In 21st century, the development strategy and the management policy of Information Communication Technology (ICT) is a key issue to a nation¡¦s competitiveness. Particularly, the development of telecommunication liberalization, governance in the telecommunications regime and the relevant science and technology policies of the telecommunication industry is the most important factor for creating a leading knowledge-based economy for Information Communication Technology related industries. Looking forward to the future, the trends and developments of the convergence of telecommunication, broadcasting and internet services will drive the demand for the telecommunication and broadcasting industries to look for cost-efficient provisioning of converged multimedia services. The emerging technology of next generation network (NGN) infrastructure enables the convergence of multi-access networks to deliver the multimedia contents and application services seamlessly. Therefore, the consumers, government, and industry can obtain the benefits because of technology development and industrial cooperation. In addition, the converged broadcasting and telecommunication services as well as Fixed-Mobile Converged applications over the internets results in the needs for the improvement in network interconnectivity and service interoperability. No matter it is telecommunication, broadcasting or information, to converge as common info-communication services, such as telephony, data and multimedia will eventually run over the all IP networks. Therefore, IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) becomes one of the promising technologies to drive it happen. However, existing policy and regulations must cope with the changes of this development. The liberalization of broadband and communication market allows the participation of the private companies to create new investment and revenue. This research studies the possible evolution of an IP-based communication infrastructure from today's networks toward a converged next generation network and proposes an Inter-Exchange Center of Converged Network Architecture (IEXCNA), applying to VoIP service. The IEXCNA model shows more efficient in the transmission, interconnectivity and reducing implementation cost of network infrastructure. Thus the consumers are able to enjoy better quality of service and cheaper rate of use for multimedia services.

<p>This paper is inspired by the ills borne out of the internet. The internet has become a modern day tool for criminals seeking to conceal the proceeds derived from their crime, hence the&nbsp / problematic notion of cyberlaundering. This paper journeys through the world of cyberlaundering by looking into the structure of the crime in great depth. It explores various possibilities, and tries to hatch out viable solutions to the dilemma.</p>

