Academic literature on the topic 'Information Communication Technology (ICT) Codes of Conduct'

Purpose Professional ethics is explored with three main foci: a critique of codes of conduct and the value of creating a global code for information and communication technology (ICT); a critique of ICT professional certification; and the debate over whether ICT is really a profession. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual reflection on the current state of the ICT industry internationally, informed by the literature. Findings Compared to a mature profession, such as health, ICT is a young profession. This is evidenced in the disparity of domains of practice, the lack of agreement on universal values governing the industry and the ongoing difficulties in creating international certification. Originality/value Until now, there has been little recognition of the corporatisation of ICT professionals and the effect that has on their ability to engage in appropriate professional ethics. More research is needed to explore appropriate ways in which ethical behaviour can be encouraged in the corporate workplace, including how professional development can be strengthened through building learning organisations.

The wave of changes pervading the global community presently has called for proactive measures in virtually all aspects of human endeavours to meet the exigencies of change and challenges coded new normal. Education and instructional delivery should therefore be global best practices compliant to give a country relevance among nations. Doing this successfully requires stakeholders in education to meet with the exigencies of the time. Since teachers are the drivers of the nation’s education programmes, they should be prepared to go beyond the traditional face-to- face (F2F) classroom setting. This requires being exposed to the rapid development in Information Communication Technology (ICT) and being able to cope with the challenges of the new normal in teaching. This is encapsulated in the media-mediated instruction that allows for the use of advances in various communication technologies in achieving educational goals which is the major reason of this study. This research therefore examines how, within the new normal, teachers can conduct effective teaching and learning, improve the quality of education, and the way forward for effective teaching and learning in the Arts and Humanities using media-mediated instructional tools.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy is the ability to use digital technology, communication tools and/or networks to define, access, manage, integrate, evaluate, create and communicate information well and legally toward a knowledgeable society. This literature study looks at the level of ICT literacy of vocational high school (SMK) teachers. The purpose is to determine the ICT literacy skills of vocational teachers in integrating and assessing ICT learning. The method used is literature review by searching and selecting articles / journals with suitable topics which then are proceed to analysis. The results of this literature study are to look the ICT literacy of vocational school teachers in using technology to conduct learning in the classroom.

Information and communication technology (ICT) undoubtedly changes the lives of people, especially in this time of pandemics. Almost all the communications strategies of the different agencies have adopted the technology. ICT has posed a lot of benefits from making communication faster and circulating information. ICT brings impact to the educational field through rapid development and positive changes. The Department of Education designated ICT Coordinators to oversee the duties and functions of technological assistance in the school.This study determined the Information and Communication Technology Coordinators competency skills and clients satisfaction involving a total of 297 respondents including the ICT coordinators of each school.Employing the descriptive correlational research design, this study had utilize a researcher developed questionnaire to gather the data from the ICT coordinators and teachers from the elementary schools in the Division of Biliran. The results found that the ages of the respondents have ranged from 22 to 45 years, most of them are female, married, Masters Degree holders, mostly 10 to 14 years in the service, and have attended local training and seminars. The level of competency skills of ICT coordinators in terms of computer system servicing was moderately competent, and in terms of preventive maintenance was highly competent.Therewas a high level of clients satisfaction. The sex and number of years in the service have a significant relationship to clients satisfaction, while the age, educational attainment, and training and seminars attended have no significant relationship to clients satisfaction. There was also significant relationship between the competency skills of ICT coordinators and clients satisfaction.Moreover, results also indicated that ICT coordinators have encountered problems while rendering their services to their clients such as: no available funds allocated for the maintenance of the computers due to limited allocation of Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) ICT Coordinators were assigned to various school activities and under regular teaching hours and some computer units were no longer functional.The school administrators shall conduct training and workshops which should focused on computer servicing to enhance the level of competency skills of ICT coordinators andfund may also be allocated for the maintenance of computer units and to upgrade the internet connectivity to improve the level of clients satisfaction.

