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(Some of the) Ten Mythsof ICT for International Development
Kentaro ToyamaVisiting Scholar
University of California, Berkeley
CITRIS Research Exchange UC Berkeley – November 10, 2010
Where I used to workPhoto credit: Natalie Linnell
A Project
A “writer” keeping records in a microcredit group meetingPhoto credit: Aishwarya Ratan
Transaction record from a microcredit group meeting
Hand-written records preferred, but(1)error-prone;
(2) difficult to digitize.
Photo credit: Aishwarya Ratan, PRADAN
Electronic tablet – write on paper, digitize with real-time feedback
Photo credit: Microsoft
Microfinance self-help group “writer” testing the prototypePhoto credit: Sunandan Chakraborty
Rs. 985 Rs. 946 (US$21.89) (US$21.02)
Faster,
Cheaper,
MoreAccurate!
Aishwarya Lakshmi Ratan, Sunandan Chakraborty, Pushkar Chitnis, Kentaro Toyama, Keng Siang Ooi, Matthew Phiong, Mike Koenig.
"Managing Microfinance with Paper, Pen and Digital Slate.”
To be presented at International Conference on Information Technology and Communication and Development, London, Dec. 13-16, 2010.
Kelsa+
Microfinance & Technology IT and Microentrepreneurs
Information ecology of very small businesses
Potential of technology to support microfinance
MicroenterprisePC + mobileMixed-method studyResearch only
Text-Free UI
Text-free user interfaces fornon-literate users
User interfacesPCDesignUser studiesGuidelines
MicrofinancePC + mobileQualitative studiesBusiness analysisResearch only
Information accessPCQualitative studyUsage analysisPilot
Featherweight Multimedia
Paper and cheap electronicsfor low-cost multimedia
General educationElectronicsHCIUser studiesOngoing research
Simultaneous Shared Access
Primary educationPCHCIUser studiesCommercialization
Warana Unwired Digital Green
Video and mediated instructionfor agriculture extension
Substitution of mobile phones for rural PC kiosks
AgricultureVideoInterventionControl trialsNGO spin-off
Info systemsMobileInterventionRural kiosksPilot
Free access PCs for low-income office staff
Multi-user systems for educational
Paper-and-Digital Forms
Easily digitized paper forms
For NGOsPC + scannerHCIResearch only
Sources: Negroponte, N. 2005, Friedman, E. 2008, New York Times, 2008; Best, M. L., 2004.
“Kids in the developing world need the newest technology…”
“There is a pressing need to employ information technology for rural healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa.”
“Can the cellphone help end global poverty?”
“The Internet should be a human right in and of itself.”
The Myths
You and a poor rural farmer are each given a single e-mail account and asked to raise as much money for the charity of your choice.
Who would be able to raise more money?
Photo credit: Rikin Gandhi. References: Tichenor, P.J., Donohue, G.A., & Olien, C.N. (1970). Mass media and the differential growth in knowledge. Public Opinion Quarterly, 34, 158-70. Agre, P. (2002) Real-Time Politics. The Information Society, 2002.
Warschauer, M., M. Knobel, L. Stone. Technology and Equity in Schooling: Deconstructing the Digital Divide. Educational Policy, 18(4): 562-588.
Myth 6
Are you as rich as you’d like to be?
Are you as educated as you’d like to be?
Are you as compassionate as you’d like to be?
Sources: http://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+be+rich http://ocw.mit.edu
http://zenhabits.net/2007/06/a-guide-to-cultivating-compassion-in-your-life-with-7-practices/
Information is just one of many deficiencies in developing world.
– Other deficiencies:• human capacity• economics • infrastructure• institutional capacity• political clout
Information ≠ educationCommunication ≠ commerceSocial networks ≠ community
Technology magnifies intent.
Myth 10
Photo credit: Kentaro Toyama
If you had 20% of your annual income to spare right now, and had to spend it on one of the following, which would you spend it on…?
a) A part-time personal assistant
b) Travel and tourism
c) iPad or other gadget
(*) Or, use your expected financial status as a working adult, if you’re a student.
Needs are relative.
Need ≠ demand
“Needs assessments” say people need …– Better healthcare– Better education– Better income opportunities
But people spend lavishly on…– Ring tones– Music and movies– Weddings and funerals– Customized photos
Technology magnifies intent, but intent is hard to gauge.
Myth 3
Photo Credit: Udai Singh PawarSources: Udai Singh Pawar, Nimmi Rangaswamy, Thomas Smyth, Etc.
Should members of the army have guns?
Should police officers have guns?
Should ordinary civilians have guns?
Should 5-year-old children have guns?