Gabon is a Sub-Saharan francophone country which has been independent since August 1960. Its Educational System is modelled on the French System. However, the Gabonese Education System currently does not have any guidelines or policies for the system-wide implementation, integration and use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into the education system. The Gabonese Government committed itself to some ICT-related partnerships, but did not launch any programme or activity relating to those commitments. In addition, the Government provided funding to change the country’s Internet connectivity by satellite with the WASC/SAT3 sub-marine cable in order to make Internet access and connection ten times cheaper at the international level. Unfortunately, the benefit from this investment is not experienced in the country as the potential users, such as teachers, keep having challenges with Internet connection. After fifty years of independence, the government also does not offer sufficient opportunity for teachers to enhance their pedagogical knowledge and skill through teacher professional development (TPD). As a result, no research, guidelines or policies exist for the implementation and use of Open Distance Learning (ODL) for TPD supported by ICT. The aim of this qualitative descriptive exploratory research study was to explore, describe and understand the enablers and challenges of initiating ICT in the ODL training of Gabonese in-service teachers. Although the academic seat for this research was the School of Continuing Teacher Education on the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University in South Africa, the research project’s focus, conceptualisation, data-collection and data-interpretation were all based and conducted within the researcher’s heimat, i.e. the Gabonese Education System context. An interactive qualitative casestudy research design (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005; Merriam, 1998) was used in this investigation to obtain in-depth context sensitive data concerning the attitudes, fears, needs, expectations, infrastructure and readiness of the Gabonese Education teachers (at schools and training institutions) for the implementation and use of ICT for ODL training of Gabonese English (second language) teachers, collected through qualitative research methods, i.e. semi-structured open-ended individual and focusgroup interviews, as well as additional research artefacts in the form of photographs to visually record the unique contexts involved. The researcher decided to involve Gabonese English (second language) teachers in the investigation, as he has worked in this discipline for at least twenty years. To ensure sufficient participants, the researcher made use of a snowball strategy where participants in the research referred others. Participants were also selected according to specific selection criteria. Two English (second language) teachers, one school principal, four ICT specialists, one advisor of English teachers, and one inspector of English teachers (ICT specialist) participated in eight individual interviews. Nine English teachers and two advisors of English teachers participated in four focus-group interviews. All interviews were conducted in French. At the North-West University in South Africa, the researcher transcribed the interview data and used ATLAS.ti™ (qualitative data-analysis software) to construct an integrated data-set for analysis. Qualitative data-analysis was performed under the guidance of an expert researcher in qualitative data-analysis. The relevant research findings were translated into English for the purpose of this report. Qualitative data-analysis of the integrated data-set identified six categories of data related to three themes, i.e. (i) Gabonese Education, (ii) ICT in Gabon and (iii) ODL in Gabon. The six categories are: (i) Challenges of Gabonese Education, (ii) Enablers of Gabonese Education, (iii) Challenges to implementation and integration of ICT, (iv) Enablers of ICT; (v) Challenges of ODL, and (vi) Enablers of ODL. These categories supported by codes and quotations provide basic ideas on the research enablers and challenges of initiating ICT in ODL training of Gabonese in-service teachers. The discussion comprises thirty codes, and recommendations are made. The findings of this rich qualitative exploration could benefit and support the Gabonese Education Department, policy makers and academic institutions in their quest to implement, integrate and use ICT in the TPD of in-service teachers via DE and ODL. / Thesis (MEd (Curriculum Development))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Gabon is a Sub-Saharan francophone country which has been independent since August 1960. Its Educational System is modelled on the French System. However, the Gabonese Education System currently does not have any guidelines or policies for the system-wide implementation, integration and use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into the education system. The Gabonese Government committed itself to some ICT-related partnerships, but did not launch any programme or activity relating to those commitments. In addition, the Government provided funding to change the country’s Internet connectivity by satellite with the WASC/SAT3 sub-marine cable in order to make Internet access and connection ten times cheaper at the international level. Unfortunately, the benefit from this investment is not experienced in the country as the potential users, such as teachers, keep having challenges with Internet connection. After fifty years of independence, the government also does not offer sufficient opportunity for teachers to enhance their pedagogical knowledge and skill through teacher professional development (TPD). As a result, no research, guidelines or policies exist for the implementation and use of Open Distance Learning (ODL) for TPD supported by ICT. The aim of this qualitative descriptive exploratory research study was to explore, describe and understand the enablers and challenges of initiating ICT in the ODL training of Gabonese in-service teachers. Although the academic seat for this research was the School of Continuing Teacher Education on the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University in South Africa, the research project’s focus, conceptualisation, data-collection and data-interpretation were all based and conducted within the researcher’s heimat, i.e. the Gabonese Education System context. An interactive qualitative casestudy research design (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005; Merriam, 1998) was used in this investigation to obtain in-depth context sensitive data concerning the attitudes, fears, needs, expectations, infrastructure and readiness of the Gabonese Education teachers (at schools and training institutions) for the implementation and use of ICT for ODL training of Gabonese English (second language) teachers, collected through qualitative research methods, i.e. semi-structured open-ended individual and focusgroup interviews, as well as additional research artefacts in the form of photographs to visually record the unique contexts involved. The researcher decided to involve Gabonese English (second language) teachers in the investigation, as he has worked in this discipline for at least twenty years. To ensure sufficient participants, the researcher made use of a snowball strategy where participants in the research referred others. Participants were also selected according to specific selection criteria. Two English (second language) teachers, one school principal, four ICT specialists, one advisor of English teachers, and one inspector of English teachers (ICT specialist) participated in eight individual interviews. Nine English teachers and two advisors of English teachers participated in four focus-group interviews. All interviews were conducted in French. At the North-West University in South Africa, the researcher transcribed the interview data and used ATLAS.ti™ (qualitative data-analysis software) to construct an integrated data-set for analysis. Qualitative data-analysis was performed under the guidance of an expert researcher in qualitative data-analysis. The relevant research findings were translated into English for the purpose of this report. Qualitative data-analysis of the integrated data-set identified six categories of data related to three themes, i.e. (i) Gabonese Education, (ii) ICT in Gabon and (iii) ODL in Gabon. The six categories are: (i) Challenges of Gabonese Education, (ii) Enablers of Gabonese Education, (iii) Challenges to implementation and integration of ICT, (iv) Enablers of ICT; (v) Challenges of ODL, and (vi) Enablers of ODL. These categories supported by codes and quotations provide basic ideas on the research enablers and challenges of initiating ICT in ODL training of Gabonese in-service teachers. The discussion comprises thirty codes, and recommendations are made. The findings of this rich qualitative exploration could benefit and support the Gabonese Education Department, policy makers and academic institutions in their quest to implement, integrate and use ICT in the TPD of in-service teachers via DE and ODL. / Thesis (MEd (Curriculum Development))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Από τα δεδομένα μιας ποιοτικής προσέγγισης του φαινομένου της εισαγωγής και πιθανής ενσωμάτωσης των Τεχνολογιών Πληροφορίας και Επικοινωνίας στο μάθημα της ιστορίας (σχολικό έτος 2009-2010) προκύπτει ότι η δευτεροβάθμια εκπαίδευση δεν ανταποκρίνεται στις τάσεις και προκλήσεις που σημειώθηκαν και σημειώνονται στο χώρο της παιδείας σε παγκόσμιο επίπεδο. Ανάγκες εκσυγχρονισμού και ευριζωνικότητας παραμένουν ανικανοποίητες. Έτσι, αναδεικνύονται παραδοσιακές μορφές συμβολικού ελέγχου που φαίνεται να κυριαρχούν στο σύγχρονο εκπαιδευτικό χώρο. Ακόμα και σημαντικές πρωτοβουλίες προώθησης της αλλαγής (net book) φαντάζουν στα μάτια των εκπαιδευτικών «αυθαίρετες» εκφράσεις εξουσίας χωρίς αποτέλεσμα. Όσοι εκπαιδευτικοί τόλμησαν την αλλαγή βίωσαν την ανάγκη ξεπαγώματος μιας ισχυρά δομημένης εκπαιδευτικής πρακτικής στο πλαίσιο ανέτοιμων εγκαταστάσεων και συνειδήσεων για την αποδοχή του εμβλήματος της εποχής. Συμπερασματικά λοιπόν, η παγίωση μιας εκπαιδευτικής καινοτομίας δεν εξασφαλίζει μαθησιακά αποτελέσματα με διχοτομήσεις του τύπου κλειστό/ανοικτό σχολείο αντίθετα απαιτείται συντονισμός και συλλογική δράση. / It can be elicited from the qualitative data that the quadric education doesn’t correspond to the tendencies and the challenges that take place in the field of education worldwide. The need for update remains unsatisfied. As a result traditional forms of symbolic control emerge and seem to dominate in the current educational area. Even important initiatives that promote change (net book) have been treated by the educators as arbitrary and ineffective expressions of authority. On the other hand some of those who presumed to launch this change they faced a deeply rooted educational practice underlined by the lack of facilities and the lack of consciousness which in turn discourage the need for change. Concluding, the consolidation of an educational novelty doesn’t provide learning outcomes with dichotomies such as open or close school but on the contrary coordination and collective action is needed.

