IFAP Information Society Observatory

Table of contents

In focus: Information and accessibility in agriculture
Agriculture, one of the users and also the basis of major rural resources, has undergone significant changes over the last decades. Agricultural managers and producers are both dependent on a comprehensive, information-rich environment, since without it they could easily lose their competitive edge. This process presents an enormous challenge for the stakeholders in agriculture, especially for small-hold farmers who play a crucial role in the sustainable use of rural resources.

Highlighted articles
- UN Broadband Commission for Digital Development releases first global broadband report
- iPad or running water? Today’s tech is no patch on the past
- Kenya Case Studies in e-Payments
- Digital Competence in Practice: An Analysis of Frameworks
- The Future of Big Data
- Report on using information and communication technologies (ICTs) in education for persons with disabilities
- The Rise Of The TechnoLatinas: A Full-Fledged Startup Movement Emerges In South America
- The Information Economy Report 2011: ICTs as an Enabler for Private Sector Development
- Internet in rural India 2012

New documents in the Observatory
In this chapter you can find a list of every new item which has been added to the Observatory in the last period.

Title: Open Access Debates – get talking
Source: The African Commons Project
Date (published): 20/11/2012
Date (accessed): 23/11/2012
Type of information: Event
Language: English
On-line access: yes
Abstract: A series of interesting and thought-provoking debates is scheduled to launch on 27 November. Funded by DFID and hosted on UNESCO’s WSIS Open Access Community Forum, the discussion will provide a valuable space to discuss different perspectives on what open access means for the developing world and what it can offer.

Title: Given Tablets but No Teachers, Ethiopian Children Teach Themselves
Author: David Talbot
Source: MIT Technology Review
Date (published): 29/10/2012
Date (accessed): 18/11/2012
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes
Abstract: With 100 million first-grade-aged children worldwide having no access to schooling, the One Laptop Per Child organization is trying something new in two remote Ethiopian villages—simply dropping off tablet computers with preloaded programs and seeing what happens. The goal: to see if illiterate kids with no previous exposure to written words can learn how to read all by themselves, by experimenting with the tablet and its preloaded alphabet-training games, e-books, movies, cartoons, paintings, and other programs.

Title: How the Kenyan Base of the Pyramid uses their mobile phone
Author: Angela Crandall
Source: iHub
Date (published): 24/10/2012
Date (accessed): 15/11/2012
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes
Abstract: The cost of mobile phones has decreased steadily, and what was once considered a luxury good is now a necessity for many Kenyans. In order to understand mobile phone usage at the Base of the Pyramid (BoP) in Kenya, iHub Research and Research Solutions Africa conducted a 6-month study, funded by infoDev (World Bank).

Title: Environment and energy. Analysis of the latest data on energy from renewable sources
Author: Marek Šturc
Source: Eurostat
Date (published): 08/11/2012
Date (accessed): 08/11/2012
Type of information: research report
Pages: 8 pp.
Language: English
On-line access: yes
Abstract: The share of energy from renewable sources in gross final energy consumption in the EU-27 reached 12.5 % in 2010 and is showing steady progress towards the Europe 2020 target (20 %).

Title: Mapping Open Educational Resources Around The World
Author: Michael Trucano
Source: EduTech
Date (published): 06/11/2012
Date (accessed): 08/11/2012
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes
Abstract: In the decade since the term 'open education resources' was formally identified and adopted by UNESCO, related "teaching, learning or research materials that are in the public domain or released with an intellectual property license that allows for free use, adaptation, and distribution" have been slowly but surely creeping into mainstream use in many education systems around the world.

Title: OLPC Project Puts Tablets In The Hands Of Formerly Illiterate Children With Amazing Results
Author: John Biggs
Source: Techcrunch
Date (published): 01/11/2012
Date (accessed): 05/11/2012
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes
Abstract: The researchers were expecting the children to play with the boxes and potentially open them in the first week. Instead they turned them on in less than an hour and a few months later were modifying the settings and singing ABC songs. It was, at once, a triumph of technology and of the human capacity to learn.

Title: In Zambia, a Phone App Allows Citizens to Participate in Drafting Their Constitution
Author: Lisa Goldman
Source: Techpresident
Date (published): 02/11/2012
Date (accessed): 04/11/2012
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes
Abstract: Zambia is in the process of writing a constitution that will reflect the aspiration of the people. In order to make the process inclusive, the government has created a phone app that allows people to read the draft, sharing and commenting on pages. The Zambian draft constitution app is available free for download on Google Play — but not on iTunes, which shows the extent to which low-cost Androids are kicking dust in the face of the prohibitively priced iPhone in developing nations.

Title: Freedom on the Net 2012
Editors: Sanja Kelly, Sarah Cook, Mai Truong
Pages: 662 pp.
Source: Freedom House
Date (published): 15/09/2012
Date (accessed): 31/10/2012
Type of information: research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes
Abstract: This report is the third in a series of comprehensive studies of internet freedom around the globe and covers developments in 47 countries that occurred between January 2011 and May 2012. Over 50 researchers, nearly all based in the countries they analyzed, contributed to the project by researching laws and practices relevant to the internet, testing the accessibility of select websites, and interviewing a wide range of sources.

Title: Raspberry Pi: A Paradigm Shift for ICT4D?
Author: Richard Heeks
Source: ICTs for development
Date (published): 29/10/2012
Date (accessed): 31/10/2012
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes
Abstract: Raspberry Pi is not a low-cost computer. It’s an ultra-low-cost computer. And it was the subject of a recent demonstration and discussion workshop for CDI members in Manchester. This focused on the development-related potential of Pi and its add-on interface "i-Face", which is being developed at the University of Manchester by Andrew Robinson.