Wireless technologies, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) and Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), are making it easier to provide the much needed telecommunications infrastructure in marginalized areas worldwide. These technologies enable the rapid deployment of network services as well as their redistribution throughout these marginalized areas. The ability to bring Internet connectivity to previously underserviced and marginalized areas has the potential to leap-frog socio-economic development and improve participation in the global knowledge economy. This study investigated how wireless access technologies, such as WiMAX and WiFi, can be integrated and used to deliver ubiquitous distributed Internet connectivity with increased capillarity in rural areas. The research was undertaken within an ICT for Development (ICT4D) intervention called Siyakhula Living Lab (SLL) which is based in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The research further eliminated the accessibility constraints associated with long distances and remoteness from the Digital Access Nodes (DANs) and provided increased penetration in the network in contrast to the traditional Telecentre model which has been used extensively in ICT4D interventions. This was achieved by deploying WiFi hotspots around the DANs and extending the existing SLL WiMAX backbone to increase the network footprint to neighboring communities. The technical result of the research has been the provision of increased capillarity on the network and service redistribution throughout the entire Dwesa community. Consequently, this has given local community members an opportunity to access network services easily and ubiquitously. Finally, the research investigated and presented the benefits of such wireless network deployment configurations on ICT4D activities in marginalized areas.

Outbreaks of novel influenza viruses are continually occurring on many places on our planet, with the ultimate and most extreme consequence being a full-scale pandemic. Modern communication technology is widely used for risk communication regarding recommended change in behavior patterns and other precautions in order to mitigate the transmission. However, the assumption and bias that modern communication technology constitutes the norm causes vulnerable groups to be at possible risk of systematic exclusion to correct and updated information. Through conducting a literature- and case analysis, the aim of this study is to identify insufficient or inadequate risk communication efforts in South Korea and Vietnam during influenza outbreaks, especially with concern of vulnerable groups. Further, to analyze how national influenza preparedness plans observe or ignore these insufficiencies. Results show that vulnerable groups are explicitly recognized in the preparedness plan of Vietnam. However, the South Korean preparedness plan show a more homogenous approach. Both South Korea and Vietnam showed a broad variety of channels used in their risk communication strategies which could be positive in terms of a broad outreach to a heterogenous population, including vulnerable groups. Four key factors that moderate the outcomes of risk communication were identified: Channels, Messages, Transparency and Trust.

Introduktion: Alla i samhället påverkas av den digitala omställningen och covid-19 pandemin har fungerat som murbräcka för både ökad digital transformering och ökad användning. den äldre gruppen varit mest utsatt inte bara iform av ökad risk för död till följd av sjukdomen utan även varit begränsad i sitt sociala liv med minskad delaktighet som följd. Trots rekommendationer beträffande isolering och karantän har viss social interaktion ägt rum och även med hjälp av digitala verktyg men emellertid resulterat i ökad social isolering med ohälsa både på fysiskt och psykiskt plan (Folkhälsomyndigheten, 2022a). Covid-19 pandemin har gett upphov till etiska frågor, vilket aktualiserar andra frågor som exempelvis vilket samhället som skapas, vilka attityder som ska styra, vilka normer som samhället ska eftersträva och med det vilka etiska perspektiv det nya ska antas. Syfte: Studiens syfte är att undersöka äldres digitaladelaktighet med fokus på den digitala klyftan med etiska överväganden för att resultera i ökad inkludering. Metod: En strukturerad litteraturstudie som inkluderade 11 vetenskapliga artiklar publicerade 2019–2022 som söktes i databaserna PubMed och Web of Science. Resultat:Resultaten visar det komplexa sambandet mellan äldres digitala användning för ökad delaktighet, för aktivt åldrande och samhällsengagemang. Slutsats: Trots ökad digital tillgång är äldre fortfarande utanför digitaliseringen i samhället av mångfaktoriella orsaker. För ökad digital inkludering och delaktighet föreslås genom resultat, att fokusera på de äldres olika behov och ändra perspektiv genom fokusera på det aktiva åldrandet som en resurs för samhället och dess utveckling. / Introduction: Everyone in the society is affected by the digital transition and the Covid-19 pandemic has served as a gateway for both increased digital transformation and increased use. The elderly have been most exposed not only in the form of increased risk of death dueto a disease but also as victims limitations in social life with reduced participation as anoutcome. Despite recommendations regarding isolation and quarantine, some social interaction has taken place. Also with the help of digital tools, but has nevertheless increased social isolation resulting in ill health (Public Health Agency, 2022). The Covid-19 pandemic has given rise to ethical issues. Which raises other issues such as which kind ofsociety is created, which attitudes prevail, which norms the society is apt to strive for and with which new ethical perspectives are to be adopted. Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate the digital participation of the elderly with a focus on the digital divide with special reference to ethical considerations such as potential for increased inclusion. Method: A structured literature review including 11 scientific articles published in 2019–2022 found in the databases PubMed and Web of Science. Results: The results showed atcomplex association between the elderly's digital use for increased participation, for active aging and community involvement. Conclusion: Despite increased digital access, the elderly still stand outside digitalisation in the society for multifactorial reasons. For increased digital inclusion and participation, the results suggest to focus on the different needs of the elderly and change of perspective by focusing on active aging as a resource for the society and its development.

