Browsing by Subject "Internet"
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Gerhan, D.R.; Mutula, S.M. (Emerald, NaN, 2005)[more][less]
Abstract: Purpose – To examine the technical reasons for excessively slow internet speeds at the University of Botswana, to discover the present state of development efforts addressing such examples of the qualitative digital divide, and to recommend remedies. Design/methodology/ approach – Surveys of students, the authors' professional experiences, and reports from corporate, public, and intergovernmental organizations provided insights into the effects – and causes – of internet slowdown. Findings –Bandwidth bottlenecks were identified in successive stages of intercontinental internet traffic. Causes included network design and capacity, telecommunications regulations, and competing budgetary demands within Botswana. Research limitations/implications – Much of the literature on the digital divide has stressed plentiful hardware and internet connections in affluent societies versus their scarcity in developing societies. This study illustrates that hardware and connections are necessary but not sufficient for adequate online performance. Technological advance and development can each stimulate the other, and that two-way interconnection necessitates more than a simple call for more spending to increase developing countries' bandwidth. The paper presents recommendations in addition to higher funding. Originality/value – Student and other micro-level data serve as measures for the local performance of a global utility, the internet. Tracking message transmission uncovers bottlenecks along the path of the intercontinental internet, specifically as it reaches Africa. These “street-level” approaches can assist the international aid community, the telecommunications industry, and the public sector in Botswana and elsewhere in removing obstacles to the internet as a potentially important tool for national- and human-development. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/796 Files in this item: 1
Gerhan_LHT_2005.pdf (1.566Mb) -
Nleya, P.T. (Athabasca University Press, http://www.aupress.ca/index.php, NaN, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: The rapid growth and modernization of economies in developing countries like Botswana creates new and unmet demands for certain kinds of educated and skilled labour. The expansion of secondary and tertiary school systems has also created a problem of unemployed school leavers. The growth of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), globalization and the digital divide likewise, have together put new pressures on developing countries to accelerate their development to meet these demands. This paper reports the results of a survey that sought to assess levels of eLearning readiness, applications and trainee requirements in Botswana’s private sector. Such baseline data can inform policymakers and researchers and promote the transformation required of private sector companies to become learning organizations. The findings suggested that eLearning readiness (eReadiness) levels were moderate to low, and that archaic technology (i.e., overhead projection) was used by more than half of the private sector organizations for training (with far less than half using digital eLearning applications). While the overall findings suggested low levels of eLearning readiness, applications and trainee requirements in Botswana’s private sector, seventy percent of trainers reported that their organizations encouraged them to acquire basic computer skills to facilitate eLearning. The current eLearning situation in Botswana, and the literature reviewed, demonstrates that the integration of ICTs in both developing and developed countries was a gradual process. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) have expedited the change process in developed countries. However, several limitations are associated with such partnerships and this renders lessons for developing countries to emulate. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1046 Files in this item: 1
Nleya_CJLT_2009.pdf (2.629Mb)
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