Science and Technology (S&T) were aggressively used for more than two decades during the Cold Conflict between the United States and the former Soviet Union to avert war and maintain diplomatic equilibrium in the conduct of 'International Relations' (I.R.). The prevalence of soft power in digital age politics and the empowerment of non-state actors in international relations are both aided by access to information and control over it. Aside from increased roles, requests for expanded outreach and accountability, and dwindling resources, the modern diplomatic service is particularly challenged by the multistakeholder and interdisciplinary international arena. The well-planned and well-organized use of ICT may empower diplomatic services, particularly in small and developing nations, and assist them in dealing with rising difficulties and delivering their full potential. The study goes into great detail regarding how science and technology affect diplomacy.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) useful to support English Language Teaching (ELT) for foreign language. In addition, this day is the globalization era and the English language is the global language. Then, this world particularly needs human resources who mastering English material and modern technology. The objective of the paper was to examine the utilization of ICT while conduct autonomous learning also to ensure teachers' abilities in the implementation of social media technology to support English Foreign Language (EFL) teaching classes. The survey used with collecting the data from several young teachers by the descriptive-qualitative method. The data showed four from six respondents already known ICT as well, automatically those five young teachers have the appropriate ELT tools by various social media. On the other hand, not many ideas are found in the comprehension of conducting autonomous learning. Basically, the teachers understand how important student-centered to conduct particularly in EFL classes. In contrast, it was not balanced with the idea to develop ICT in designing interactive modern learning classes. This matter similar to the case of senior teachers who have no enough knowledge about the global technology development rate. This case was found in the previous survey to be precise with the teacher in high school. The senior teacher just utilizes one or two ICT tools in the ELT classes. The limitation of tools could make the output and outcome of the learning process is not optimal. Furthermore, this paper shows the importance of integration of ICT tools and ELT which should be mastered by teachers in this 4.0 era.

Current managerial communication in the global business world has recently experienced dramatic and unprecedented changes connected to the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in business and managerial communication. The objective of this paper is to analyze the changes in ICT-enhanced business and managerial communication in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Czech Republic. The use of ICT in business and managerial communication is obvious and brings various benefits, but it also has some drawbacks that should be identified and analyzed. From a methodological point of view, this study is twofold. Firstly, we conduct a systematic review of the current literature on the topic of business and managerial communication, providing an understanding of the recent development in the area of business and managerial communication. Secondly, we conduct qualitative research into the current state of ICT-enhanced managerial and business communication in several SMEs in the Czech Republic. The findings of the literature research show that there are two key aspects that define modern business and managerial communication, i.e., interculturality and interconnectedness. These two aspects of business and managerial communication are very recent, and they bring many challenges that must be considered in order to optimize communication. These altered communication paradigms have the potential to improve global competitiveness and produce new opportunities in the global market. The second part of the research shows that the general awareness of the changes in business communication is limited, and this could potentially pose a threat to business and managerial communication, leading to a loss of opportunities and reduced competitiveness. The majority of global-based companies have already become culture-, communication-, technology- and information-dependent, and ignoring or neglecting this fact presents a significant risk, which may be one of the biggest threats to global competitiveness. Since the success of SMEs is critical for the development of the national economy, it is recommended that company communication be continuously enhanced by frequent training at all organizational levels. This presents a challenge for educational institutions and training centers, managers and businesspeople, of creating communication competencies that would be highly rewarded in the global business environment.

This study aims to understand the nature of information and communication technology in technology convergence. We form a knowledge network by applying social network theories to Korean patent data collected from the European Patent Organization. A knowledge network consists of nodes representing technology sectors identified by their International Patent Classification codes and edges that link International Patent Classification codes when they appear concurrently in a patent. We test the proposed hypotheses using four indices (degree centrality, E-I index, entropy index, and clustering coefficient). The results show that information and communication technology is easily attached but tends to converge with similar technology and has the greatest influence on technology convergence over other technologies. This study is expected to help practitioners and policymakers understand the structure and interaction mechanisms of technology from a systematic perspective and improve national-level technology policies.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to assess the information communication technology as a strategic tool in the delivery of judicial services.Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive case study design. The population of the study was staff drawn from various departments of the judiciary. The sample of 59 was selected using a stratified sampling technique. The data collection tool was questionnaire. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as means, frequencies and percentages. In addition, SPSS was used to conduct factor analysis.Results: Results indicate that the factors that affect the strategic adoption of ICT in the judiciary had a positive relationship with the adoption of ICT. The findings indicated that the judiciaries in Kenya face low adoption of ICT.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: Following the study results, the judiciary was recommended to introduce induction training in basic computer packages. The judiciary was also recommended to change the attitudes and perception of staff towards technological factors which include the perceived relative advantage of ICT, compatibility of ICT, complexity of ICT, Triability of ICT, and observability of ICT. It was also recommended that the organization should have adequate resources so as to enhance smooth adoption of ICT. The judiciary was also recommended to try and incorporate young people in the system as they tend to embrace ICT as compared to older managers, employ qualified personnel who are enthusiasts, pragmatists and artisans.

