Final Exam

Al Akhawayn University
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Communication Program
COM 4304 Media for Development/ICTs4Dev

Spring 2008






Student Name: Hasnaa El Jamali


Student ID Number: 041DB 16095



How to submit the answers:
Create a blog, post the answers on it and send me the link to the advertising communication class email account. This is the only way I can gain access to your answers. If you do not want to play according to the rule of the game, your decision will affect your grade seriously.




1. What does ICT for Development or e-development mean for you? (250 words)

A definition of ICTs will help in answering this question. According to Ruth Ochieng and Jenny Radloff (1998), Information and Communication Technologies is'' a collection of computer networks which are capable of handling large volumes of data in text, image, voice and video format at high speed ''[p. 63]. ICTs are crucial tool in the development process of the country. Today, with the advances in technology and infrostructure and infrastructure, using ICTs for development purposes will help the country leapfrogging many unnecessary steps to achieve a based knowledge society. For instance, ICT would be used in many domains not only in education but also in tourism and economy and others. Using these tools will help the country in gaining time and spending fewer efforts. For instance, ICTs could work perfectly in education; for instance, students will benefit from the technology to widen their experience and knowledge by one click. Not only that, ICTs help in changing and polishing the behavior of students. According to Dr. Muskin, computers help in changing the behavior of students. Therefore, ICTs is the best tool in the new Millennium that should be used to leapfrog and build a knowledge based economy and participate in the wave of development.

2. How can we measure the digital divide? (250 words)

The world can be divided into two groups: people using information technologies in its different tools like phone, internet. ect and others who do not use them. The digital divide is the difference between people having access to information and people who do not. The digital divide is expressed as the gap between poeple who have access to the means of information and those who don't. The digital devide is not only about having physical access but it includes other aspects.

The digital devide can not be only about having access because this one is not enough. the digital devide is also about using the technology thanks to required skills and tools. Therefore, the digital devide put apart people who have access, skills, and knwoledge of the means of information and the ones who have not.

To measure the digital divide, one should look at the following indicators:
The first indicators are related with info-density. To get an idea about this indicator the following indicators should be measured:
1- Number of mobile phones on the household.
2- Number of the telecommunication providers.
3- Presence of Fixed telephone lines.
4- Different methods of access and bandwidth for internet use in the household.
5- Number of PCs.
6- Number of internet users.
7- Language of internet used in internet sites.
8- Barriers of purchase over the internet.
9- ICT expenditure by measuring the percentage of GDP.
Concerning the second indicator, one should measure the info-use by measuring the following:
1- Purpose of PC use.
2- Barriers to internet usage.
3- Purpose of internet use.

3. What should Morocco do to become a knowledge economy? (250 words)

To establish a society based knowledge economy, Morocco should fulfill the following: the first pillar in a society is providing accessibility. In other words, people should gain access to internet, to computers, and even more access to information. This step can be done through awareness campaigns in both urban and rural areas. Access can be encourages through providing training session and an early ICT literacy for children. Expending access through cybercafés is a good tool to leapfrog the problems related to accessibility.

The second important thing to provide is research. Moroccan specialists and policy makers should emphasize on research as an effective method to enhance the participatory approach and to examine the real problems the country is facing. For an effective knowledge economic society, the country should emphasize on the contextualizing the use of ICTs to fit the Moroccan context.
The third concept to focus is education. Providing lab and mandatory access and integrating them into the curricular program. Educational programs should have a goal and a strategy to re- orient the curriculum to fit with the purpose of ICTs. Encourage young teachers to innovate in terms of ICTs to develop the educational purposes in Morocco.
Among the problems, facing Morocco is in the management of development projects. Therefore, management should be the basis while implementing development projects. Follow up is another pillar in the success of any projects in the development agenda. Moroccan government should give a great emphasize on this issue.
Sharing knowledge is a key point in the success of a based knowledge society. Mentalities should change and people should regard creativity and sharing as two essential criteria. Morocco should restrict the brain drain by providing the following: effective policies and regulations, education and human capital, ICTs infrastructure, and encourage innovation.

Assignment 2

1. Concerning the penetration and the use of the Internet, data remians incomplete, in some countries we have only “guesstimates”. Can this statement apply to Morocco?