Thesis (DTech (Tourism and Hospitality Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / Prior studies have shown that the information communication technology sector worldwide is perceived as a transformative and enabling tool for the other economic activities to improve citizens’ lives. In a Rwandan context, information communication technology integration in economic sector activities such as tourism, with the adoption of a value chain approach, is thought to be an answer to a number of social and economic challenges, including unemployment, customer care services, and poor information knowledge. In combination with the tourism sector, it is possible that job creation opportunities could benefit unemployed Rwandans, particularly the young, where information communication technology is identified as a business in itself, and an enabling tool to improve inter-economic and crosscutting activities in a growing economy. Despite mixed results from various studies, information communication technology for a tourism village could be an enabling tool for national and regional development, if priority focus on ICT and tourism quality infrastructures is maintained. Research on the evolving nature of the information communication technology sector, through tourism activities in Rwanda, could yield many off-farm jobs besides solely agrarian activities. The study was conducted on an extensive scale, in order to facilitate the generalisation of the results, employing 720 tourism stakeholders’ surveys, ten interviews with government tourism officials, and ten focus group discussions to garner both quantitative and qualitative data. A mixed research method was used to minimise possible research bias and maximise the accuracy of the findings in the four provinces and Kigali City in Rwanda. Of the 720 questionnaires distributed, 615 were usable. Regarding the interviews with government officials, focus group discussions, field observations and secondary data analysis, the researcher found that the information communication technology contribution to tourism stakeholders’ economic lives was at variance with residents’ perceptions in the provinces and districts, and contradicted the information communication technology benefits of connectivity, internet accessibility and usability in their locality. It was also confirmed that information communication technology contributions to tourism stakeholders were at a very low level, where the contribution was limited to telephone subscriptions and their uses, for example for mobile money transfers. The future of information communication technology contributions to tourism stakeholders is positive, if integrated value chain approaches are adopted to benefit poor communities at a tourist destination being visited. A model of an information communication technology village for the development of a tourism village is proposed. This could serve as a catalyst to measure the impacts on both the information communication technology and tourism sectors discussed in this study. More importantly, it was clearly found that the culture of approaching local communities in the process of policy drafting, or any developmental programme, is not present in Rwanda, and this was shown as a critical issue because of the costly nature of implementation of changes. Consequently, this study found that there was potential to support projections for information communication technology policies to achieve the objectives of sustainable development through tourism, promoting rural development, and a reduction of poverty in general / Rwandan Government, through the Ministry of Education