Developing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) supported health communication in PHC could contribute to increased health literacy and empowerment, which are foundations for enabling people to increase control over their health, as a way to reduce increasing lifestyle related ill health. However, to increase the likelihood of success of implementing ICT supported health communication, it is essential to conduct a detailed analysis of the setting and context prior to the intervention. The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of health communication for health promotion in PHC with emphasis on the implications for a planned ICT supported interactive health channel.

Given the challenges to ethical practices in a business to business marketing context, this study examines the influence of supervisors’ ethical leadership on key account managers. A mixed-method approach was used to answer research questions about the role of ethical leadership to shape account managers’ ethicality, ethical conduct and customer relationship quality. The study included a qualitative phase to confirm the constructs followed by a quantitative study to test theory-driven hypotheses. The initial exploratory phase interviewed a sample 18 participants, which comprised supervisors, account manager, and customers of an Indonesian information and communication technology firm. Analyses surfaced common themes which informed the concept of ethical key account management. An online survey with two stages of data collection followed, which used both quantitative measures and open-ended qualitative responses. In stage 1, partial least-squares structural equation modelling of responses from 258 account managers revealed that supervisors’ ethical leadership was positively related to account managers’ ethical awareness, intention, and judgment contingent on the ethical dilemma involved. Further analyses of the 73 completed responses of the survey in stage 2 indicated that ethical leadership was positively related to ethical equity judgment and customer-oriented organisational citizenship behaviour, and had an indirect positive effect on customer relationship quality. Theoretically, the study contributes new understanding by extending the model of ethical leadership outcomes to customers as the main organisational stakeholders. In practice, the study has the potential to inform strategies for improving the moral engagement of key account managers. This engagement is essential for guiding standards of customer relationship management. In sum, supervisors who engage in moral behaviour and provoke their subordinates to do so by role-modelling, communication and providing rewards and consequences, are likely to influence followers’ citizenship behaviour and discourage the deviant behaviour.

Major trends in information and communication technology (ICT) are transforming the global commercial and technology landscape. Since 1945, the US market has been the most consistent agenda setter for the global market. But now, as economic gloom haunts the world, and as a new President settles in the United States, predictions abound that American dominance in international relations will give way to the leadership of China or others. However, if the United States acts vigorously on the policy front, it can maintain its international leadership position until at least 2025. In addition, the information revolution has also accelerated the changing of international actors’ roles. This is because the web and the information revolution had resulted in tremendous security, political, economic, social, and cultural consequences, which altered the roles of countries, companies, non-governmental actors, and international institutions in the conduct of international relations. ICTs can also leave a significant impact on foreign policy, as these can affect democratic and authoritarian rule, as well as give rise to the “CNN effect,” which is a relatively recent phenomenon which has a tendency to alter the extent, depth, and speed of the new global media. As the ICT revolution spreads across the planet it also resets the international relations playing field, with significant consequences for security, and political, economic, social, and cultural interactions.

