Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1972. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1979 A33 / Master of Science

Thesis (D Phil (Information Science))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Abstract in English. Includes bibliographical references.

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Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) is an emerging research area that is concerned with the beneficial applications of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to achieve developmental goals. ICT4D is thus concerned with designing and developing innovative technologies for resource-constrained environments for applications in key areas of social development such as health, agriculture and education. The ICT4D initiatives, therefore, are driving three main tasks, namely developing the required infrastructure (connectivity, electricity and computing devices) sustainably, building the required ICT human capacity, and providing access to digital content and services. Each of these three main thrusts necessitates innovation. This study addresses the evident lack of delivery mechanisms to facilitate access to digital content and services to end-users through the technologies that these end-users already possess. This lack of innovative delivery mechanisms is both an impediment to achieving equitable access to digital content and service and an opportunity to innovate. Therefore, drawing from the theoretical background of ICT4D, this study develops a set of technical and socio-technical requirements that the missing delivery mechanisms should satisfy. The study also explores the Service Delivery Platform (SDP) concept as a technically viable basis for the required delivery mechanisms. The study then develops a conceptual model of an Access-Technology-Agnostic Delivery Mechanism as a possible delivery mechanism that facilitates equitable access to digital content and services within an ICT4D context. The relevance of the conceptual model is established and, through a prototype implementation, the technical feasibility and utility of the conceptual model is demonstrated. The conceptual model is demonstrated through a proof of concept implementation using standards-based open source technologies. The proof of concept clearly demonstrates that the access-technology-agnostic delivery of digital content and services is achievable, thus making the same service accessible through different access technologies. In developing the Access-Technology-Agnostic Delivery Mechanism, this study contributes through innovation to providing access to digital content and services in an access-technology-agnostic manner.

Knowledge is the key to growth and development. Unfortunately, the knowledge gap which exists between industrialized countries and developing ones is large. As information technologies play an essential role in the movement of knowledge and information, they hold promise for the reduction of this gap. Information technologies are being introduced progressively in all activities of both the public and private sectors. Business organizations and commercial activities are thus being profoundly transformed, at varying levels and by different instruments. Developing countries cannot afford to be left behind in this information revolution. The international community recognizes this, and has instituted a range of programmes promoting electronic commerce in developing countries. However, to maximize the benefits, developing countries must put in place an environment that favours and promotes the acquisition, absorption and communication of knowledge by their citizens and business enterprises.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Technology: Information Technology in the Faculty of Informatics and Design at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2013 / During the last few years it has become evident that first-year undergraduate computer science programming learners in the Financial Information Systems (FIS) programme at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) in South Africa, encounter numerous barriers to successfully practice their programming skills, as well as to design, develop, test and electronically submit their computer science programming assignments. As a result, the formative and summative assessment marks of these learners over the past few years indicate a concerning downward trend year on year, a challenge with which most first-year learners find it difficult to come to terms with. This is primarily due to a plethora of obstacles that impede on learners' ability to complete and electronically submit their programming assignments, especially off-campus, as well as the inability to practice their programming skills outside the boundaries of the classroom. Upon investigation it was determined that this trend is primarily attributed to three major stumbling blocks, namely the limited availability of computers, the absence of the required software needed to complete programming assignments off-campus, and the limited availability of Internet access off-campus.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to explore the deployment of Information Communication Tech-nology to rural communities of KwaZulu-Natal from the perspective of the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), the technology implementers of government. SITA‘s regional of-fice in KwaZulu-Natal is relatively small, with a total of 52 employees who have a direct and indirect role to play with regards to ICT deployment. A quantitative research methodology was utilised in this study. Data was gathered with the aid of a questionnaire. Fifty-two questionnaires were sent out to the targeted employees of SITA and forty-seven responses were received. The response rate was ninety percent. The results of the survey revealed that sixty percent of respondents felt that rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal were not prepared to participate in e-government. When asked to indicate the importance of Information Communication Technology policy and regulatory frameworks that specifically address technology deployment to rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal, sixty per-cent of respondents acknowledged the importance. Over two thirds of respondents indicated that lack of infrastructure was a hindrance to technology deployment while less than one third did not know if this was a hindrance. The study also revealed that the main motivation for ICT de-ployment was social inclusion and to improve digital inclusiveness. Based on the empirical evidence, the researcher recommends that government take these per-spectives of the technology implementers into consideration when formulating Information Communication Technology policies and legislative frameworks that will be used as a basis for technology deployment to these rural communities. It is also recommended that government do more in terms of training and sensitizing technology implementers and end users, and developing support infrastructure, such as the electrification of rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal, in order to create an enabling environment for new ICT initiative deployment and to enable com-munity members to be adequately prepared to participate in ICT initiatives such as e-governance, which was identified as a priority area. Due to the limitations of this study, particu-larly the fact that it is based on one province, KwaZulu-Natal, it is recommended that further research be carried out into deployment of ICT to rural communities. / Thesis (M.Comm.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Information and Communications Technology Degree, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / Telecentres are a means of allowing members of disadvantaged communities access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) so that they are included in the digital world. Thorough literature searches, along with communication with the Uni-versal Service Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA) indicated that there was no common operational monitoring model for Telecentres. The lack of such a model re-sulted in a lack of real time user and usage profile information to provide strategic business insights for managers. To obtain the requirements for this model, different stakeholders of South African Telecentres were consulted, and these consultations were supplemented by research studies based on international Telecentres. After a detailed evaluation of the different research methodologies, positivism and re-ductionism were selected as the most appropriate conceptual frameworks for the re-search. The research design included both quantitative and qualitative research meth-ods. Requirements engineering was used to provide a number of different methods for verification and modelling. The UML methodology was used to represent the TeleMun monitoring model. A specific UML diagram, the activity diagram, was used to validate the phase consistency of the TeleMun model using the semiformal tool of VeriScene. The choice of methods depended on several factors, for example, the problem domain, and the nature of the solution required, amongst others. Design science methodology was selected as an overarching methodology to encompass the full process from re-quirements to the final design and reporting phases. This methodology was used both in the design of the model and in the design of VeriScene. (The literature review had revealed that there was a gap concerning appropriate phase consistency tools to ensure consistency between the requirements and design phases. To address this gap, a tool ‘VeriScene’ was developed to provide this consistency). In order to analyse these re-quirements, a combination of different appropriate methods was selected, providing the design strength associated with triangulation. These requirements engineering methods were applied to derive the TeleMun model. Thus the monitoring model, TeleMun, was developed, verified and partially validated using several requirements engineering methods. The model is designed at a high level and therefore can be modified to suit other local and international Telecentre opera-tions. / M