Digital Inclusion: A model for e-Infrastructure and e-Services in Developing Countries
- Terzoli, Alfredo, Siebörger, Ingrid, Tsietsi, Mosiuoa, Gumbo, Sibukelo
- Authors: Terzoli, Alfredo , Siebörger, Ingrid , Tsietsi, Mosiuoa , Gumbo, Sibukelo
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/430973 , vital:72733 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98827-6_7
- Description: A large portion of the South African population is still not connected in a productive manner to the Internet, despite the existence of a govern-ment plan for public broadband, ‘SA Connect’. One reason for this could be the lack of an appropriate model, through which connectivity can be diffused in a meaningful way through all areas of South Africa. This paper presents the model developed over more than a decade of experimentation in real life settings in the Siyakhula Living Lab, a joint venture between the universities of Rhodes and Fort Hare, South Afri-ca. The model proposes the ‘Broadband Island’ as basic e-infrastructure unit, which clusters nearby points-of-presence hosted in schools. In each Broadband Island is located an applications integra-tion platform, TeleWeaver, which monetizes channels of access to the local community, to support the e-infrastructure while providing useful services to the population and the Government.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Terzoli, Alfredo , Siebörger, Ingrid , Tsietsi, Mosiuoa , Gumbo, Sibukelo
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/430973 , vital:72733 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98827-6_7
- Description: A large portion of the South African population is still not connected in a productive manner to the Internet, despite the existence of a govern-ment plan for public broadband, ‘SA Connect’. One reason for this could be the lack of an appropriate model, through which connectivity can be diffused in a meaningful way through all areas of South Africa. This paper presents the model developed over more than a decade of experimentation in real life settings in the Siyakhula Living Lab, a joint venture between the universities of Rhodes and Fort Hare, South Afri-ca. The model proposes the ‘Broadband Island’ as basic e-infrastructure unit, which clusters nearby points-of-presence hosted in schools. In each Broadband Island is located an applications integra-tion platform, TeleWeaver, which monetizes channels of access to the local community, to support the e-infrastructure while providing useful services to the population and the Government.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
The network society: A model for computing infrastructure in South African schools
- Siebörger, Ingrid, Terzoli, Alfredo
- Authors: Siebörger, Ingrid , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/430651 , vital:72706 , 10.1109/ISTAFRICA.2016.7530673
- Description: Worldwide computers are being used in schools for, amongst other things, developing the knowledge and skills required for citizens to be able to operate within the 21st Century Information Age. Realising the potential of technology in uplifting the lives of its citizens the South Afri-can government has proposed the National Broadband Plan (SA Con-nect). However, unfortunately this plan only addresses the networking aspect of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs). In this pa-per we investigate appropriate Information Technologies for schools in the light of SA Connect, and propose a model for the computing infra-structure required in South African schools in order to support access to and adoption of technology and networks. This model is based on our multi-year experimentation in the Siyakhula Living Lab.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Siebörger, Ingrid , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/430651 , vital:72706 , 10.1109/ISTAFRICA.2016.7530673
- Description: Worldwide computers are being used in schools for, amongst other things, developing the knowledge and skills required for citizens to be able to operate within the 21st Century Information Age. Realising the potential of technology in uplifting the lives of its citizens the South Afri-can government has proposed the National Broadband Plan (SA Con-nect). However, unfortunately this plan only addresses the networking aspect of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs). In this pa-per we investigate appropriate Information Technologies for schools in the light of SA Connect, and propose a model for the computing infra-structure required in South African schools in order to support access to and adoption of technology and networks. This model is based on our multi-year experimentation in the Siyakhula Living Lab.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
The development of an e-Health system for health awareness campaigns in poor areas
- Gremu, Chikumbutso, Terzoli, Alfredo, Tsietsi, Mosiuoa
- Authors: Gremu, Chikumbutso , Terzoli, Alfredo , Tsietsi, Mosiuoa
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/430638 , vital:72705 , 10.1109/ISTAFRICA.2015.7190527
- Description: This paper discusses work to develop an e-Health system called HealthAware to assist health service organisations to carry out targeted health awareness campaigns in poor areas. The system comprises two components called the Dashboard and the Health Messenger, which are web-based, Java applications that run in a peer-to-peer fashion. The Dashboard is used to create, manage, and publish awareness campaigns. The HealthMessenger facilitates end-users' access to the relevant awareness campaigns. A targeted communication strategy which splits the target population into subgroups based on their demo-graphic characteristics and geographic locations is used to determine relevant campaigns for a user. The HealthMessenger is hosted on an application service integration platform called TeleWeaver, while the Dashboard is hosted independently of TeleWeaver. Message queuing is used to ensure reliable communication between the Dashboard and the HealthMessenger. The implementation of HealthAware contributes knowledge on developing a system that ensures that users access only the information that is relevant to them. This addresses the challenge of sifting through potentially irrelevant information before arriving at the important information which is posed by generic materials.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Gremu, Chikumbutso , Terzoli, Alfredo , Tsietsi, Mosiuoa