Surveys—data collection based on standardized questionnaires— started with censuses thousands of years ago. However, it was only in the 1930s, following some breakthrough developments in applied statistics, that the sample survey data collection approach was widely acknowledged. The possibility of inferring about the total population from samples of 300 or 1,000 units radically expanded the potential of survey data collection. In addition to sampling, survey data collection procedures also rely on a proper measurement instrument (i.e., a survey questionnaire) as well as effective administrative and managerial activities. Since the 1930s, opinion polling has become a major tool of democratic development (Gallup & Rae, 1968). Official statistics have recognized the enormous potential of survey data collection for the fast estimation of crops, industry outputs, unemployment, and so forth. Further, the marketing and media industries obtained a tool to effectively measure the characteristics of their target groups. The survey industry has therefore become an established activity with its own associations (e.g., ESOMAR, AAPOR), codes of conduct, publications, conferences, professional profiles, and large multinational companies generating annual revenues worth billions of dollars (e.g., A.C. Nielsen). Surveys were traditionally performed as personal interviews, over the telephone or in the form of selfadministrated questionnaires. Information-communication technology (ICT) developments introduced radical changes to the survey data collection processes, particularly because the core of this activity is manipulation with the information itself. The early implementations of ICT in survey data collection are linked to computer developments. Mass computerization started with the emerging PC in the 1980s and enabled computer-assisted survey information collection (CASIC), firstly with the introductionn of computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI). In the late 1980s, portable computers started to be used with face-to-face interview data collection, leading to computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI). When personal computers started to become the mainstream, computerized self-administered questionnaires (CSAQ) were implemented in various forms. The last crucial milestone came in the 1990s with the rise of the Internet, which enabled e-mail and Web-based types of CSAQ. This started a new stream of ICT development which is radically transforming the entire survey industry. Internet-based data collection will soon become the mainstream survey mode. Studies for 2005 projected that market research organizations worldwide would generate over a billion dollars in revenue on the basis of Internet surveys (Terhanian & Bremer, 2005). In addition, about 40% of research work in the USA in 2003-2004 was conducted on the Internet (E-consultancy, 2004).

Traditional volunteer management is a bureaucratic process involving recruitment, screening, training, assignment, scheduling, recognition, retention, and reporting on volunteers. New workplace technologies provide ways to conduct these tasks with greater efficiency and increased accuracy, thereby enhancing both the volunteer experience and the impact of volunteers on organizational operations. This chapter reviews the literature regarding theories of technology acceptance and use, technology use in nonprofit organizations, and technology in volunteer programs. Three organizational case studies provide insights into both the promise and limitations of the adoption and use of Volgistics, a commonly used Web-based software designed for volunteer management in nonprofit organizations. The authors conclude by discussing what these cases suggest for the challenges and promise of adoption of new technology in the management of volunteers.

Globalization can be viewed as a process of increased freedom and capacity of individuals and firms to conduct economic activities with residents of other countries. The driving forces of globalization stem from the reduction in barriers for conducting business across political and geographic barriers, as well as the reduction and convergence of transaction costs via advances in “transport of information.” There is a consensus that innovation and the accompanying progress in information and communication technology (ICT) serve as a catalyst for economic growth. This chapterdiscusses the ICT environment within the Central and Southeastern European (CSEE) counties and the changes in this sector within the European Union (EU). Examination of strategies taken by these nations to improve their economic performance may offer decision makers in other regions some options to deal with impending changes. Particular emphasis is on the efforts of CSEE nations to build a creditable government, reliable political system, and competitive economy. These nations serve as a laboratory for implementing radical changes in their political economy from a centrally planned, one-party system to a democratic market-based system. Specific recommendations include emphasis on effectual dissemination of information between purchasers and suppliers. Information broadcasting is highly related to the creation of an efficient digital system. Specific needs include improved capacity to standardize reports, forms and information transmission functions. Furthermore, IT support and training programs are essential to reduce market distortions.

Information and communication technology (ICT) is constantly changing the world around us. This not only affects the way that we conduct our personal lives but also our business lives. It is changing the very make up of society (Neff, 2000). For organizations, it seems that there is a requirement for success that they ride along with the new technological wave or risk getting left behind. As a result, some organizations are implementing telework programs to take advantage of new technologies (Kaye et al., 2000).

Space technology has advanced rapidly in recent years. Nevertheless, a number of countries still lack the human, technical and financial resources required to conduct even the most basic space-related activities, such as meteorology, communications natural-resource management and education. The need to make the benefits of space technology available to all countries has thus grown more urgent with each passing year. This chapter proposes a two phased approach for using space technology to deliver Information Communication Technologies (ICT) to underserved areas. The first phase involves the definition and implementation of the Satellite Global infrastructure to provide connectivity to underserved regions. The second phase introduces the concept of a Coalition of Space Internet Providers (COSIP) model. The aim of this model is to encourage the diffusion of space technology delivered by the GBBS infrastructure to the grassroots level. The model defines how Internet capabilities should be introduced to rural underprivileged societies to provide health and educational services in a sustainable manner. This model is a reincarnation of the Local Information Utility (LIU) model that was successfully implemented over a decade ago, to aid the diffusion of the Internet to rural American communities. This chapter explains the technology at the foundation of the COSIP model and describes the actors required along with their roles and responsibilities.