Thesis (MTech(Design))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012 / To design from a human perspective rather than from existing technological opportunities, and involving multiple stakeholders with their different perspectives, is an important aspect of participatory design and user-centered design. This thesis project was an explorative study done on a wine estate, in the Western Cape, South Africa, to find novel ICT solutions, for supporting co-operation and planning between multiple and individual work tasks in the work practice. This research explored potentials to manage multiple stakeholders and use their different perspectives to inform design research. The thesis project shows the ethnographic research gathered through video shadowing, workshop results involving the users to contribute to the development of the design by acting with a projection, leading up to a design opening and further focused on the concept development with the stakeholders.The thesis proposes a simulated concept namely the Visual Calculator (VC). This system is designed to involve several participators within a work practice. It supports calculation activities for spraying and buying chemicals. It saves the user time by incorporating standard calculations to output needed information faster. It supports planning, management and record keeping aspects of the farm manager’s work practice in the vineyard spraying process. Although the concept was more fully developed for the farm manager, the VC involves two other work roles including the owner and foreman. The concept focuses on a human centered perspective, instead of making the system fully automated, giving users control and not controlling the users. For this to be successful work should be divided and have equal responsibilities, each stakeholder can contribute and value their part of the work, knowing where it fits in, why it is important and how it influences other aspects of the work practice. The research outcome involves, envisioning the future potentials of the design (VC), design for participation, a way to identify design openings, problem solving and conceptualizing by utilizing user’s strengths.

Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Technology: Informatics in the Faculty of Informatics and Design at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology / Background: Daily activities within a health care organization are mediated by information communication processes (ICP), which involve multiple health care professionals. During pregnancy, birth and motherhood a woman may encounter different professionals including midwives, doctors, laboratory personnel and others. Effective management requires critical information to be accurately communicated. If there is a breakdown in this communication patient safety is at risk for various reasons such as; inadequate critical information, misconception of information and uninformed decisions being made. Method: Multi method, multiple case study approach was used to explore and describe the complexities involved in the (ICP), during the management of the intrapartum period. During the study the expected ICP, the actual ICP, the challenges involved and the desired ICP were analysed. 24 In-depth interviews with skilled birth attendants were conducted, observer- as- participant role was utilized during the observation, fild notes, reflective diaries and document review methods were used to gather the data. Thematic analysis and activity analysis were applied to analyse the data. Findings: The findings illuminated that there are expectations of accessibility to care of the woman during pregnancy birth and the intrapartum, especially linked to referral processes. The actual ICP focused on documentation and communication of the information within and between organizations. Communication was marked by inadequate documentation and therefore errors in the information communicated. The desires for communication were illuminated by the need to change the current situation. Further a framework for effective information communication was developed: the FAAS framework for the effective management of the intrapartum period. Conclusion: In conclusion what is expected is not what is actually happening. The skilled birth attendants (SBAs) do not necessarily have the answers for change but the challenges were identified as desires for change. I urge that the framework will provide a basis for the evaluation of the effectiveness involved in the ICP for the effective management of the intrapartum period.

Annotation This diploma thesis in its theoretical part sums up didactic approaches which serve as a starting point for designing teaching methods and suitable presentation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to primary school children. The thesis deals with the impact ICT has on the development of pupils´ personalities with regard to innovative educational processes which are now at work in our schools. The thesis wants to propose and prove possible and useful approaches to ICT teaching at primary schools based on research in the current state of ICT teaching and in the computer literacy of pupils and on teachers´ own ``best experience{\crqq}. The hypothesis was that pupils in ICT lessons are able to work in pairs effectively and that the one with better knowledge of computers can help and give advice to the less experienced one in the pair. In the practical part of the thesis computer literacy of pupils in second and third grades of primary schools is checked with help of a questionnaire. On the basis of selected didactic approaches and analysis of the questionnaire answers a dyadic teaching method was designed and proved in practice. The use of dyadic method is one of possible ways to reach optimal results in ICT teaching at primary schools. The thesis proposes a teaching plan for a third grade of primary school. This teaching plan, effectivity of which was checked in practice and the outcome analysed, can serve as an inspiration for beginning teachers and help them to design their teaching plans for ICT lessons or for employing ICT in other subjects.

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>