• Concerning the penetration and the use of the internet data provided in Morocco, I think data are sometimes representative and well explanatory. For instance, the data provided by the ARNT gives a clear idea about the penetration of internet in the Moroccan society. For instance, we have statistics claiming the number of subscribers and the number of internet users. The study provides clear idea about the number of PCs, internet providers ect. Still some data is incomplete because it misses some important issues. For example, the number of connectors differs between the ones being connected from cybercafe, business, houses, schools and others. Another example is about the number of PC in Morocco. The statistics ignore the fact that most of the PCs are brought from abroad either from Europe or the US. Therefore, having a clear number would be impossible. Adding to this, the major difference between rural and urban area is making access to information more difficult.

2. What does the digital divide mean for you? (100 word, checklist style)

• The digital divide is the difference between the one who have access to information and others who have not.
• The digital divide is tha gap between the ones who have access to the means of information and the ones who have not.
• the digital devide can not be only about having access because this one is not enough. the digital devide is also about using the technology thanks to required skills and tools. Therefore, the digital devide put apart people who have access, skills, and knwoledge of the means of information and the ones who have not.

3. How can we measure the digital divide in Morocco? (100 word, checklist style)

• To measure the digital divide in Morocco, one should examine the folowing indicators:
• 
  1. Indicators (info-density)
  - Number of mobile phones in household
  - Numbers of telecommunications providers
  - Method of access and bandwidth for internet use in household
  - Number of PCs
  - Number of Internet users
  - ICT expenditure( percent of GDP)
  - Presence of fixed telephone lines in households
  - Languages of internet sites visited

2. Indicators (info-use)
- Purpose of PC use
- Purpose of internet use

4. How can we bridge the digital divide in Morocco? (250 word, checklist style)

To bridge the digital divide in Morocco:

• First, deciding and standarizing indicators is a must to measure the digital divide.
• Second, deciding about indicators would help in measuring the actual digital divide and thus thinking of ways to leapfrog it.
• Third, among the important issues Morocco is facing is illitracy. In order to improve the technology and information, education must be the pillar in the future agenda. This could be done thanks to ICTs for the purpose of enhancing and fosterign education.
• Fourth, to bridge the digital devide, people needs to aquire skills and knowledge. I think these two concepts would be essential in the leapfrogging step. Any technology needs essentail skills and knowledge, so the government needs to spend money and energy to encourage these two concepts within future generations. Schools needs to be the major target in order to enhance the needed skills and knowledge to bridge the digital gap.
• Fifth, having access is a universal matter. In Morocco the priority would be to provide a universal access to all people especially in the rural area. Having access would be easily done since one needs only electricity and telephone lines which are most of the time provided.

Assig 1: Reflections

The mobile phone is an important concept of a “leapfrog” technology. The technology has enabled developing countries to skip the fixed-line technology of the 20th century and move straight to the mobile technology of the 21st.
The World Bank stated that a country's capacity to absorb and benefit from new technology depends on the availability of more basic forms of infrastructure.
The author stated that the "most of the time, to go high-tech, you need to have gone medium-tech first." I personally, agree with the statement because to implement a new technology sometimes one needs to implement a primary tool that would enable the implication of a high technology.

Assig 1: Reflections

Technology in emerging economies of internet cafés and power cut.

China has been the world's largest exporters of Information and Communication Technologies ICTs. The World Bank stated some indicators to measure the level of technology: computers and mobile phone per heads, patents and scientific papers published; imports of high-tech and capital goods. The article stated a definition for technology as follows: technology " is fundamental to economic advance. Without it, growth would be limited to the contributions of increases in the size of the labour force and the capital stock. With it, labour and capital can be used and combined far more effectively".

The article stated that there is a serious problem that effects the improvment of technology in countries. Mainly the level of education, economy, and the flexibility of the government have direct impact on the evolution of technology in any country. The educational, economic, and the social level have to be compatible with the purpose of the different technological means.