The subject matter of the chapter is the result of a doctoral thesis conducted in the Department of Preschool Education and Educational Design of the University of the Aegean in Greece. The purpose of this chapter, derived from a corresponding thesis on the issue of folk culture and education, is to explore the role of information technology and information and communication technologies (ICT) in the production of digital educational material. In essence, the work comes to contribute to the scientific debate on whether technology can enhance the relationship between folk culture and education through interactive-multimedia and online technologies. Simultaneously, this project also aspires to contribute to the configuration of the instruction of folk culture through enriched teaching interventions by analog and digital means.

This chapter discusses the role of social culture in the evaluation of ICT policies and specifically of Internet policies. It draws on the case of the Greek Information Society and on the exceptionally low levels of Internet adoption in the country, exploring the role of social culture in the ways in which Internet users and non-users in Greece evaluate Internet policies and the role of these policies in their decision to adopt the Internet or not. The chapter reports on the findings obtained from surveying 1,000 Greek users and non-users of the Internet in 2007. It finds that social culture and, more specifically, everyday culture and people’s resistance to Internet technologies influence significantly their evaluation of Internet policies, explaining to a certain degree the picture of low Internet adoption in Greece. The first section introduces the scope and aim of the chapter, while background information on the main trends in the Greek Information Society is provided in the section that follows. In the third section, the chapter takes a decision-making perspective and discusses policies in the Information Society of the country, so as to understand better the context in which policy initiatives receive evaluations that derive from social culture. Then, the chapter reports on the main empirical findings obtained from a survey. The survey finds that a culture of resistance is dominant in Greece, with non-users uninterested and in no need to use the Internet. Non-users in particular seem to identify themselves with established traditions and settings of life, thinking that the Internet may put their work, personal and moral status at risk. On the other hand, the survey finds that Greek people are generally dissatisfied with national Internet policies. The modelling analysis shows that social culture and specifically people’s values and culturally-driven perceptions of Internet technologies do influence the ways in which Internet users and non-users evaluate Internet policies. These findings can provide recommendations for policy-makers in the field as well as insights for researchers who aim to conduct comparative research or envisage looking at other countries’ ICT policies and social cultures.

Since the mid-1990s, adoption of wide-area computer networks, such as the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW), by the public, educational institutions and private sector organizations has helped spur an interest in using these new Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as a means to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of organizational processes. Private sector firms have focused on using Internet-based technologies, especially the browser-based technologies of the WWW, as a means to conduct business transactions. The use of such electronic transmission technologies in carrying out business activities has generally been dubbed electronic commerce, or e-commerce (Schneider, 2003). Attempts to reinvent public organizations in the United States during the 1990s were heavily grounded in the belief that the adoption of new forms of ICT will streamline both service generation and delivery (Osborne & Gaebler, 1993; Gore, 1993). Some government actors and observers, such as the National Science Foundation, have more recently referred to the overall use of ICT to carry out the activities of government institutions as digital government. The term digital government has in many respects grown to refer to the development, adoption or use of ICT as a key component of a public organization’s internal information and control systems, as well as any use of ICT to facilitate interaction with external stakeholders. Some scholars have attempted to examine how governments have used ICT systems, such as the Internet and WWW, as a means to facilitate interactions with citizens and other stakeholders in an attempt to foster democratic processes via electronic media. These activities have been called electronic democracy, or e-democracy. This broad concept is then usually subdivided into two subsets of activities, electronic politics and electronic government. Electronic politics, or e-politics, centers on activities that facilitate civic awareness of political processes, as well as the ability of citizens to participate in those processes. Electronic government, or e-government, includes the use of ICT by government agencies to provide programmatic information and services to citizens and other stakeholders (Watson & Mundy, 2001).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, effective use of information and communication technology (ICT), access to data sources, and critical evaluation of new information were essential for successful distance learning. University students need both information literacy (IL) and scientific literacy (SL) to learn and conduct research. This study examined the level of IL of 561 undergraduate and graduate students. We investigated the impact of scientific literacy (SL), ICT use, psychological/learning characteristics, and demographic parameters on student IL. The effects of a credit-bearing IL course were studied on 151 students, comparing three teaching methods. The average IL test performance of 67.6% did not differ significantly by student gender or natural/social science orientation. Of the IL topics, students were least proficient in legal/ethical issues, followed by information searching. Students’ knowledge of IL and SL was comparable and decreased with cognitive level. While ownership of ICT devices and ICT-rich courses had no effect on the level of IL, confidence in using the Internet correlated significantly with IL. Also, IL correlated positively with students’ self-concepts about learning and problem-solving, as well as their self-efficacy, but motivation played a smaller role. The credit-bearing IL study course was most effective when active learning methods were used.

