Theoretical background The ICT4D discussion falls into a broader school of thought that proposes to use technology for

development. The theoretical foundation can be found in the Schu mpeterian notion of socio-economic evolution,[9] which consists of an incessant process of creative destruction that modernizes the modus operandi of society as a whole, including its economic, social, cultural, and political organization.[ 10] The motor of this incessant force of creative destruction is technological chang e.[11][12] While the key carrier technology of the first Industrial Revolution ( 17701850) was based on water-powered mechanization, the second Kondratiev (1850190 0) was enabled by steam-powered technology, the third (19001940) was characterize d by the electrification of social and productive organization, the fourth by mo torization and the automated mobilization of society (19401970), and the most rec ent one by the digitization of social systems.[9] Each one of those so-called lo ng waves has been characterized by a sustained period of social modernization, m ost notably by sustained periods of increasing economic productivity. According to Carlota Perez: this quantum jump in productivity can be seen as a technologica l revolution, which is made possible by the appearance in the general cost struc ture of a particular input that we could call the 'key factor', fulfilling the f ollowing conditions: (1) clearly perceived low-and descending-relative cost; (2) unlimited supply for all practical purposes; (3) potential all-pervasiveness; ( 4) a capacity to reduce the costs of capital, labour and products as well as to change them qualitatively.[12] Digital Information and Communication Technologies fulfill those requirements and therefore represent a general purpose technology that can transform an entire economy, leading to a modern, and more developed f orm of socio-economic and political organization often referred to as the post-i ndustrial society, the fifth Kondratiev, Information society, digital age, and n etwork society, among others.

ICT4D cube: an interplay between technology (horizontal: green), society (vertic al: blue), policy (diagonal: yellow/red) The declared goal of ICT-for-development is to make use of this ongoing transfor mation by actively using the enabling technology to improve the living condition s of societies and segments of society. As in previous social transformations of this kind (industrial revolution, etc.), the resulting dynamic is an interplay between an enabling technology, normative guiding policies and strategies, and t he resulting social transformation.[9][10][11] In the case of ICT4D, this threedimensional interplay has been depicted as a cube.[13] In line with the Schumpet erian school of thought, the first enabling factor for the associated socio-econ omic transformations is the existence technological infrastructure: hardware inf rastructure and generic software services. Additionally, capacity and knowledge are the human requirements to make use of these technologies. These foundations (horizontal green dimension in Figure) are the basis for the digitization of inf ormation flows and communication mechanisms in different sectors of society. Whe n part of the information flows and communication processes in these sectors are carried out in e-lectronic networks, the prefix "e-" is often added to the sect or's name, resulting in e-government, e-business and e-commerce, e-health, and e -learning, etc.) (vertical blue dimension in Figure). This process of transforma tion represent the basic requirements and building blocks, but they are not suff icient for development. The mere existence of technology is not enough to achiev e positive outcomes (no technological determinism). ICT for Development policies and projects are aimed at the promotion of normatively desired outcomes of this transformation, the minimization of negative effects, and the removal of eventu al bottlenecks. In essence, there are two kinds of interventions: positive feedb ack (incentives, projects, financing, subsidies, etc. that accentuate existing o pportunities); and negative feedback (regulation and legislation, etc.) that lim

it and tame negative developments (diagonal yellow-red dimension in Figure).[13] [edit] History

