Digital Divide

Internet use in Brazil: speeding up or lagging behind?

by Suely Fragoso

with Gilda Olinto

The evolution of internet access and use in Brazil in the direction of social inclusiveness and to guarantee uses that... more The evolution of internet access and use in Brazil in the direction of social inclusiveness and to guarantee uses that promote individual and community development is the focus of the present paper. Previous evidence on the subject initially presented indicates the prevalence of contrasting aspects: some outstanding positive initiatives and results towards democratization of the internet, as well as the maintenance of great digital inequalities. New evidence on the evolution of internet access and use is also discussed herein, based on analyses of longitudinal data obtained from the Brazilian Census Bureau’s Annual Survey (IBGE/PNAD, 2005, 2008). After describing aspects of increase in access to the internet, we focus on the evolution of different types of everyday life internet uses, particularly those that might contribute to individual and community development. How accesses and uses are gradually incorporating the less privileged sectors of the Brazilian adult population is also considered in the analyses. The results obtained reinforce the previous contrasting evidences: outstanding growth in access and in diversified uses are observed - suggesting intensive appropriation of internet technology and resources by the population - as well as the persistence of great inequalities. These circumstances indicate that the digital divide in Brazil is still a great challenge to be faced through comprehensive and long-term policies and initiatives.

Beyond access: The digital divide and Internet uses and gratifications

by Hernando Rojas

Modeling information equality: Social and media latency effects on information diffusion

by Aram Sinnreich

Published in "International Journal of Communication," 2008. Coauthored by Arul Chib and Jesse Gilbert.

In this study, we build and test a stochastic, agent-based model of information diffusion, called dFusion. The model... more In this study, we build and test a stochastic, agent-based model of information diffusion, called dFusion. The model incorporates diffusion research and social network analysis
into a framework that is consistent with the findings of digital divide and knowledge gap research. Using three separate real-world datasets, our model demonstrates clear causal
relationships between social structure, communication network structure, and the degree of "information equality" (relatively equivalent speed of access to salient information) within a given social network. By focusing on differential, rather than
absolute, speed of access to information, we hope to create an evaluative framework for information technology investment that accurately and comprehensively predicts the
effects of such interventions on social equality.

Transfer technologii w kształtowaniu srebrnej gospodarki (Technology Transfer in Shaping the Silver Economy)

by Andrzej Klimczuk

A. Klimczuk, Transfer technologii w kształtowaniu srebrnej gospodarki (Technology Transfer in Shaping the Silver Economy), [in:] M. Grzybowski (ed.), Transfer wiedzy w ekonomii i zarządzaniu, Wydawnictwo Uczelniane Akademii Morskiej w Gdyni, Gdynia 2011, p. 57-75.

Wzrost długości życia ludzkiego sprzyja rozwojowi dóbr i usług skierowanych do osób starszych. Opracowanie przybliża... more Wzrost długości życia ludzkiego sprzyja rozwojowi dóbr i usług skierowanych do osób starszych. Opracowanie przybliża zjawisko srebrnej gospodarki jako systemu ekonomicznego opartego na zaspokajaniu potrzeb starzejących się społeczeństw. W artykule przedstawione zostały przykłady rozwiązań strategicznych i organizacyjnych związanych z tworzeniem gerontechnologii. Uwzględniono koncepcje obejmujące współpracę podmiotów sektora publicznego, komercyjnego i pozarządowego: strategie innowacji, klastry dobrobytu i regionalne sieci srebrnej gospodarki. Zwrócono także uwagę na nowe instytucje badawcze typu "agelab" i instytucje kultury typu "medialab", które mogą być wykorzystane do kształtowania społecznego wizerunku gerontechnologii.
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The increase in the length of human life favors development of goods and services to the elderly. Article describes phenomenon of the silver economy as an economic system based on meeting the needs of ageing populations. Study presents examples of strategic and organizational solutions related to the creation of gerontechnology. Work takes into account concepts of cooperation between public, commercial and non-governmental sector entities: strategies for innovation, welfare clusters and silver economy networks. It also highlighted the new research institutions such as "agelab" and cultural institutions "medialab", which can be used to shape public image of gerontechnologies.