In the educational sector, where scientific publications and articles are concerned, plagiarism detection systems are critical. Plagiarism occurs when someone copies a piece of content without the author's permission or citation. You'll need a lot of knowledge about plagiarism types and classes to detect such conduct. Thanks to recently developed tools and procedures, many types of plagiarism may now be recognized. Plagiarism detection has become a crucial concern as a result of advancements in information and communication technology tools (ICT Tools), as well as the availability of online scientific materials. Plagiarism detection has become a crucial issue with the availability of several software text editors. Plagiarism detection and the various types of plagiarism detection datasets used in identification systems has already been the subject of numerous research investigations. This paper discusses various types of plagiarism and various source code plagiarism detection tools developed. Despite the fact that there has been extensive study into systems for detecting source code plagiarism for many years, there is still a need to investigate a robust method.

The advent of the Information Age and global connectivity has placed ethics center stage in the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). As the drive towards the establishment of a so-called IT profession gains momentum, ethical conduct and codes of ethics have recently been formulated and introduced formally. Initiatives in this regard can be attributed to, among others, the ACM and the IEEE. Of particular significance is the ImpactCS Project commissioned by the joint taskforce of the ACM and IEEE, and funded by the USA’s National Science Foundation. The increased globalization and inherent nature of ICT transcend physical and cultural borders, making it increasingly difficult to enforce accepted laws, regulations, and codes of conduct. It is thus the responsibility of Computer Science and Information Systems instructors to teach and instill professional values and ethical analysis skills in each and every student. Therefore, we investigate some issues pertaining to the teaching of computer ethics. We conclude this paper by presenting a possible framework to be used in the teaching of computer ethics, and apply this framework to our own institution.

Advancement in information and communication technology (ICT) laid the foundation for open education practices (OEP). The open educational resources (OER) movement has been high on the accessibility and inclusivity agenda, however, the OPAL report: Beyond OER – Shifting Focus to Open Educational Practices (OPAL, 2011) suggests extending the focus beyond the use of OER in higher education to innovative OEP. OEP is defined as “a broad description of collaborative practices that include the creation, use, and reuse of OER, as well as pedagogical practices employing participatory technologies and social networks for interaction, peer-learning, knowledge creation, and empowerment of learners” (Cronin, 2017, p. 18). // Lecturers introduced OEP into a second-year module. Working in interprofessional teams, health and social care students (N:1734) conducted research and used open technologies to design a learning object. Learning objects were assessed, and with students’ consent, shared as OER. Within the evolving OEP domain, this SoTL research project explored students’ perceptions on the use of OEP in undergraduate, interprofessional education (IPE). Ethics approval was granted. Voluntary non-probability sampling was used. The study population comprised of all students registered for the module (N:1734) with 1145 (n) students giving written consent. // This qualitative study was anchored in a constructivist-interpretivist paradigm. A scoping review provided the theoretical foundation and empirical data was collected through an online reflection activity. Data was anonymised, thematically analysed, co-coded, and interpreted. // Participants perceived the introduction of OEP as very positive. Participants valued working collaboratively, gaining insight into diverse disciplinary approaches, and learning with, form, and about their peers. OEP allowed for increased engagement with the subject matter, better understanding, and knowledge retention. Participants valued learning new skills, being creative, co-constructing knowledge, and developing a learning object that can be used for more than just assessment purposes. Students recommended the inclusion of OEP in other modules. // References. Cronin, C. (2017). Openness and Praxis: Exploring the Use of Open Educational Practices in Higher Education. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(5), 15–34 doi: https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i5.3096

In Japan, the deterioration of bridges constructed in the high economic growth period is progressing, and the maintenance of those bridges is a problem. Municipalities, as road administrators, are required to conduct close visual inspections of bridges (longer than 2m) once every five years, but municipalities face difficulties due to lack of financial and human resources. For this reason, the research of inspection and diagnosis technology is advanced for efficient inspection work. Especially, it is the new technology of ICT(information and communications technology), such as AI analysis of image data of bridge photographs. In this study, we developed a bridge inspection support system that automatically detects cracks in concrete bridges from bridge photographs. This system uses AI of image processing by deep learning. By using AI, we will be able to detect cracks in a short time and inspect bridges more efficiently. However, it requires many photographs of huge amount of data for image analysis. And those images take time to upload to the system by mobile communication. Therefore, we verified the system operation using 5G mobile communication, which is characterized by high speed and large capacity.