A telecentre in Gambia The history of ICT4D can be divided into three periods:[14] ICT4D 0.0: mid-1950s to late-1990s. This was before the creation of the term "IC T4D". The focus was on computing / data processing for back-office applications in large government and private sector organizations in developing countries. ICT4D 1.0: late-1990s to late-2000s. The combined advent of the Millennium Devel opment Goals and mainstream usage of the Internet in industrialised countries le d to a rapid rise in investment in ICT infrastructure and ICT programmes/project s in developing countries. The most typical application was the telecentre, used to bring information on development issues such as health, education, and agric ultural extension into poor communities. More latterly, telecentres might also d eliver online or partly online government services. ICT4D 2.0: late-2000s onwards. There is no clear boundary between phase 1.0 and 2.0 but suggestions of moving to a new phase include the change from the telecen tre to the mobile phone as the archetypal application. There is less concern wit h e-readiness and more interest in the impact of ICTs on development. Additional ly, there is more focus on the poor as producers and innovators with ICTs (as op posed to being consumers of ICT-based information). [edit] Values framework It is unusual for an objective endeavor, a research, to have corresponding value s. However, since ICT4D is foremost an initiative as well as an advocacy, it can be that development itself opts for a certain ideal or state. As such, values i n developmental research can be included. The Kuo Model of Informatization has t hree dimensions, namely: infrastructure, economy and people. These dimensions co rrespond to:[15] Education and literacy levels Economic indicators (GNP, GDP, etc.) Telecommunications and media infrastructure However, this may not be applicable to all countries. In the model, the three di mensions are correlated with each other, but Alexander Flor notes that in his co untry, the Philippines, the model is not be entirely suitable due to the followi ng reasons: The high education and literacy levels are not directly correlated with telecomm unications infrastructure and degree of economic development. The correlation between the degrees of telecommunications infrastructure and eco nomic development cannot easily be established. Flor proposes a new dimension be added to the Kuo Model - values dimension. This dimension can be operationalized through government priority indicators, subsid y levels and corruption levels among others. He proposes the following values fo r this dimension: equality, complementarity, integration, participation and incl usion, development from within and convergence.[16] [edit] ICT and Use of Technology See also: Computer technology for developing areas and List of ICT4D organizatio ns ICT4D projects often employ low-cost, low-powered technology which are sustainab le in a developing environment. The challenge is hard, since it is estimated tha t 40% of the world's population has less than US$ 20 per year available to spend on ICT. In Brazil, the poorest 20% of the population counts with merely US$9 pe

r year to spend on ICT (US$ 0.75 per month).[17] From Latin America it is known that the borderline between ICT as a necessity go od and ICT as a luxury good is roughly around the magical number of US$10 per pers on per month, or US$120 per year.[17] This is the cost ICT people seem to strive for and therefore is generally accepted as a minimum. In light of this reality, telecentre, desktop virtualization and multiseat configurations currently seem the most simple and common paths to affordable computing. ICT4D projects need to be properly monitored and implemented, as the system's de sign and user interface should be suitable to the target users. ICT4D projects i nstalled without proper coordination with its beneficiary community have a tende ncy to fall short of the main objectives. For example, in the usage of ICT4D pro jects in those farming sectors where a majority of the population are considered to be technologically illiterate, projects lie idle and sometimes get damaged o r allowed to become obsolete. Further, there should be a line of communication between the project coordinator and the user for immediate response to the query of, or the difficulty encounte red by, the user. Addressing the problem properly will help encourage the user v ia interactivity and participation. Peer to peer dialogs facilitated by Cisco's groundbreaking Telepresence technology is now being used, connecting 10 centers around the world to discuss the best p ractices on the use of ICT in urban service delivery. ICT4D is also given a new take in the introduction of Web 2.0. With the 5.2 bill ion internet users, the power generated by the internet should be noticed. With social networking at the frontier of the new web, ICT can have a new approach. U pdates, news and ordinances are spread readily by these applications; feedback s ystem can be more evident. In the Philippines, the administration now uses socia l media to converse more with its citizens for it makes people feel more in touc h with the highest official in the land.[18] Also another innovation is a standa rd suite of city indicators that enabled mayors & citizens to monitor the perfor mance of their city with others, this is important to have consistent & comparab le city-level data. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are also used in several ICT4D applications , such as the Open Risk Data Initiative (OpenRDI). OpenRDI aims to minimize the effect of disaster in developing countries by encouraging them to open their dis aster risk data. GIS technologies such as satellite imagery, thematic maps, and geospatial data play a big part in disaster risk management. One example is the HaitiData, where maps of Haiti containing layers of geospatial data (earthquake intensity, flooding likelihood, landslide and tsunami hazards, overall damage, e tc..) are made available which can then be used by decision makers and policy ma kers for rehabilitation and reconstruction of the country.[19][20] The areas whi ch are receiving priority attention include natural resources information assess ment, monitoring and management, water shed development, environmental planning, urban services and land use planning.[21] [edit] ICT for Weather Forecasting The use of ICT in weather forecasting is broad. Nowadays, weather forecasting of fices are using mass media to inform the public on weather updates. After Tropic al Storm Ondoy in the Philippines, the Filipino people are more curious and awar e about the weather hazards. Meteorological offices are also using advanced tool s to monitor the weather and the weather systems that may affect a certain area. Monitoring devices[22]

