ICTlogy

A zillion thanks to Amy Mahan who answered my call for help long ago. This post is mainly to thank her for all the worthy information she pointed me to. The first reference below was the one that originated her e-mail to me, along with two more resources, but the web links one thing to another and…

I here present the most important references that I’ve come to know thanks to her indications:

• Towards an African e-Index: Household and Individual ICT Access across 10 African Countries:
  Based on the 2004 e-Access & Usage Household survey that was completed during the course of 2004 and 2005, this report is the result of a demand study of individuals and households and how ICT’s are used across 10 African countries
• Knowledge Societies: Information Technology for Sustainable Development: A major reference book, Knowledge Societies: Information Technology for Sustainable Development was published by Oxford University Press for the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development in March 1998. Edited by Robin Mansell and Uta Wehn, the book includes an empirical analysis of developing country participation in knowledge-based development; a review of research on innovation systems and the learning process; and analyses of how developing countries are using ICTs to strengthen the science and technology base through education and lifelong learning. It also provides a critical review of the potential uses of ICTs, the problems faced by the least developed countries, the regulatory and intellectual property rights issues, and the national and regional strategies introduced by governments. The central argument in the book is that the capabilities for using ICTs are the most important issues if developing countries are creatively to apply ICTs to alleviate poverty.
• Internet World Stats [I’m pretty ashamed I did’n know this one]: An International website featuring up to date free worldwide Internet Usage, the Population Statistics and Market Data, for over 233 countries and world regions.
• Lirne.net: To facilitate ICT-related institutional reform throughout the world – through research, training, dialogue, policy and regulatory advice; and To build human capital in this new area as the foundation for effective policy, regulation, governance, management and development in new "network" or "knowledge" economies.
• Regulateonline.org: The World Dialogue on Regulation for Network Economies is concerned with regulation and governance for network economies. We conduct research, facilitate online dialogue and discussion among experts, and publish and distribute papers, reports and other relevant information. The dialogue theme for the current research cycle is "diversifying participation in network development".

Answering my previous post (also sent to the DDN list), Jon Camfield points me to these references:

As can be easily seen, last two references are almost the same, being the former the working paper and the latter the publication as an article. The three of them are a good approach to interconnecting ICT data and (trying and) showing some cross conclusions. Check Helen V. Milner‘s web site for other papers and even data and how-to about the reference.

BTW, following Jon’s blog I find Henry Farrell’s – actually, it looks like the "Information Technology and International Affairs" subject web site. The reading list is quite complete and class eleven has some other links to references about the Digital Divide :)

(Thanks to Deborah Elizabeth Finn that forwarded my previous post to him)

I’m trying to gather all kind of resources providing data and indicators about the state of the Information Society, specially those more related to development, digital divide and so.

Of course we’ve got ITU’s indicators and some others, but it’s getting really difficult to map the whole thing, from infrastructures to content and uses, including digital literacy, digital rights, etc.

I humbly ask for your help in this gathering of resources, with the promise I’ll be publishing the list in my ICT4D Wiki under one of these categories:

• Data
• Data Development
• Data ICT
• (or just a new one, we’ll see)

Hearty thanks in advance :)

My colleague and friend César Córcoles (UOC professor in the area of multimedia) and I have imparted today a second version of a previous speech of mine entitled Web 2.0 and diffusion of research.

Today’s seminar, scheduled as an activity of the UNESCO Chair of e-Learning, has really been improved by César’s participation, which has resulted not in an actually new version but a new presentation in its whole (César pricelessly helped me through the former seminar and was thus cited as main reference there — he was long due to appear on stage and get his due recognition :).

You can find here the presentation in Catalan (original version) and English.

Abstract:

Buzzword or not, the Internet is changing and the so-called Web 2.0 applications might mean new ways to work in the research-education-diffusion field (i.e. the University field). This presentation’s goal is raising a reflection and showing some “good” practices in higher education teaching, research and diffusion of research, after some experiences at the Open University of Catalonia and the use of blogs, wikis and other tools.

On March 10th I imparted a seminar entitled Web 2.0 and diffusion of research here in Barcelona, at the headquarters of the University.

Please find here the presentation (in Catalan). Hope I’ll find time and translate it into English (done) and/or Spanish.

Abstract:

Buzzword or not, the Internet is changing and the so-called Web 2.0 applications might mean new ways to work in the research-education-diffusion field (i.e. the University field). This presentation’s goal is raising a reflection and showing a “good” practice in difusion of research, after Ismael Peña’s experience in the area of Public policies for development and ICT4D at the Open University of Catalonia and the use of blogs, wikis and other tools in his ICT4D personal portal.

It is now Paolo Massa who writes to me and lets me know about Universitá Degli Studi di Trento‘s doctorate course on Information and Communication Technologies for Sustainable Development.

Lectured by Valentín Villarroel, it has a strong hardware focus, putting the accent in the technologycal part of ICT’s. No doubt, a very interesting program: it happens that I know Valentín personally, have made a short participation in EHAS and know something more than a little about BorgouNET.

My kudos for the organization! :)

• More ICT4D Online Courses
• More ICT4D Offline Courses