Should convicted serial murderers have guns?
Widespread technologies also have negative impacts…
– TV: violence, political propaganda, material envy, Jersey Shore
– Internet: illegal content, piracy, terrorism, political oppression, cat videos
– Mobile phone: corruption, (ship) piracy, gender politics, consumption displacement
Technology magnifies positive and negative intent.
Myth 12
Photo credit: Thomas Smyth
“… X has never been used to its full capacity in support of economic development. It may be financially impossible to use it in this way. But still the possibility is tantalizing: What is the full power and vividness of X teaching were to be used to help the schools develop a country’s new educational pattern? What if the full persuasive and instructional power of X were to be used in support of community development and the modernization of farming? Where would the break-even point come? Where would the saving in rate of change catch up with the increased cost?”
X = “television”Source: Schramm, Wilbur. (1964) Mass Media and National Development:
The Role of Information in the Developing Countries. Pp. 231
Wasn’t true for X = radio, TV, or landline phone, despite initial expectations and significant penetration.
Doesn’t seem true for X = PC.
How about X = mobile phone?
Technology magnifies intent and capacity.
Photo credit: Tom Pirelli
Myth 1
Obvious, right?
Sources: Negroponte, N. 2005, Friedman, E. 2008, New York Times, 2008; Best, M. L., 2004.
“Kids in the developing world need the newest technology…”
“There is a pressing need to employ information technology for rural healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa.”
“Can the cellphone help end global poverty?”
“The Internet should be a human right in and of itself.”
Agricultural Systems?
Low literacy in local lang
No bank account
Expensive credit
No unique ID
Poor roads
Credit card
Device and connectivity not enough!
farmer expert
VolumebuyersPoor quality
control
Market
E-commerce?
Low literacy in local lang
No bank account
Expensive credit
No unique ID
Poor roads
Ill health
HH consumption pressures
Small scale production/ quality diff
ongoing business
opportunity
Credit card
Parcel service
seller buyer
Device and connectivity not enough!
Rural Telemedicine?
Low literacy in local lang
No bank account
Expensive credit
No unique ID
Poor roads
Poor access to drugs
Credit card
patient
Medicine
Trust absentwithout healthworker
Device and connectivity not enough!
doctor
Rural Telemedicine with new device?
Low literacy in local lang
No bank account
Expensive credit
No unique ID
Poor roads
Poor access to drugs
Credit card
patient doctor
Medicine
Trust absentwithout healthworker
Device and connectivity not enough?
Successes ExistPCs for NGO / MFI back ends
– Unsung success
Grameen Village Phone– Mobile killer app: voice!
M-PESA– Money transfer ($160M in first year)
Same-language subtitling for literacy– Better literacy for 200M+ people
Long-distance WiFi for eye care– Enabled 50,000+ consultations
Photo credit: Indrani Medhi
Financial
operational costs,maintenance,
training
Digital
hardware, software,
connectivity,content
Physical
building,goods,
transport,roads
Human
education, computer literacy,
motivation,awareness
Social
institutions,norms,
political support
Technology is Just One Part
Financial
operational costs,maintenance,
training
Human
education, computer literacy,
motivation,awareness
Social
institutions,norms,
political support
Digital
hardware, software,
connectivity,content
Physical
building,goods,
transport,roads
In the Developed World…(includes wealthier segments of developing countries)
In the Developing World…
Digital
hardware, software,
connectivity,content
What to do?
Technology magnifies human intent and capacity.
Technology itself requires support from well-intentioned, capable people or institutions.
For best results, use technology to augment institutions already having positive impact.
Photo credit: Aishwarya Ratan
A competent non-profit (PRADAN) and a self-help group make the technology work.
Why the Myths Persist
Sources: Negroponte, N. 2005, Friedman, E. 2008, New York Times, 2008; Best, M. L., 2004.
“Kids in the developing world need the newest technology…”
“There is a pressing need to employ information technology for rural healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa.”
“Can the cellphone help end global poverty?”
“The Internet should be a human right in and of itself.”
“Twitter is changing the way
we live.”
Sources: Time Magazine, Nonprofit Technology Conference, The Huffington Post, Wall Street Journal, Cybermedia.
“Each of us is simultaneously an
individual person and a global publisher.”
“Social networking will transform
learning”
“The Internet changes
everything.”
“The Internet democratizes access to
information.”
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Wikipedia
ARPANETMicrosoft
PC
Cellphone
WWW
iPhone
Summary
Thanks!kentaro_toyama@hotmail.comhttp://www.kentarotoyama.org
Boston Review article: http://www.bostonreview.net
Photo credit: http://visionhelp.wordpress.com
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