A tecnologia da informação e comunicação (TIC) tem se tornado cada vez mais comum no cotidiano da sociedade atual. Diversas são as facilidades disponibilizadas para os indivíduos habilitados no uso da TIC. Entretanto, estar habilitado em TIC não corresponde apenas a aspectos de conforto; a falta dessa habilitação restringe oportunidades importantes. Destaca-se a relevância deste conhecimento no ambiente acadêmico, no qual os alunos são constantemente chamados à execução de atividades apoiadas por computadores e aplicativos. Para ingressar no mercado de trabalho, nas mais diversas áreas de atuação, tem-se exigido o prévio preparo relacionado aos conhecimentos e habilidades sobre a TIC. Felizmente, os dispositivos de TIC têm se tornado cada vez mais acessíveis à população em geral, e os aplicativos também têm oferecido usabilidade cada vez mais intuitiva. Ainda assim, constata-se que a autoaprendizagem sobre TIC é restrita a alguns aspectos específicos, e ainda considerada insuficiente para um preparo minimamente adequado. Como agravante, as ações de incorporação da TIC no ensino público brasileiro ainda são malsucedidas. Esta dissertação tem como objetivo principal a definição de critérios para avaliação da Alfabetização Computacional (AC), correspondente à identificação do conjunto relevante de conhecimentos e habilidades de TIC, aplicada a alunos do ensino médio. Para atender a esse objetivo, os principais aspectos da AC foram extraídos da literatura por meio de uma revisão sistemática, e submetidos à análise de especialistas pela aplicação da Técnica Delphi. Os aspectos de TIC identificados como mais relevantes pelos especialistas para AC são: ética, ferramentas de busca, privacidade, segurança e vírus. Em complemento, este estudo também visa descrever como as instituições de ensino médio e as empresas avaliam a relevância dos conhecimentos e habilidades de AC. Os dados coletados possibilitaram uma análise comparativa de pontos de vista distintos dos docentes, pesquisadores e empresas sobre o tema. Concluiu-se que a conectividade corresponde ao elemento central da AC na atualidade, com base no conjunto de aspectos classificados como mais relevantes pela metodologia de pesquisa aplicada. / Information and communication technology (ICT) has become increasingly common in the daily life of today\'s society. Many conveniences are made available to all individuals by using ICT. However, knowledge of ICT does not refer only to aspects of comfort; the lack of this competence restricts important opportunities. Noteworthy is the great importance of this knowledge in the academic environment, in which students are constantly required to perform activities supported by computers and applications. In order to enter the job market, in several areas, prior preparation related to knowledge and skills on ICT is required. Fortunately, ICT devices have become increasingly accessible to the population in general, and applications have also been offering increasingly intuitive usability. Still, it appears that ICT self-learning is restricted to some specific aspects, and considered insufficient for a minimally adequate preparation. To make matters worse, the learning of ICT in Brazilian public schools is still insufficient. This dissertation aims at defining some criteria for assessing Computer Literacy (CL), corresponding to an identification of the relevant body of knowledge regarding ICT skills, to be applied to high school students. In order to meet this goal, the main aspects of CL were extracted from literature by a systematic review, and submitted to expert analysis by Delphi Technique. The aspects of ICT identified as the most important ones by experts at CL are: ethics, search engines, privacy, security and viruses. In addition, this study also aims at describing how high school institutions and companies evaluate the relevance of CL knowledge and skills. The collected data has allowed a comparative analysis of different points of view of teachers, researchers and companies on the subject. We have concluded that connectivity represents the central element of CL nowadays, based on the set of issues classified as the most relevant by the research methodology.

