records. In the absence of infrastructure, the NAZ should consider cloud computing for preservation of digital records as an interim solution while observing legal obligations. / Information Science / M. Inf. (Archival Science)

The topic of this study done in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe was to explore the viability of designing and developing an e-agricultural information service at the Library of Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT).The aim of the study was to determine the feasibility of designing and developing a web based information database for answering farmers’ queries. It also aimed to identify ways in which agricultural information can be transferred to farmers using ICTs available to the farming community and CUT. The findings indicated that an effective and efficient e-agriculture information service can be established at CUT using cell phones as the main communication medium. The research design was a survey and a questionnaire was used for data collection. SPSS was used for data analysis form which interpretations and recommendations were made. / Information Science / M. Information Science

Rural communities have been disconnected from the global world in the past due to lack of infrastructure that rendered connectivity a challenge for them. Recent developments in information and communication technology (ICT) have led to improved connectivity in these areas. As a result, mobile phones have become ubiquitous in these rural communities. A matrix was proposed in this study in order to evaluate and assess the impact of mobile devices on development of the rural communities. Existing measurement tools have not yet explored how the usages of mobile phones and other ICTs are impacting the lives of people in rural communities of South Africa. The aim of this study was to understand the existing criteria used to measure the impact of ICTs in rural communities. This was be achieved by focusing on the use of mobile phones in the community of Phake Rebone, taking into account different users. Once this was established, the study had a primary objective to design a matrix that would assist in evaluating and assessing the impact of a mobile phone in social activities such as learning, business and governance. This was achieved by using a case study method, employing qualitative and quantitative research methods. Cases within a case study were used to uncover how the core groups within the community used the mobile phone. A mixed method approach was used in data gathering and analysis to enable the researcher to identify usages and challenges related to the mobile phones. Data was collected from 401 participants and was analysed through the computer-aided tools such GoogleDocs and Microsoft Excel. The findings of the study showed a greater usage of the mobile phone. The literature findings of the use of the mobile phone for basic communication as well as growing adoption of applications such as social media and Internet were confirmed. The use in community related activities and work purposes that impacted the community members were minimal. The need of training to gain knowledge on how to use the device more effectively was established. The proposed matrix therefore seemed v relevant not only to measure impact but also to highlight the areas in which the community members can be trained on. The noted usage trends and needs by the community were then used to formulate indicators that could be used for the matrix. The indicators were then used to develop a matrix that could be used by community members and other interested parties to measure the impact of mobile phone on development of the users. The results of the matrix were also proved to be efficient in assisting individual users in recording the skills acquired through the use of the mobile phone. The matrix can be used in consultation with the guidelines that were formulated to ensure that each user, particularly from rural communities, benefits from such an evaluation tool / Development Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Development Studies)

The study investigated the use of mobile phones in disseminating information on agriculture to the farming community of Mashonaland West Province of Zimbabwe, with a view to improving the coverage gap created by the available initiatives. Relevant literature on the available and successful mobile phones agricultural information dissemination platforms were extensively reviewed, taking into consideration the Mashonaland West Province farmers’ information needs. Formats, channels and sources currently being used to transmit agricultural information to farmers were investigated. Barriers to the use of mobile phones in transmitting agricultural information were as well investigated. Data was gathered on the farmers’ access to mobile phones and ownership of mobile phones. The survey research methodology was used for data collection because the research involved a large sample in a widespread geographical area. Quantitative research approach was used and questionnaires were used for data collection. The respondents for the study comprised farmers, network providers and other agricultural stakeholders in the province. A sample of 384 farmers, and 13 network providers and other stakeholders participated in the survey. Quantitative data was analysed using the the SPSS software while the little qualitative data which was available was analysed through content analysis. The findings of the study indicated that farmers in Mashonaland West Province of Zimbabwe were willing to get updates on agricultural information via cell phones. However, majority of the farmers could not afford the high mobile data tariffs being charged by network service providers, and the costs of subscription charged by the available agricultural information dissemination platforms. The study mainly recommended that the government should establish mobile phone agricultural information dissemination platforms that can be accessed by farmers for free or that which will charge affordable rates. The study adds to the existing knowledge on how mobile phones can be used in disseminating agricultural information to farmers. / Information Science / D. Inf. (Information Science)