Weather Satellites Doppler Radars Automatic weather stations (AWS) Wind profiler other synoptic data or weather instruments Climate change is a global phenomenon affecting the lives of mankind. In time of calamities we need the use of information and communication technology for disa ster management. Various sectors and organizations can prove the effectiveness o f ICT for relief operations. In the Philippines, institution like National Disas ter and Risk Reduction and Management Council help the public in monitoring the weather and advisory for any possible risks due to hazardous weather. NetHope is another global organization which contributes to public regarding disaster mana gement and awareness through information technology. [edit] ICT for People with Disabilities According to World Health Organization (WHO), 15% of the world's total populatio n have disabilities. This is approximately 600 million people wherein three out of every four are living in developing countries, half are of working age, half are women and the highest incidence and prevalence of disabilities occurs in poo r areas.[23] With ICT, lives of people with disabilities can be improved, allowi ng them to have a better interaction in society by widening their scope of activ ities. Goals of ICT and Disability Work Give disabled people a powerful tool in their battle to gain employment Increase disabled people's skills, confidence, and self-esteem Integrate disabled people socially and economically into their communities; Reduce physical or functional barriers and enlarge scope of activities available to disabled persons At the international level, there are numerous guiding documents impacting on th e education of people with disabilities such as Universal Declaration of Human R ights (1948), moving to the Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960 ), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), the Convention on the Prote ction and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005). The Convent ion on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) includes policies about ac cessibility, non-discrimination, equal opportunity, full and effective participa tion and other issues. The key statement within the CRPD (2006) relevant for ICT and people with disabilities is within Article 9: "To enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensur e to persons with disabilities access, on equal basis with others, to the physic al environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems, and other facilities an d services open or provided to the public, both in urban and rural areas. (p. 9) " Another international policy that has indirect implications for the use of ICT b y people with disabilities are the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Although these do not specifically mention the right to access ICT for people with disab ilities, two key elements within the MDGs are to reduce the number of people in poverty and to reach out to the marginalised groups without access to ICT.[24] ICT Programs: Estonian e-Learning Development Centre alongside with Primus- One activity of Pr imus is to develop and run a support system for students with special needs. Thi s is done by: developing different support services (e.g. digitalising and recor