Technology has provided more people access products and services, yet some individuals who would benefit the most from digital access to resources are frequently excluded from participation. One group that is largely neglected is the disability community. Despite federal regulations intended to ensure that people with physical/mental disabilities are included in public digital platforms, organizations continuously design websites, applications, and interfaces without people with disabilities in mind. This is particularly the case with small businesses, which are most commonly reported as having inaccessible digital platforms. Digital inclusion attempts to ensure equity in digital properties by providing a model to operationalize inclusion across technologies. This qualitative case study examines how a small business owner in an urban U.S. city prioritizes digital inclusion in his daily operations. Using a responsive interview model, the business owner’s experiences, attitudes, and priorities were recorded. Six themes appeared from this study: perceptions of disability influence digital inclusion, powerful branding suggests digital access, unawareness of accessibility guidelines, UX testing overlooks input from people with disabilities, inclusion is tough to enforce on digital platforms, and workarounds hinder digital improvements.

Vårt samhälle blir alltmer digitaliserat och för generationer födda innan internets intågande i hemmen har inte användandet av internet och sociala medier alltid varit en självklarhet. Därför undersöker denna studie hur sociala och personliga aspekter hos svenska personer över 70 år påverkar motivation och attityd i användandet av sociala medier, hur de upplever sin digitala kunskap, hur de upplever att de förhåller sig källkritiskt till information på sociala medier och om de sprider informationen vidare. Studien använde sig av teorier om digitala klyftor, mediekompetens, falsk information och källkritik och genomfördes genom kvalitativa intervjuer. Resultatet visade att sociala aspekter har stor betydelse för deltagarnas motivation och attityd i användandet av sociala medier och att deltagarna upplever brister i sin digitala kunskap, men att få ville vidareutveckla den. De flesta upplever att de tänker källkritiskt kring information som de anser är av viktigt och om den inte bedöms vara viktig kontrolleras den inte. Deltagarna i denna studie anser sig inte sprida information från sociala medier i någon större utsträckning. / Our society is becoming increasingly digital and for generations born before the Internet became an integrated part of peoples home the use of the internet and social media has not always been an obvious part of daily life. Therefore, this study examines how social and personal aspects affect motivation and attitude in the use of social media in Swedish people over the age of 70, how they experience their digital literacy, how source critical they experience themselves to be towards information on social media and whether they are spreading the information to others. The study used theories of digital divide, media literacy, misinformation and source criticism and was conducted through qualitative interviews. The results showed that social aspects are of great importance for the participants' motivation and attitude in the use of social media and that the participants experienced shortcomings in their digital literacy, but few wanted to further develop it. Most of them experience that they think critically about information that they consider to be important and if it is not deemed to be important, it is not checked. The participants in this study do not consider themselves disseminating information from social media to any great extent.

Introduktion: Digitaliseringens påverkan på samhället och individen är omfattande – samt genomsyrar samtliga dimensioner av folkhälsans bestämningsfaktorer. Därtill tillskrivs digital inkludering som en betydande social bestämningsfaktor för människors hälsa. Digital delaktighet och tillgänglighet är betydelsefulla faktorer för personer med ryggsmärtor i och med att fysiska begränsningar försvårar möjligheten till delaktighet i samhället. Delaktighet är en betydelsefull komponent i ett rättvist och demokratiskt samhälle. Syfte: Studiens syfte var att undersöka på vilket sätt digitaliseringen påverkar delaktighet och tillgänglighet för kvinnor med begränsande nack- eller ryggtillstånd. Metod: Studiens design var kvalitativ – i vilket 3 fokusgruppsintervjuer och innehållsanalys med en induktiv ansats var studiens metoder. Urvalet bestod av totalt 18 kvinnor ifrån olika patientföreningar – med erfarenheter eller kunskaper av begränsande nack- eller ryggtillstånd. Resultat: Studien visade att digitaliseringen främjar social och samhällelig delaktighet för målgruppen. Dessutom framkom att digitaliseringen främjar egenmakt att delta, skapar en känsla av gemenskap, förtydligar informations- och kommunikationsmöjligheterna samt förtydligar utanförskap. Digital gemenskap med hjärtat i mitten är den modell som bäst beskriver studiens resultat och digitaliseringens betydelser för människan bakom datorskärmen. Att digitaliseringen både främjar och underlättar delaktighet inom flera betydelsefulla sammanhang samtidigt som individens egenmakt stärktes förtydligades. Slutsats: Studiens slutats är att digitaliseringen har stor potential att främja delaktighet, tillgänglighet och gemenskap för personer med begränsande nack- eller ryggtillstånd. Det fina med digital delaktighet är dess inkluderande och hälsofrämjande inverkan på individen och individens livssituation. Dock finns det flera utmaningar med digitaliseringen som behöver belysas – såsom utanförskap och den digitala klyftan. / Introduction: The impact of digitization on society and the individual is extensive – and permeates all dimensions of the determinants of public health. In addition, digital inclusion is attributed as a significant social determinant of people's health. Digital participation and accessibility are important factors for people with back pain in that physical limitations make it difficult to participate in society. Participation is an important component of a democratic society. Aim: The purpose of the study was to investigate how digitization affects participation and accessibility for women with limiting neck or back conditions. Methods: The study's design was qualitative – in which 3 focus group interviews and content analysis with an inductive approach were the study's methods. The selection consisted of 18 women from various patient associations – all with experience or knowledge of limiting neck or back conditions. Results: The study's results showed that digitization promoted social and societal participation for the target group. In addition, it emerged that digitization promotes empowerment to participate, creates a sense of community, clarifies the information and communication possibilities and better reveals exclusion. Digital community with the heart in the middle describes the results of the study and the implications of digitization for the person behind the computer. It was made clear that digitization both promotes and facilitates participation within several important contexts while strengthening the individual's empowerment. Conclusion: The study concluded that digitization has great potential to promote participation, accessibility and community for people with limiting neck or back conditions. The beauty of digital participation is its inclusive and health promoting impact on the individual and the individual's life situation. There are several challenges with digitization that need to be highlighted – such as the digital divide.