Assign 1: reflections on articles

Mobiles Narrow digital divisions:

The purpose of this article is to show the importance of technology in shaping poeple's live. When technology is used in schools and businesses, the level of standards could be raised. In Africa, the technology we are speaking about would be presented in terms of mobile phones. This technology helped Developing countries leapfrog many steps. The U.N Report stated that despite the improvement of mobile phones and computers, the gap is still present. to conclude, the UN report recommended ''that countries update cyber laws, intellectual property regulations, upgrade infrastructure and invest in training''.

Chapter 1: Questioning ICTs and development in Africa

I- Introduction
The article starts with some important insights related to the following issues: ICTs has been a crucial aspect for development especially in the 3rd world countries or the developing world.
Ø Developed countries have witnessed changes that can be traced to ICTs such in (technical, financial and economic, cultural, social, and geo-political). Hence, thanks to these changes, developed countries are known as “The knowledge society”
Ø - In order to help developing countries be part of the global system, many efforts were initiated at the international level to support Africa’s efforts to develop communication infrastructure and services that are connected to the world information highways.
Ø ICTs have made access to information easier and cheaper. Yet, developing countries could not yet reach this level which made a huge gap between developing and developed countries.

Ø As a result, Development in Africa depends on the continent’s capacity to create wealth first to significantly reduce poverty and then to raise its capacity to create wealth to unprecedented and sustainable levels.
General Framework
There were no empirical evidence to justify the relationship between ICTs and Development. Many studies have been conducted within the macro level but the micro level which deal with the grass root was not studies effectively.
The article tries to demonstrate the potential of ICTs for development in sub-Saharan Africa. It also identifies the major challenges that confront the communities involved in the process of appropriating ICTs for development.
The methodology:
The study was prepared according to a participatory and iterative approach that necessitated consultation with different partners, researchers and development actors. In August 2000, a methodological workshop was held in Nairobi including different Acacia partners from various backgrounds, but who all shared an interest in ICTs. The purpose of the workshop was to agree on the evaluation methodology to be followed, given that this study would involve four countries: Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda and many researchers. Using a participatory approach and process, all participants identified evaluation issues at the methodological workshop held in Nairobi in August 2000. for example, the issues that were identified were:
Ø 1.Economic, technical, political and social environments
Ø in which ICTs have been introduced.
Ø 2. Community access to ICTs.
Ø 3. Community involvement in the process of introducing
Ø ICTs.
Ø 4. Community responses to ICTs.
Ø 5. Technologies introduced.
Ø 6. Applications and content developed along with the
Ø introduction of ICTs.
Ø 7. Impacts of ICT introduction and use by the
Ø communities.
Ø 8. Capacity building among different groups.
Methods and data collection:
A range of data collection tools and instruments was then established. For instance, quantitative methods were combined with qualitative ones. Questionnaires were chosen as the instruments for quantitative data collection, and (individual or group) conversation guides were the preferred method for secondary qualitative information.
Sampling:
Projects were selected, and then sites to be studied are chosen within these projects and in each of the sites, a sample of respondents was selected.
Data collection:
Data were collected using a participatory approach. Qualitative data collection required interviews with groups and individuals. Quantitative data were collected during questionnaires. They classified respondents into two groups: users and non-users, and within each of these sub-groups, they were chosen randomly.

Methodological limitation
The research was exploratory and descriptive, and little concern was given to ensuring that the sample chosen was statistically meaningful. Therefore, the results should be read with caution. Adding to this, there was a problem concerning maturity of the selected objects.
Summary of projects:
In South Africa
An efficient community model of electronic information and communication was established with points of access to link communities to an ICT network.
Uganda:
In Uganda there has been an implementation of an Economic empowerment of women through ICTs. Many other projects in other countries were established involving the application of ICTs for development purposes.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)

Ø ICTs are grouped under two categories: ‘traditional’ and ‘new’. Traditional ICTs are radio, television, fixed line telephones, and facsimile machines. The ‘new’ ICTs consist of computers and specific data processing applications accessible through those computers (email, Internet, word processing, and other data processing applications).

Impact

Ø Impact should be understood here as changes in behaviors, relations, activities, or intervention strategies that are influenced by projects which introduce ICTs to communities.

Access

Ø Access should be understood in this study to mean the opportunity to use ICTs (e.g., availability, financial capacity, and technical capacity