Thesis (M.M. (ICT Policy and Regulation))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Public and Development Management, 2014. / The research aimed to investigate the supply and demand side factors that enables or hinders the effectiveness of rural connectivity provided through public access points such as the Thusong Service Centres (TSCs). The lack of broadband and terrestrial infrastructure is often cited as the main reason why rural people are not able to participate in the information society. The status of the Mopani District rural connectivity indicates that the digital divide is not always due to the lack of infrastructure, but due to the etic approach towards the deployment of connectivity and the failure to locate rural connectivity within the broader community development goals. The failure to understand the user requirements contributes to the misconception that Very Small Apparatus Terminals (VSAT) satellite technology is an inadequate solution which must be replaced by fixed broadband. On the other hand, the failure of the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) blueprint indicates the poor level of e-government readiness within the public service sector. The status of the Mopani TSCs also shows that there is a lack of accountability, cooperation and collaboration across the three spheres of government and that there is a misuse of public funds in cases where connectivity resources are duplicated and not optimally used. The separation of the public service connectivity from the public connectivity creates the digital inequality in the targeted communities. The separation has resulted in connectivity being available to some and not to all, because accessibility is based on personal relationships. In other cases there is constructed denied access due to local politics. 16 years later since the establishment of the Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA), the South African Community Informatics (CI) sector is struggling to achieve outputs that produce the desired impact in the targeted communities.

Thesis (M.Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2009 / Refer to document

A need exists to gain a better understanding of how the online learning environment found in higher education is perceived by students of color. The research completed for this dissertation explored student participation in the online learning environment in higher education by examining the observations and perceptions of students of color. Along the way, the process of the research journey drew attention to the lack of inclusion of students of color in the literature and data collected about online learning, and pointed to the existence of the digital divide and its impact on graduate students of color and their participation in online learning. In this study, no significant relationships were found in the examination of the nature of the relationship between ethnicity and the variables of gender, age, and self-reported computer experience. The online learning environment was not conclusively found to be an environment where opinions or critiques could be expressed more easily than in a face to face classroom, and the importance to students of having the opportunity to challenge white norms in the online learning environment was not found to be significant. Advice is offered from students and instructors of color providing examples of ways in which an online course environment may more fully consider the voices and experiences of persons of color.

People with disabilities, and in particular people who are blind or vision impaired, are not embracing computing and Internet-related technologies at the same rate as the able-bodied population. The purpose of this study was to find the reasons behind this digital divide for people with disabilities and provide solutions. The investigation into this 'disability divide' initially examined the historical significance of the social construction of disability, the developments of computing and Internet-related technologies and the evolution of associated government and corporate policies. In order to gain an understanding of the specific elements in the current disability divide, interviews were conducted with a range of government representatives, multinational information technology developers and online information providers in Australia and the United States of America. In order to gain an understanding of what people with disabilities required from information technology, a national survey was conducted with people who are blind or vision impaired to determine their computing and Internet experiences. This study clearly identified that people with vision disabilities have a high level of computing and Internet expertise and it is specific barriers, rather than lack of will, that has prevented access to computing and Internet-related technologies. These barriers include issues relating to the perception of disability in society, Federal and state government policy, corporate policy, mainstream computing products, assistive technologies, real-time online communication, poverty and a lack of educational opportunities. Addressing the issues in these areas will significantly reduce the impact of the disability divide, allowing people who are blind or vision impaired to participate more effectively in the information age.

<p>This essay is about publishing on the Internet and aims to understand the differences between publishing information on the webpage Wikipedia (Swedish version) in contrast to other information pages on the Internet, for example blog, discussion pages, homepages etcetera. The study is based upon an article which described that 90% of the information publishers at Wikipedia belongs to a small elite of white, western, well educated men between the age of thirty to thirtythree. This study examines why people who does not belong to this heteronormativity publish information in other Internet places but not at Wikipedia.Wikipedia is an open source site, where anyone can publish and are even encouraged to do so and is often described as an utopian dream of the digital democracy, so why don´t people express themselves on Wikipedia? The method is based on two discussion groups, which are compared and analyzed. The study is based upon theoretical competence within feminist theory and conceptions such as intersectionality, heteronormativity and digital divide as well as theories about digital devices and social order. The analyses concluded that Wikipedias structure restrains people from contributing with information on the site, that is understand to be associated with true and objective information and prestige. It is also compared to the printed encyclopedia which also strengthens this understanding. And when people publish information in other coherences it is based upon their own understanding, and this requirement for true and objective information at Wikipedia hinder many.</p>

