ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009
Innovations for Digital Inclusion
Universal Digital Inclusion :
Beyond Connectivity, Affordability and Capability
Alfredo Terzoli
Rhodes University
a.terzoli@ru.ac.za
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
Overview
Digital marginalization and exclusion
Context-sensitive ICTD
Knowledge-centric ICTD
PIASK architecture
KnowNet platform
Conclusion
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion
2
“technology has made more
information more available to more
people than at any time in tens of
thousands of years of human history,
but the same technology has made
access to it more difficult”
J. Feather
“The information society: a study of continuity change”
Library Association, 1994
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion
3
Digital marginalization and exclusion
Trends and dynamics (Castells)
z Increasing inequality between
countries
z Increasing polarization
z Increasing number of people living in
poverty
z Increasing levels of absolute poverty
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion
Traditional factors of marginalization
Connectivity
Affordability
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion
Capability
Digital marginalization and exclusion
Are the connectivity, affordability and capability focused interventions sufficient for digital inclusion?
?
?
Affordability
Capability
?
Connectivity
Digital Inclusion
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion
Context-sensitive ICTD
• Ethnocomputing
– Influences of culture
on computing (e.g.
metaphors)
• Adaptation
mechanisms
– Contextualization
• Culture level
(Adapted from Tedre et al, 2006)
• Geographical locality
– Customization
• Personality level
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion
Context-sensitive ICTD
• Benefits of contextualization
– Seamless integration of technology into
lives of marginalized communities
– Greater use of technology
– Improved ownership and buy-in
– “Glocalization” equillibrium
– Reduced learning curve
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion
Knowledge-centric ICTD
Industrial society
information society
•
Knowledge undergirds every aspect of life
•
Different types of knowledge
knowledge society
– Scientific/formal knowledge
– Traditional knowledge
– Tacit knowledge
– Indigenous knowledge
•
•
The broad notion of IK as local knowledge within a
community
Different knowledge processes
(Nonaka et al, 2005)
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion
Context-sensitive ICTD
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion
The role of IK
• Important contribution
to global knowledge
systems
IK Life cycle
• Part of social capital of
the rural communities
• Knowledge and wisdom
of local communities
(abscribes value and
dignity)
• Relevant knowledge
(Woytek et al, 1998)
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion
PIASK
• A software (application/services)
architecture that is culture sensitive
– Based on the premise that ICT is
influenced by culture (ethnocomputing)
– Integrating the local knowledge (IK)
– Flexible
– Modular
– Not prescriptive (with regard to
implementation)
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion
PIASK architecture
z
z
z
z
z
Presentation
z
Content rendering, UI components...
Interaction
z
Business/application logic...
Access
z
Handle access device heterogeneity...
Social Networking
z
Incorporates local social dynamics...
Knowledge Base
z
Ontologies of local (and relevant) knowledge...
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion
Component Interaction
•
User request to the access
components
•
Rendered by the
presentation components
•
Handling of request by the
interaction components
•
The supporting
content/data in the
knowledge component
•
Undergirded by the social
context (social networking
component)
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion
Component Interaction
Service Oriented Architecture view
Object Oriented Architecture view
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion
Component Interaction
Layered Architecture view
PIASK : initial dependency
structure matrix
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion
PIASK : partitioned dependency
structure matrix
PIASK and SECI knowledge model
• Operates on explicit
knowledge
• Externalization -> storage
and formalization of
knowledge
• Combination -> inference
on the ontologies
• Internalization -> access to
knowledge
• Provides a context of
Systemizing Ba
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion
KnowNet knowledge platform
• Proof-of-concept platform
• Based on PIASK
• Developed as a Multi-Agent System
– Using the JADE MAS environment
• Agents implemented for each layer of
PIASK (at least one agent per layer)
– e.g. HTTP agent, XMPP agent at the
access layer; HTML agent, VXML agent at
the presentation layer.
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion
KnowNet platform MAS
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion
Conclusion
• ICT is influenced and has influence on
culture
• ICTD interventions must be aligned
with the culture and context of
implementation
– e.g. Through encapsulation of IK
• Developed PIASK as a contextsensitive, flexible architecture.
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion
Thank you...
Mamello Thinyane – m.thinyane@ru.ac.za
Alfredo Terzoli – a.terzoli@ru.ac.za
Siyakhula Living Lab
http://www.dwesa.org
Telkom Centre of Excellence
Department of Computer Science
Rhodes University, Grahamstown
South Africa
http://coe.ru.ac.za
http://www.cs.ru.ac.za
Mar del Plata, Argentina, 31 Aug – 1 Sep 2009
ITU-T Kaleidoscope 2009 – Innovations for Digital Inclusion