Does the “Do-It-Yourself Approach” Reduce Digital Inequality? Evidence of Self-Learning of Digital Skills

by Bert Sadowski

The Information Society: An International Journal Volume 28, Issue 1, 2012

The development of individuals’ digital skills has received much attention as a remedy for digital inequality.... more The development of individuals’ digital skills has received much attention as a remedy for digital inequality. Although some researchers favor courses and guided learning for skills development, others propose learning by trial-and-error. Unfortunately, studies examining the value of the so-called “do-it-yourself approach” for the development of digital skills remain lacking. One difficulty lies in the vicious circle of lack of skill leading to infrequent Internet usage and vice versa, which limits the value of cross-sectional data for assessing the impact of this approach. We present longitudinal data on a random sample of Internet users in a Dutch city, which show that more frequent Internet use leads to more digital skills, but not the other way around. However, contrary to expectations about the potential of trial-and-error learning to reduce inequality, results also suggests that this approach is not always more beneficial to the “have-little” as compared to the “have-more.” The only inequality-reducing effect of this approach is that that older users profit more from it than younger users do.

Ebooks, Libraries and the Digital Divide

by Louise Simone

PORTAIS DE SERVIÇOS PÚBLICOS E DE INFORMAÇÃO AO CIDADÃO NO BRASIL: UMA DESCRIÇÃO DO PERFIL DO VISITANTE // PUBLIC SERVICES AND INFORMATION TO THE CITIZENS' PORTAL IN BRAZIL: A DESCRIPTION OF THE USERS' PROFILE

by Maria Cunha

Portuguese
CUNHA, M. A. V. C. ; FREGA, José Roberto ; Lemos, Iomara Scandelari . PORTAIS DE SERVIÇOS PÚBLICOS E DE INFORMAÇÃO AO CIDADÃO NO BRASIL: UMA DESCRIÇÃO DO PERFIL DO VISITANTE. RESI : Revista Eletrônica de Sistemas de Informação, v. 10, p. 1-20, 2011.

In the information society, citizens must have access to computer tools and telecommunications, combined with... more In the information society, citizens must have access to computer tools and telecommunications, combined with knowledge of use, allowing them to receive, produce and transmit information and make use of electronic services. Since the 1990s, Brazilian governments invest in building portals to provide services, but it remains unclear who the users of electronic public services are. This research has raised the profile of those users. We obtained a sample of 4402 valid forms, from users of 70 government web-sites throughout Brazil. The results of the study show that, although it’s not possible to state that electronic public services are excludent, i.e., that there is a digital divide, the sample of people who answered the questionnaire is not similar to the Brazilian population. Services are available for a limited group of users. However, some segmentations show that there is a high willingness to use these services; when people cannot access those electronic services from home, they use them when they are at work, when in the homes of friends or relatives as well as in telecentres or cyber-cafes. Also, the profile of people attracted by the provision of electronic government services is different from that of people attracted by the Internet in general.

Designing educational technologies for social justice: a Futurelab handbook

by Lyndsay Grant

Learning to be part of the knowledge economy: digital divides and media literacy

by Lyndsay Grant

Leisure divide: Can the poor come out to play?

by Payal Arora

published in an ISI indexed journal - Information Development, 2012

As billions of dollars are invested in mitigating the digital divide, stakes are raised to gain validity for these... more As billions of dollars are invested in mitigating the digital divide, stakes are raised to gain validity for these cost-intensive endeavors, focusing more on online activities that have clear socio-economic outcomes. Hence, farmers in rural India are watched closely to see how they access crop prices online, while their Orkuting gets sidelined as anecdotal. This paper argues that this is a fundamental problem as it treats users in emerging markets as somehow inherently different from those in the West. After all, it is now commonly accepted that much of what users do online in developed nations is leisure-oriented. This perspective does not crossover as easily into the Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) world, where the utilitarian angle reigns. This paper argues that much insight can be gained in bridging worlds of ICT4D and New Media studies. By negating online leisure in ‘Third World’ settings, our understandings on this new user market.
can be critically flawed.