<p>Uppsala universitet The aim of this master’s thesis is to investigate, through text analysis, the role of copyright in development, with particular interest of how the concepts <em>knowledge </em>and <em>access to knowledge </em>are used in <em>Access to Knowledge Draft Treaty </em>and <em>WIPO Development Agenda</em>. The definition of the concept knowledge, as it is used in copyright, is based in a Western historical and philosophical context and therefore excludes knowledge created in another type of society. The consequences of this exclusion have effects on development. Further it is stated that knowledge according to the global copyright scheme will be reduced to a commodity, which will have consequences not only in societies in the global South. The difficulties in achieving <em>access to knowledge </em>in the global copyright regime are investigated. The flexibilities contained in the Berne Convention and the TRIPS Agreement are limited in scope and difficult to maintain. Exclusion from access to knowledge affects development and deepens inequalities both within countries and globally.</p>

Globalization and the rise of the Information Society pose many challenges to developing nations. In adherence to the Millennium Development Goal of digital inclusion, the government of the Dominican Republic established a national program of community technology centers, or telecenters, that aim to promote digital literacy among the poor. This study examined how these telecenters promote the adoption of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and tested whether perceived structural factors, individual motivation or demographics predict adoption. Results from a survey conducted in the rural villages of El Seybo, Navarrete, and Oviedo confirm that telecenter users learn how to use information and communication technologies as a resource for information about civic life, entertainment, and professional development. The study concludes that telecenters can succeed in decreasing digital poverty, provided issues of sustainability are addressed with consistent and continued government funding and support. The field of information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) is in its infancy and has yet to develop strong methodological or theoretical standards. This study of ICT adoption and telecenter use in rural areas of the Caribbean contributes empirical evidence to the literature of this emerging discipline.

Uppsala universitet The aim of this master’s thesis is to investigate, through text analysis, the role of copyright in development, with particular interest of how the concepts knowledge and access to knowledge are used in Access to Knowledge Draft Treaty and WIPO Development Agenda. The definition of the concept knowledge, as it is used in copyright, is based in a Western historical and philosophical context and therefore excludes knowledge created in another type of society. The consequences of this exclusion have effects on development. Further it is stated that knowledge according to the global copyright scheme will be reduced to a commodity, which will have consequences not only in societies in the global South. The difficulties in achieving access to knowledge in the global copyright regime are investigated. The flexibilities contained in the Berne Convention and the TRIPS Agreement are limited in scope and difficult to maintain. Exclusion from access to knowledge affects development and deepens inequalities both within countries and globally.

This essay is about publishing on the Internet and aims to understand the differences between publishing information on the webpage Wikipedia (Swedish version) in contrast to other information pages on the Internet, for example blog, discussion pages, homepages etcetera. The study is based upon an article which described that 90% of the information publishers at Wikipedia belongs to a small elite of white, western, well educated men between the age of thirty to thirtythree. This study examines why people who does not belong to this heteronormativity publish information in other Internet places but not at Wikipedia.Wikipedia is an open source site, where anyone can publish and are even encouraged to do so and is often described as an utopian dream of the digital democracy, so why don´t people express themselves on Wikipedia? The method is based on two discussion groups, which are compared and analyzed. The study is based upon theoretical competence within feminist theory and conceptions such as intersectionality, heteronormativity and digital divide as well as theories about digital devices and social order. The analyses concluded that Wikipedias structure restrains people from contributing with information on the site, that is understand to be associated with true and objective information and prestige. It is also compared to the printed encyclopedia which also strengthens this understanding. And when people publish information in other coherences it is based upon their own understanding, and this requirement for true and objective information at Wikipedia hinder many.