Date of Award

2004

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (Honours)

Faculty

Faculty of Computing, Health and Science

First Supervisor

Michael Collins

Abstract

In the last 20 years, applications of lnformation and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have impacted on the economics of the industrialised world. In today's "information society", information and knowledge are essential to social and economic development. However, not everyone has access to ICI sand the information they may provide. There is concern that existing inequities of income, knowledge, skills and measures of social development may increase as a result of a growing "digital divide" both between and within countries. There is an ongoing discussion within the international community about whether ICTs may play a significant role in human development. This study contributes to that discussion. This study evaluates the aims and outcomes of two of the ICT projects sponsored by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) in developing countries, the SchoolNet Namibia project and the ICT project for the public universities of Nicaragua and two of the ICT projects sponsored by the Australian government in rural Australia, the Outback telecentre network Inc. project and the Networks For You program. The study is qualitative and uses a multiple-case study approach wherein selected ICT projects are evaluated in terms of whether they lead to human development. The strategies concerning lCT for such development by the Swedish and Australian governments arc compared both their similarities and differences.

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