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/430638 , vital:72705 , 10.1109/ISTAFRICA.2015.7190527
- Description: This paper discusses work to develop an e-Health system called HealthAware to assist health service organisations to carry out targeted health awareness campaigns in poor areas. The system comprises two components called the Dashboard and the Health Messenger, which are web-based, Java applications that run in a peer-to-peer fashion. The Dashboard is used to create, manage, and publish awareness campaigns. The HealthMessenger facilitates end-users' access to the relevant awareness campaigns. A targeted communication strategy which splits the target population into subgroups based on their demo-graphic characteristics and geographic locations is used to determine relevant campaigns for a user. The HealthMessenger is hosted on an application service integration platform called TeleWeaver, while the Dashboard is hosted independently of TeleWeaver. Message queuing is used to ensure reliable communication between the Dashboard and the HealthMessenger. The implementation of HealthAware contributes knowledge on developing a system that ensures that users access only the information that is relevant to them. This addresses the challenge of sifting through potentially irrelevant information before arriving at the important information which is posed by generic materials.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
Towards building an indigenous knowledge platform to enable culturally-sensitive education underpinned by technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK)
- Ntšekhe, Mathe, Terzoli, Alfredo, Thinyane, Mamello
- Authors: Ntšekhe, Mathe , Terzoli, Alfredo , Thinyane, Mamello
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431424 , vital:72773 , http://proceedings.e-skillsconference.org/2014/e-skills275-284Ntsekhe821.pdf
- Description: The everyday use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is ingrained to the fabric of today’s society. A question open for debate is whether this use is or can be optimized to engender authentic solutions, which are aligned to the natural environment of the people? In this paper, we examine at the question from the vantage point of ed-ucating the rural African child. We engage with the sub-question: can ICTs facilitate education grounded in people's own realities, especially those of the marginalized rural poor? We believe this is possible under specific conditions, which include making Indigenous Knowledge (IK) readily available. We propose building an ICT platform that allows injec-tion of IK into the education process: develop a solution that valorizes IK, but also supports efforts to use ICTs in education driven by Tech-nology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. The main goal of this framework is to facilitate effective teaching with tech-nology. TPACK partially embeds IK within pedagogical knowledge and ‘contexts’ of learning; we argue for explicit inclusion of IK within the framework to complement the other knowledges.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Ntšekhe, Mathe , Terzoli, Alfredo , Thinyane, Mamello
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431424 , vital:72773 , http://proceedings.e-skillsconference.org/2014/e-skills275-284Ntsekhe821.pdf
- Description: The everyday use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is ingrained to the fabric of today’s society. A question open for debate is whether this use is or can be optimized to engender authentic solutions, which are aligned to the natural environment of the people? In this paper, we examine at the question from the vantage point of ed-ucating the rural African child. We engage with the sub-question: can ICTs facilitate education grounded in people's own realities, especially those of the marginalized rural poor? We believe this is possible under specific conditions, which include making Indigenous Knowledge (IK) readily available. We propose building an ICT platform that allows injec-tion of IK into the education process: develop a solution that valorizes IK, but also supports efforts to use ICTs in education driven by Tech-nology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. The main goal of this framework is to facilitate effective teaching with tech-nology. TPACK partially embeds IK within pedagogical knowledge and ‘contexts’ of learning; we argue for explicit inclusion of IK within the framework to complement the other knowledges.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
African Languages And ICT Education
- Dalvit, Lorenzo, Murray, Sarah, Terzoli, Alfredo
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , Murray, Sarah , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431166 , vital:72750 , https://www.scitepress.org/Papers/2011/33507/33507.pdf
- Description: In South Africa, English plays a dominant role compared to African lan-guages in empowering domain. Better access to Education through the use of African languages is an object of heated debate. This paper shows that an intervention involving the use of an African language in the domain of ICT Education can change the attitudes of Black universi-ty students. The methodology used included a survey with preliminary and follow-up questionnaires and interviews and an intervention involv-ing the use of localised software and of an on-line glossary of computer terms translated, explained and exemplified in an African language (isiXhosa). This experience increased the support for the use of African languages as additional LoLT, even in the English-dominated field of study of Computer Science. This is an initial step towards promoting linguistic equality between English and African languages and social equality between their speakers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , Murray, Sarah , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431166 , vital:72750 , https://www.scitepress.org/Papers/2011/33507/33507.pdf