The report recommends that: 1) Policymakers should conduct holistic assessments of social, economic, and cultural factors before AI adoption in the water sector, as prospective applications of AI are case- specific. It is also important to conduct baseline studies to measure the implementation capacity, return on investment, and impact of intervention. 2) To ensure positive development outcomes, policies regarding the use of AI for water-related challenges should be coupled with capacity and infrastructure development policies. Capacity development policies need to address the AI and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) needs for the AI-related skill development of all water-related stakeholders. Infrastructure development policies should address the underlying requirements of computation, energy, data generation, and storage. The sequencing of these policies is critical. 3) To mitigate the predicted job displacement that will accompany AI-led innovation in the water sector, policies should direct investments towards enabling a skilled workforce by developing water sector-related education at all levels. This skilled workforce should be strategically placed to offset dependency on the private sector. 4) Water-related challenges are cross-cutting running from grassroots to the global level and require an understanding of the water ecosystem. It is important for countries connected by major rivers and watersheds to collaborate in developing policies that advance the use of AI to address common water-related challenges. 5) A council or agency with representation from all stakeholders should be constituted at the national level, to allow for the successful adoption of AI by water agencies. This council or agency should be tasked with the development of policies, guidelines, and codes of conduct for the adoption of AI in the water-sector. These key policy recommendations can be used as primary guidelines for the development of strategies and plans to use AI to help achieve water-related SDGs.