Digital Libraries and Culture by Simon Tanner KCL

by Simon Tanner

UNESCO report by Simon Tanner, May 2005.

This report for UNESCO will identify the way that digital libraries interact with culture and how this interaction may... more This report for UNESCO will identify the way that digital libraries interact with culture and how this interaction may develop and deepen in the future. It will discuss current uses of digital libraries for cultural purposes particularly for increasing and democratizing access to the Arts. This report shows the important role that digital libraries play in preserving culture and in connecting people with their national and regional identities. Digital Libraries are also a means by which displaced peoples may remain in contact with their indigenous cultures and where family history (genealogy) may be discovered and cherished. The author considers digital libraries used for cultural purposes as being a key factor that
will help to bridge the growing digital divide in the world. The report finishes with a view to the digital future through “cultural commons” and emerging trends to consider the resource, policy and strategic implications for future action.

Information Technologies and Global Political Economy

by Jeffrey Hart

published in Robert Denemark (ed.), The International Studies Encyclopedia (New York: Wiley, 2010).

Feminist Cyberspaces: Pedagogies in Transition

by Sharon Collingwood

Feminist Cyberspaces: Pedagogies in Transition
Editor: Sharon Collingwood, Alvina E. Quintana and Caroline J. Smith
Date Of Publication: Mar 2012
Isbn13: 978-1-4438-3633-3
Isbn: 1-4438-3633-8

Feminist Cyberspaces: Pedagogies in Transition is a collection of essays exploring the ways in which new media... more Feminist Cyberspaces: Pedagogies in Transition is a collection of essays exploring the ways in which new media technologies are being used in the feminist “classroom.” The collection has been structured to reflect the multifaceted nature of education today. Learning takes place on a personal level through independent study and social media; it takes place at a local level in our classrooms and lecture halls, but it is also increasingly taking place on a global scale as new technologies foster international collaboration between individuals and organizations. In addition, there is a growing acceptance of learning in the collaborative 3D classrooms of virtual worlds. These educational spaces are not mutually exclusive, as the contributions to this volume make clear.

Cultura e Internet: il patrimonio culturale siciliano e la sua visibilità sul web

by Elisa Bonacini

StrumentiRes Anno IV | n° 1 | Febbraio 2012; ISSN  2279-6851

Si presentano i risultati dell'indagine sulla visibilità online del patrimonio culturale siciliano (realizzata nel... more Si presentano i risultati dell'indagine sulla visibilità online del patrimonio culturale siciliano (realizzata nel volume "La visibilit@ sul web del patrimonio culturale siciliano. Criticità e prospettive attraverso un survey on-line con Guida multimediale ai musei siciliani sul web"), soffermandosi sulle principali criticità e illustrando le potenzialità non adeguatamente sfruttate della comunicazione culturale sul web.

The G8 and the Governance of Cyberspace

by Jeffrey Hart

in Michele Fratianni, John J. Kirton, Alan M. Rugman, and Paolo Savona (eds.), New Perspectives on Global Governance: Why America Needs the G8 (Burlington, Vt.: Ashgate, 2005).

“Passing the digital door bitch”

by Tara Brabazon

in T. Brabazon (ed), The revolution will not be downloaded, (Oxford:  Chandos, 2008)

Bridging Digital Divide: Software Requirements Engineering and Business Process Reengineering

by Md. Saifuddin Khalid

Md. Saifuddin Khalid, Md. Mosharraf Hossain, and M. Rokonuzzaman, “Bridging Digital Divide: Software Requirements Engineering and Business Process Reengineering,” Proceedings of National Conference on Electronics, Information and Telecommunication (BESRU 2007), 29-30 June, 2007, ISBN: 984-300-000645-7, p. 171.