Digitization is shaping society, services that were previously handled analogically are now managed digitally. The COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a catalyst for the increasing use of digital services. This has contributed to the digital divide between individuals who can access digital services and those who cannot. Reducing digital inequality is crucial for sustainable development in our digital society. A study on digital exclusion with the aim to investigate the significance of BankID for residents. Through analyzing scientific articles based on assumptions formulated through research in the field. The research question that the study seeks to answer is, "In what way does BankID risk becoming a socially excluding tool?”. Twelve interviews were conducted with respondents aged 65 or older. These interviews provided the basis for three different themes that were analyzed. The study reveals that older individuals strongly associate the use of BankID with their home environment for security reasons. This connection indicates their serious commitment to digital security but may potentially widen the digitalgap between older and younger generations. In conclusion, the study emphasizes the importance of finding a balance between security and inclusion to ensure that respondents do not miss out on digital opportunities. The results underscore the need to improve the userfriendliness and clarity of BankID to enhance digital competence and reduce digital exclusion. / Digitisering präglar samhället där tjänster som innan har skötts analogt nu han-teras digitalt. Pandemin COVID- 19 har agerat som en “katalysator” för ökande digitala tjänster. Detta har bidragit till den digital klyfta mellan individer som kan utnyttja digitala tjänster och de som inte kan. Reduceringen av den digitala ojämlikheten är väsentlig för att utveckla det digitala samhället på ett hållbart sätt. En studie om digitalt utanförskap med syfte att undersöka betydelse av BankID för invånare. Arbetet analyser vetenskapliga artiklar utifrån antagande som formulerades med hjälp av forskning inom området. Forskningsfrågan som studien syftar att besvara är “På vilket sätt riskerar BankID att vara ett socialt exkluderande verktyg”. Tolv intervjuer utfördes med respondenter som är 65 år eller äldre. Dessa intervjuer lägger underlag för tre olika teman som analyseras. Studien visar att äldre starkt relaterar användningen av BankID till deras hemmiljö av säkerhetsskäl. Denna koppling visar att de tar sin digitala säkerhet på allvar men kan potentiellt öka den digitala klyftan mellan äldre och yngre generationer. Sammanfattningsvis dras slutsatsen att balansen mellan säkerhet och inkludering är avgörande för att respondenterna inte ska missa digitala möjligheter. Resultatet understryker vikten av att förbättra användarvänligheten och tydligheten kring BankID för att öka digitala kompetensen och minska digitalt utanför-skap

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Many development organisations are initiating programs in Sub-Saharan Africa bringing information technology to community centres, schools, universities, and government institutions. In the United States and more particularly Silicon Valley, California, people are convinced of the benefits of the Internet. An organisation started in this context, Schools Online, has initiated programs in over 31 countries and spent millions of dollars in the South. The study focuses on Schools Online's history, structure, and vision while researching its activities in a rural school in the town of Jinja, Uganda, in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is recommended that Schools Online listens and learns from its beneficiaries when planning an information technology project. / Development Studies / M. A. (Development Studies)

Undergraduate software engineering learners demonstrate a lack of motivation with face-to-face classroom education. Limited access to the Internet via PCs and laptops, hinders effective communication and collaboration. However, the majority of learners enrolled for studies in tertiary education, have cellphones and are proficient in the use of digital technology. A technology-enhanced m-learning solution is indicated. This research project evaluates the usability and user experience of an m-learning environment, custom-designed for a tertiary educational context and delivered by mobile handheld devices, features a synthesized framework of categories and criteria, and determines the nature and scope of an emergent digital divide. A design-based research model suited to the context of the study is implemented, gathering quantitative and qualitative data from experts and learners by survey questionnaires. Analysis of data highlights usability and UX problems, provides insight into an emergent digital divide and suggests guidelines specific to the design of m-learning implementations. / Educational Studies / M. Sc. (Information Systems)