- Description: In South Africa, English plays a dominant role compared to African lan-guages in empowering domain. Better access to Education through the use of African languages is an object of heated debate. This paper shows that an intervention involving the use of an African language in the domain of ICT Education can change the attitudes of Black universi-ty students. The methodology used included a survey with preliminary and follow-up questionnaires and interviews and an intervention involv-ing the use of localised software and of an on-line glossary of computer terms translated, explained and exemplified in an African language (isiXhosa). This experience increased the support for the use of African languages as additional LoLT, even in the English-dominated field of study of Computer Science. This is an initial step towards promoting linguistic equality between English and African languages and social equality between their speakers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
An ontology-based, multi-modal platform for the inclusion of marginalized rural communities into the knowledge society
- Thinyane, Mamello, Dalvit, Lorenzo, Slay, Hannah, Mapi, Thandeka, Terzoli, Alfredo
- Authors: Thinyane, Mamello , Dalvit, Lorenzo , Slay, Hannah , Mapi, Thandeka , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431218 , vital:72755 , https://doi.org/10.1145/1292491.1292508
- Description: With the information revolution that promises to shape the 21st century, knowledge has become the prime commodity, very much like land, means of production and capital have been at different times in the past. Access to information, made instantly available by the growth of the Internet, determines access to economic resources, social participa-tion and better quality of life. For this reason, the knowledge stored on the Web and the advantages offered by the spread of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are equally important for rich socie-ties to prosper and for poor ones to develop. The only difference is that marginalised communities do not have access to the tools and have little control over the content found in the domain of ICTs. In this paper we describe an intervention to develop the potential of a typical rural community in South Africa through ICTs. This involves providing Inter-net connectivity and deploying a platform to support e-commerce, e-learning, e-government and e-health. The core of the platform is an on-tology-based model designed to integrate and respond to Indigenous Knowledge Systems. This has been achieved by combining a deep understanding of local knowledge and social networks with the use of authoring, communication and ontology-management tools. The prima-ry goal of this new approach is to find a way to make ICT solutions more sensitive to the local context, and therefore more effective. Sec-ondly, we hope to foster a sense of ownership of the project among the community, by capitalising on local knowledge and resources.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Thinyane, Mamello , Dalvit, Lorenzo , Slay, Hannah , Mapi, Thandeka , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431218 , vital:72755 , https://doi.org/10.1145/1292491.1292508
- Description: With the information revolution that promises to shape the 21st century, knowledge has become the prime commodity, very much like land, means of production and capital have been at different times in the past. Access to information, made instantly available by the growth of the Internet, determines access to economic resources, social participa-tion and better quality of life. For this reason, the knowledge stored on the Web and the advantages offered by the spread of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are equally important for rich socie-ties to prosper and for poor ones to develop. The only difference is that marginalised communities do not have access to the tools and have little control over the content found in the domain of ICTs. In this paper we describe an intervention to develop the potential of a typical rural community in South Africa through ICTs. This involves providing Inter-net connectivity and deploying a platform to support e-commerce, e-learning, e-government and e-health. The core of the platform is an on-tology-based model designed to integrate and respond to Indigenous Knowledge Systems. This has been achieved by combining a deep understanding of local knowledge and social networks with the use of authoring, communication and ontology-management tools. The prima-ry goal of this new approach is to find a way to make ICT solutions more sensitive to the local context, and therefore more effective. Sec-ondly, we hope to foster a sense of ownership of the project among the community, by capitalising on local knowledge and resources.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
Open source in South African schools : two case studies
- Halse, Guy A, Terzoli, Alfredo
- Authors: Halse, Guy A , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: Open source
- Language: English
- Type: Conference paper
- Identifier: vital:6601 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1009321
- Description: One of the major problems facing schools in South Africa is the difficulty in obtaining modern, up-to-date computer facilities. This paper looks at the use of open source solutions in two government schools in South Africa to demonstrate that it is possible for schools to utilise almost any existing computer to provide effective network solutions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
- Authors: Halse, Guy A , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: Open source
- Language: English
- Type: Conference paper
- Identifier: vital:6601 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1009321
- Description: One of the major problems facing schools in South Africa is the difficulty in obtaining modern, up-to-date computer facilities. This paper looks at the use of open source solutions in two government schools in South Africa to demonstrate that it is possible for schools to utilise almost any existing computer to provide effective network solutions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
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