Currently available software requirements engineering processes do not study operational business processes’... more Currently available software requirements engineering processes do not study operational business processes’ performances to identify performance specific improvement scopes and do not
relate the same to maximise business benefits through  optimizing technology capabilities. Business analysts’ concept of business process reengineering and software system analysts’ concept of software engineering aiming for the same goal of business benefit increase, are digitally divided by their information technological and business performance knowledge gap. The paper proposes a software requirements engineering process incorporating operational process evaluation and baselining, business process reengineering, goal and role based requirements analysis with measurable increase in business benefits through performance improvement and selecting technology capabilities. It suggests that traditional software requirements engineering activities need to be mingled with business process reengineering activities and requirements measurement and management matrices for different business domains need to be prescribed.

Digital Divide between Teachers and Students in Urban Bangladesh

by Md. Saifuddin Khalid

Md. Saifuddin Khalid, “Digital Divide between Teachers and Students in Urban Bangladesh”, Published in the proceedings of International Technology, Education and Development Conference (INTED 2011) held during 7-9 March, 2011, Valencia, Spain, Proceedings CD ISBN 978-84-614-7423-3, pp. 2010-2020.

Telecom boom since 2000 and ‘Digital Bangladesh’ campaign since late 2008 created significant nationwide hype,... more Telecom boom since 2000 and ‘Digital Bangladesh’ campaign since late 2008 created significant nationwide hype, resulting rapid increase in the use of digital devices. While studies are being conducted to use the ability of “power users of technology” for reducing digital divide, there is hardly any data available on them in Bangladesh context. A study was conducted to study the digital divide and ICT usage pattern among the urban students and teachers of schools and colleges in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. About 75 students enrolled in probability and statistics course of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) in autumn 2009 participated in conducting survey activities. Total 33 academic institutes were south for approval and 11 could be surveyed before the Christmas and annual recess. Responses from 6 other academics institutes were collected from the personal networks of students.
A questionnaire was developed based on initial semi-structured interview with randomly selected students from these academic institutions. The 41-question questionnaire was developed to study the usage of computer, internet, mobile and other handheld devices, radio, television and CD/DVD players. A slightly different questionnaire was developed for teachers. 965 students and 185 teachers participated in the survey. Among student respondents 37% were from English Medium and 63% from Bangla medium institutions. From class VI –XII, the survey group represent the secondary and higher secondary education level in Bangladesh. Male respondents were 53% and female 43%, remaining are missing. Responses collected using paper-based questionnaires were put on a learning management system’s (LMS) questionnaire survey module.
Irrespective of type of ICT device higher percentage of English medium students ‘own’ and know ‘how to use’ compared to Bangla medium students. Significantly higher percentage of students can use and own desktop, laptop, cellphone, iPOD and MP3 player. While teachers mostly use computers for work (73%), study (45%) and listening music (34%), students use for playing games (63%), listening musing (62%) and study (44%). 69% teachers and 66% students use social networking sites. Top three online activities for students are music (53%), games (47%) and chat (42%), for teachers these are study (55%), chat (40%) and music (33%). Students use more mobile features than teachers. Interestingly 59% teachers and 61% students have more than one SIM card. More than 50% of students and teachers use mobile for listening radio. 55% or more teachers and 67% or more students ‘own’ a desktop. 90% or more teachers and 74% or more students ‘know how to use’ desktop computer. Further study is required to gain insight into digital divide and associated reasons in four different educations systems in Bangladesh.

Connecting people: investigating a relationship between internet access and social cohesion in local community settings: a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the …

by Jocelyn Williams

Free internet as an agent of community transformation

by Jocelyn Williams