ding teaching material for students with visual impairments, creating training c ourses); improving learning environments (assessing physical accessibility of bu ildings); running a scholarship scheme for students with special needs to suppor t their full participation in studies.[24] European Unified Approach for Assisted Lifelong Learning (EU4ALL)- The aim of th is initiative is to create an accessible and adapted course addressed to student s with different disabilities cognitive, physical and sensory. The course was de signed through an Instructional Learning Design. The learner is given access to a course with activities and resources personalised according to the student's nee ds profile.[24] Plan Ceibal- aims to promote digital inclusion in order to reduce the digital ga p with other countries, as well as among the citizens of Uruguay. In order to su pport better access to education and culture, every pupil in the public educatio n system is being given a laptop. Within Plan Ceibal an initiative began at the end of 2008 to provide tools to improve accessibility of the laptop for learners with special needs, using particular assistive technology aids in classes equip ped with these machines.[24] Leren en werken met autisme (Learning and working with Autism)- is a DVD with se veral tools aimed at helping students with autism or autistic spectrum disorders in their transition from education to work, or workplace training settings. One of the tools is the wai-pass specific e-portfolio software. This e-portfolio not only provides information about the skills and competences of a particular stud ent, but also about his/her behaviour in particular settings and situations. Thi s type of very relevant information is gathered by teachers throughout the stude nt's school career and often vanishes when a student leaves school. Through this e -portfolio tool, the information can be easily disclosed to (potential) employer s. There is also a Toolkit for workplace learning and traineeship and Autiwerkt, a movie and a website with roadmaps, tips and tricks on traineeship and prepara tion for regular employment of students.[24] Everyday Technologies for Children with Special Needs (EvTech)- is a collaborati ve initiative aiming to increase the possibilities of children with special need s to make choices and influence their environments in everyday life by developin g individualised technical environments and tools for children and their familie s.[24] Discapnet- world's biggest and most visited website dealing with disability issu es.[23] [edit] ICT for Education ICT for Education (ICT4E) is a subset of the ICT4D thrust. Globalization and tec hnological change are one of the main goals of ICT. One of its main sectors that should be changed and modified is education. ICTs greatly facilitate the acquis ition and absorption of knowledge; offering developing countries unprecedented o pportunities to enhance educational systems, improve policy formulation and exec ution, and widen the range of opportunities for business and the poor. One of th e greatest hardships endured by the poor, and by many others who live in the poo rest countries, is their sense of isolation. The new communications technologies promise to reduce that sense of isolation, and open access to knowledge in ways unimaginable not long ago. Education is seen as a vital input to addressing issues of poverty, gender equal ity and health in the MDGs. This has led to an expansion of demand for education at all levels. Given limited education budgets, the opposing demand for increas ed investment in education against widespread scarcity of resources puts intoler able pressure on many countries' educational systems. Meeting these opposing deman ds through the traditional expansion of education systems, such as building scho ols, hiring teachers and equipping schools with adequate educational resources w ill be impossible in a conventional system of education. ICTs offer alternate so lutions for providing access and equity, and for collaborative practices to opti mize costs and effectively use resources.[25]

[edit] Countries with National Programs and Good Practice Examples of ICT Use in Education [26] Chile, the Chilean experience[27] Costa Rica, The Ministry of Education and Fundacin Omar Dengo's partnership India (Kerala), IT@school Jordan Education Initiative Macedonia's Primary Education Project (PEP) Malaysia, Smart School Namibia's ICTs in Education Initiative, TECH/NA! Russia E-Learning Support Project Singapore's Masterplan for ICT in Education (now in its third edition)[28] South Korea, first aid beneficiary now donor,[29] the Korea Education Research & Information Service (KERIS) Uruguay, small South American country, Plan Ceibal ICT has been employed in many projects and researches for education the world ov er. The Hole in the Wall (also known as minimally invasive education) is one of the projects which focuses on the development of computer literacy and the impro vement of learning. Other projects included the utilization of mobile phone tech nology to improve educational outcomes.[30] In the Philippines, there are key notes that have been forwarded to expand the d efinition of ICT4E from an exclusive high-end technology to include low-end tech nology; that is, both digital and analog.[31] As a leading mobile technology use r, the Philippines can take advantage of this for student learning. One project that serves as an example is Project Mind,[32] a collaboration of the Molave Dev elopment Foundation, Inc, Health Sciences University of Mongolia, ESP Foundation and the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) which focuses on t he viability of Short Message System (SMS) for distance learning. Pedagogy, Teac her Training, and Personnel Management are some of the subgroups of ICT4E. UPOU is one of the best examples of education transformation that empowers the potent ial of ICT in the Philippines' education system. By maximizing the use of techno logy to create a wide range of learning, UPOU promotes lifelong learning in a mo re convenient way. Since the education sector plays a vital role in economic development, Education System in developing countries should align with the fast evolving technology b ecause technological literacy is one of the required skills in our current era. ICT can enhance the quality of education by increasing learner motivation and en gagement, by facilitating the acquisition of basic skills and by enhancing teach er training which will eventually improve communication and exchange of informat ion that will strengthen and create economic and social development.