This report maps the African landscape of Open Science – with a focus on Open Data as a sub-set of Open Science. Data to inform the landscape study were collected through a variety of methods, including surveys, desk research, engagement with a community of practice, networking with stakeholders, participation in conferences, case study presentations, and workshops hosted. Although the majority of African countries (35 of 54) demonstrates commitment to science through its investment in research and development (R&D), academies of science, ministries of science and technology, policies, recognition of research, and participation in the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), the following countries demonstrate the highest commitment and political willingness to invest in science: Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. In addition to existing policies in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), the following countries have made progress towards Open Data policies: Botswana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, South Africa and Uganda. Only two African countries (Kenya and South Africa) at this stage contribute 0.8% of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to R&D (Research and Development), which is the closest to the AU’s (African Union’s) suggested 1%. Countries such as Lesotho and Madagascar ranked as 0%, while the R&D expenditure for 24 African countries is unknown. In addition to this, science globally has become fully dependent on stable ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) infrastructure, which includes connectivity/bandwidth, high performance computing facilities and data services. This is especially applicable since countries globally are finding themselves in the midst of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), which is not only “about” data, but which “is” data. According to an article1 by Alan Marcus (2015) (Senior Director, Head of Information Technology and Telecommunications Industries, World Economic Forum), “At its core, data represents a post-industrial opportunity. Its uses have unprecedented complexity, velocity and global reach. As digital communications become ubiquitous, data will rule in a world where nearly everyone and everything is connected in real time. That will require a highly reliable, secure and available infrastructure at its core, and innovation at the edge.” Every industry is affected as part of this revolution – also science. An important component of the digital transformation is “trust” – people must be able to trust that governments and all other industries (including the science sector), adequately handle and protect their data. This requires accountability on a global level, and digital industries must embrace the change and go for a higher standard of protection. “This will reassure consumers and citizens, benefitting the whole digital economy”, says Marcus. A stable and secure information and communication technologies (ICT) infrastructure – currently provided by the National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) – is key to advance collaboration in science. The AfricaConnect2 project (AfricaConnect (2012–2014) and AfricaConnect2 (2016–2018)) through establishing connectivity between National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), is planning to roll out AfricaConnect3 by the end of 2019. The concern however is that selected African governments (with the exception of a few countries such as South Africa, Mozambique, Ethiopia and others) have low awareness of the impact the Internet has today on all societal levels, how much ICT (and the 4th Industrial Revolution) have affected research, and the added value an NREN can bring to higher education and research in addressing the respective needs, which is far more complex than simply providing connectivity. Apart from more commitment and investment in R&D, African governments – to become and remain part of the 4th Industrial Revolution – have no option other than to acknowledge and commit to the role NRENs play in advancing science towards addressing the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals). For successful collaboration and direction, it is fundamental that policies within one country are aligned with one another. Alignment on continental level is crucial for the future Pan-African African Open Science Platform to be successful. Both the HIPSSA ((Harmonization of ICT Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa)3 project and WATRA (the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly)4, have made progress towards the regulation of the telecom sector, and in particular of bottlenecks which curb the development of competition among ISPs. A study under HIPSSA identified potential bottlenecks in access at an affordable price to the international capacity of submarine cables and suggested means and tools used by regulators to remedy them. Work on the recommended measures and making them operational continues in collaboration with WATRA. In addition to sufficient bandwidth and connectivity, high-performance computing facilities and services in support of data sharing are also required. The South African National Integrated Cyberinfrastructure System5 (NICIS) has made great progress in planning and setting up a cyberinfrastructure ecosystem in support of collaborative science and data sharing. The regional Southern African Development Community6 (SADC) Cyber-infrastructure Framework provides a valuable roadmap towards high-speed Internet, developing human capacity and skills in ICT technologies, high- performance computing and more. The following countries have been identified as having high-performance computing facilities, some as a result of the Square Kilometre Array7 (SKA) partnership: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zambia. More and more NRENs – especially the Level 6 NRENs 8 (Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, and recently Zambia) – are exploring offering additional services; also in support of data sharing and transfer. The following NRENs already allow for running data-intensive applications and sharing of high-end computing assets, bio-modelling and computation on high-performance/ supercomputers: KENET (Kenya), TENET (South Africa), RENU (Uganda), ZAMREN (Zambia), EUN (Egypt) and ARN (Algeria). Fifteen higher education training institutions from eight African countries (Botswana, Benin, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, and Tanzania) have been identified as offering formal courses on data science. In addition to formal degrees, a number of international short courses have been developed and free international online courses are also available as an option to build capacity and integrate as part of curricula. The small number of higher education or research intensive institutions offering data science is however insufficient, and there is a desperate need for more training in data science. The CODATA-RDA Schools of Research Data Science aim at addressing the continental need for foundational data skills across all disciplines, along with training conducted by The Carpentries 9 programme (specifically Data Carpentry 10 ). Thus far, CODATA-RDA schools in collaboration with AOSP, integrating content from Data Carpentry, were presented in Rwanda (in 2018), and during17-29 June 2019, in Ethiopia. Awareness regarding Open Science (including Open Data) is evident through the 12 Open Science-related Open Access/Open Data/Open Science declarations and agreements endorsed or signed by African governments; 200 Open Access journals from Africa registered on the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ); 174 Open Access institutional research repositories registered on openDOAR (Directory of Open Access Repositories); 33 Open Access/Open Science policies registered on ROARMAP (Registry of Open Access Repository Mandates and Policies); 24 data repositories registered with the Registry of Data Repositories (re3data.org) (although the pilot project identified 66 research data repositories); and one data repository assigned the CoreTrustSeal. Although this is a start, far more needs to be done to align African data curation and research practices with global standards. Funding to conduct research remains a challenge. African researchers mostly fund their own research, and there are little incentives for them to make their research and accompanying data sets openly accessible. Funding and peer recognition, along with an enabling research environment conducive for research, are regarded as major incentives. The landscape report concludes with a number of concerns towards sharing research data openly, as well as challenges in terms of Open Data policy, ICT infrastructure supportive of data sharing, capacity building, lack of skills, and the need for incentives. Although great progress has been made in terms of Open Science and Open Data practices, more awareness needs to be created and further advocacy efforts are required for buy-in from African governments. A federated African Open Science Platform (AOSP) will not only encourage more collaboration among researchers in addressing the SDGs, but it will also benefit the many stakeholders identified as part of the pilot phase. The time is now, for governments in Africa, to acknowledge the important role of science in general, but specifically Open Science and Open Data, through developing and aligning the relevant policies, investing in an ICT infrastructure conducive for data sharing through committing funding to making NRENs financially sustainable, incentivising open research practices by scientists, and creating opportunities for more scientists and stakeholders across all disciplines to be trained in data management.