Governments and aid agencies throughout the developing
world are attaching increasing importance to the role of information
communication technologies (ICTs) in their plans for alleviating
poverty and for improving the lives of third world inhabitants.
However, inadequate infracstructure, low levels of education and
awareness, inhibiting policies and regulations, high costs and unsuitable
content, mean that developing countries are struggling to find workable
modalities for equal participation in the emerging global knowledge
economy.
Moreover, it is evident that even in the resource-rich developed
world, there are disadvantaged sections of society that also suffer
from the digital divide; not only in terms of not having access
to ICTs but also in terms of lacking the skills, experience, motivation,
support and awareness that is necessary for making good use of ICTs.
Indigenous populations such as those that can be found in North
America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere, are regularly
over represented in statistics relating to low levels of social
well being and to lack of access and use of ICTs.
One aspect of using ICTs is how does one go about learning to use
the technology. It is envisaged that six billion learners, across
15,000 cultures, may have the opportunity to access information
via the internet using new satellite and wireless technologies.
Once Internet access becomes available - the challenge becomes how
can people best learn the technology in a culturally appropriate
and self-directed context? Self-directed online resources for indigenous
learners, rural citizens, and educators must provide the best available
online resources, suitable for the literacy levels of the most learners,
to deliver the highest possible levels of benefit with the least
amount of time invested.
The relationship between ICTs and social development for the poor
and marginalised is not well understood and is still evolving. Questions
of policy, sustainability, community mobilisation, technology, content
and human development carry their own specifics in these contexts.
This track situates such issues within a regional framework. It
offers the opportunity for researchers and practitioners to exchange
their experiences within the commonality of the Asia-Pacific region,
principally, but also beyond. Papers are invited from authors with
a story to tell relating to these broad issues.
Developing Countries
Abstracts