This research report captures a detailed exposition of an investigation on Knowledge Management (KM) practices in public and private sector entities in three industries (health, education and business loans) of Limpopo province – a proxy of the rural areas of South Africa. The investigation was necessitated by a need to understand KM in organisational context experiencing constraints in terms of resources that enable KM. It was found through an intensive literature review that there were very few empirical studies on KM practices of organisations operating in the rural areas, particularly in Africa. The theoretical framework of the study emanates from the knowledge-based view which has been popularised by the seminal work of Peter Drucker and Nonaka in the early half of the 90s. The knowledge-based view as presented in chapter 2 recognises the strategic role of knowledge in organisations. Its genesis is traced from the theories of classical scholars such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Various empirical studies of entities which have adopted the knowledge-based view are presented in chapter 2 of this report. The researcher observes from an intensive KM literature study that the average modern organisation could be categorised as knowledge-intensive considering that knowledge workers constitute the majority of its workforce. The definitions of a knowledge-based organisation and knowledge workers are presented in the operational definitions of key concepts. Arising from the identified gaps in KM literature as presented towards the end of chapter 2, this study was conducted as a comparative study between public and private sector entities in three research industries focusing on their extent of ICT application and degree of knowledge-oriented social factors for information and knowledge sharing. The investigation was guided by three research objectives as discussed in chapter 1 of this research report. The main purpose of the study was to answer two fundamental research questions as reflected in chapter 1. In answering the two research questions, the researcher identified four research hypotheses in line with the findings established from KM literature. These hypotheses are discussed in chapter 2 of this report.The underlying hypothesised statement guiding the study was to determine whether there were any significant differences in KM implementation between public and private sector entities in the three research industries in terms of four research constructs. These are: application of ICTs for knowledge and information sharing, degree of achievement of knowledge-based outcomes, tacit knowledge acquisition and the degree of knowledge-oriented social factors. Organisational culture, organisational structures, human resource practices and leadership comprised the social factors tested in the study. The research data were collected through a mixed research design approach combining the advantages of a survey instrument and interviews (this is fully reflected in chapter 3 of this research report). The research results (as presented in chapter 4) pointed to some form of significant differences in KM implementation between public and private sector entities in the education and business loans industry, but there were no significant differences in KM implementation between public and private sector entities in the health industry. Arising from the findings of the study, a model for improved KM implementation is presented in chapter 4 (figure 4.16). It was found during the investigation that all the research entities approached KM implicitly through KM related practices. KM related practices were found to be far more entrenched in the health industry (both public and private sector entities), the private sector entities in the education and business loans industries than was the case with the public sector entities in the education and business loans industries. In the entities where KM related practices were found to be entrenched, there were concerted efforts towards improved organisational processes. The study has managed to unravel the importance of KM related practices in laying the foundation for a formalised KM approach. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / D.B.L.

The application of information communication technologies (ICTs) in records management in many organisations underscores the need for the assessment of e-records readiness. This provides a useful guide in benchmarking, gauging progress and comprehending e-records management. This study examined e-record readiness in labour organisations with a view to proposing a framework for labour organisations in Botswana. The study was largely guided by a quantitative paradigm and used a survey research strategy. This was complemented by methodological triangulation of both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. All the 50 registered labour organisations in Botswana were surveyed, 45 of which responded, representing a response rate of 90%. Data was obtained through structured questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, document review and observations. The study established that e-records readiness in labour organisations in Botswana was evident, low and evolving, evidenced by the slow adoption of ICTs; inadequate records management standards and practices; and low integration in the national e-readiness framework. The study confirmed that most labour organisations had embraced the utilisation of ICTs in their work; exhibited some form of records management function and acknowledged the existence of national policy directives and strategies on e-readiness. However, traditional ICTs mainly the fax and telephone, were more prevalently adopted and used than newer ones such as e-mail and the Internet. The use of social media technology (Web 2.0 - Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter) was yet to be explored. The management of both paper-based and electronic records was not satisfactory and fell short of best recognised records management standards and practice. The integration of labour organisations into national e-readiness initiatives as espoused in key policy proclamations within the context of the pursuance of a holistic knowledge and information society was slow and remained challenging. In order to foster successful e-records readiness in labour organisations, several recommendations were advanced that underscored effective ICT adoption and use, implementation of best records management practices and rigorous integration of labour organisations into the information and knowledge society in Botswana. In addition, an integrated framework for examining and understanding e-records readiness in labour organisations was proposed and documented. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)