ICTA2K4D - A model for university partnerships in the 21st century
Submitted by arif on Thu, 04/16/2009 - 02:06ICTA24D stands for 'Information and Communication Technologies and Access to Knowledge for Development. These three dimensions are hyptothesized to be critical to meeting the challenges of globalization, and the potentials of the communications revolution and the access to knowledge movement in the 21st century, with particular focus on the university as a central actor in the global knowledge econmy. Within this framework, the concept of networked partnerships (NP) (Diack, Jinha, 2009) will be introduced as a vehicle for strengthening the research and education capacities of the institutions of the South and meeting the internationalization objectives of those of the North.
The model synthesizes concepts and data from three concepts central to development, globalization, communications and knowledge that have emerged as a consequence of digital communications, as identified by their digital acronyms. These are:
(in near future these will be hyperlinked to definitions.)
ICT4D - Information and Communication Technologies for Development.
A2K - Access to Knowledge
K4D - Knowledge for Development.
Two new concepts will be introduced in this thesis; NPs as mentioned above refer to networked partnerships. Open Solutions (OS) refer to a collection of ICT-based technologies that are free or low-costs solutions that expand communication opportunities within the framework of ICTA2K4D. These include web 2.0 (and emerging web 3.0) and Open Source (FLOSS). The software used for this website, Drupal, is an example of both web 2.0 and open source technology.
The model presented here is part of the M.A. thesis being completed by Arif Jinha, with research in collaboration with Dr. Moustapha Diack of Southern University.
Acknowledgments to Michael Geist (thesis supervisor), as well as Leslie Weir and Gilles Breton (thesis committee).
Proposed Theory-Research-Practise for Communications in Human Development
As a deductive-inductive process of research, I will propose a structure of theory-model-empirics from deduction and top-down, or empirics-model-theory from induction and bottom-up. As follows:
General Theory of Communications in Human Development - long evolutionary view of stages of communication associated with stags of human development, covering communications theory, biology and sociobiology, cognitive science, evolutionary psychology, linguistics, anthropology, sociology, history. A history of communication eras/ages to explain the progression of communication taking centre stage in a globalization, in the communications age.
Under or grounded to the general theory.
Theoretical and conceptual development of communications in learning and knowledge in the 21st Century, with emphasis on the digital revolution.
There can be many other theories that can come under the general theory, which should encompass (in theory anyway) such developments as Marshall and McLuhan's work on media and communication studies ('the medSium is the message'), or Chomsky's work on linguistics ('deep syntax'). So the sub-theory here, one among many, would be focused on learning and knowledge.
Under or grounded to learning and knowledge in the 21st century and applicable to practise.
ICTA2K4D - ICTs and Access to Knowledge for Development - a conceptual model for higher education cooperation in the digital age.
Again, other models and conceptual work could come under learning and knowledge in the 21st century (digital age), but here the focus is on the networked academy (academy in the network society).
Under ICTA2K4D
Empirical Questions derived from the conceptual model.
An example of the empirical aspect of the theory-model-empiric.
Current empirical questions: A2K branch.
Root Question - Quantification of the scholarship system, global metrics.
