Design and development of a context sensitive rural development software application for eService provisioning
- Authors: Masikisiki, Lizo
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Rural development Electronic commerce Computer networks
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/15332 , vital:40366
- Description: After more than a decade since South Africa realized the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the role it can play to deliver services, the country is still confronted by a number of challenges challenges that hinder the implementation of a fully-fledged ICT-based system in a form of electronic government to better deliver services and information. While rural development remains as one of the country’s greatest concerns, ICT is among approaches and perspectives that are recognized for not only accelerating rural development but also for providing the country’s economic growth. This research was set to investigate approaches to implement ICT solutions for rural development and service provisioning in the context of electronic government. The research focused more on the technical skills to implement such ICT systems for the benefit of rural development and e-government stakeholders that have an interest in design and development of an integrated and interoperable solution to accelerate service delivery, especially in rural communities. A mixed methods approach was used throughout the research accompanied by an evolutionary prototyping to development the desired prototype. A study was then conducted to gain an understanding of the state and the needs of rural communities to date. The results of the study yielded a number of urbanized service providers that rural dwellers need to timeously visit to consume services. Scenarios to design and develop the intended prototypes were then drawn from these results. The overall implementation of the prototypes produced an integrated platform that allows multiple disparate systems to communicate, share and use information. The qualities of the prototype are what this research recommends to relevant to stakeholders in order to implement an integrated and interoperable e-government system that elevates rural development programs and service delivery.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Masikisiki, Lizo
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Rural development Electronic commerce Computer networks
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/15332 , vital:40366
- Description: After more than a decade since South Africa realized the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the role it can play to deliver services, the country is still confronted by a number of challenges challenges that hinder the implementation of a fully-fledged ICT-based system in a form of electronic government to better deliver services and information. While rural development remains as one of the country’s greatest concerns, ICT is among approaches and perspectives that are recognized for not only accelerating rural development but also for providing the country’s economic growth. This research was set to investigate approaches to implement ICT solutions for rural development and service provisioning in the context of electronic government. The research focused more on the technical skills to implement such ICT systems for the benefit of rural development and e-government stakeholders that have an interest in design and development of an integrated and interoperable solution to accelerate service delivery, especially in rural communities. A mixed methods approach was used throughout the research accompanied by an evolutionary prototyping to development the desired prototype. A study was then conducted to gain an understanding of the state and the needs of rural communities to date. The results of the study yielded a number of urbanized service providers that rural dwellers need to timeously visit to consume services. Scenarios to design and develop the intended prototypes were then drawn from these results. The overall implementation of the prototypes produced an integrated platform that allows multiple disparate systems to communicate, share and use information. The qualities of the prototype are what this research recommends to relevant to stakeholders in order to implement an integrated and interoperable e-government system that elevates rural development programs and service delivery.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Determining and analysing the emergent behaviour from context-aware devices
- Authors: Bandason, Vivian
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Context-aware computing Mobile computing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/7907 , vital:30805
- Description: With the continued miniaturization of technology and the incorporation of Moore’s law, smartphones are more powerful. These mobile devices contain technologies that add other functionalities to them. Technologies such as sensors constantly provide information to the device. The constant stream of information from these sensors often leads to information overload of relevant and irrelevant information. To work towards solving this problem context-aware computing was introduced. Our major concern is that context information in context aware computing is not completely being utilized. The aggregation of context information could unlock more possibilities. This research seeks to aggregate the context of multiple devices such that, through analysis, some emergent behaviour can be observed. In this research context information from the sensors of devices is collected using an Android application and a central Server. The context information is used for pattern analysis. A pattern analysis algorithm is designed and used to observe patterns throughout the data set. It shows patterns that are similar within the dataset. In the case that the pattern observed has no similar pattern or few similar patterns this behaviour can be stated as emergent in the dataset. Further study of this emergent behaviour can be performed were a classifier can be used to give the exact activities that were being performed at that time. The research found this was possible and has many uses. One of these is in disaster prevention were the behaviour of a group of individuals may be monitored to observe any random changes such as masses running at the same time. This could be used as a first warning to natural disasters.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Bandason, Vivian
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Context-aware computing Mobile computing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/7907 , vital:30805
- Description: With the continued miniaturization of technology and the incorporation of Moore’s law, smartphones are more powerful. These mobile devices contain technologies that add other functionalities to them. Technologies such as sensors constantly provide information to the device. The constant stream of information from these sensors often leads to information overload of relevant and irrelevant information. To work towards solving this problem context-aware computing was introduced. Our major concern is that context information in context aware computing is not completely being utilized. The aggregation of context information could unlock more possibilities. This research seeks to aggregate the context of multiple devices such that, through analysis, some emergent behaviour can be observed. In this research context information from the sensors of devices is collected using an Android application and a central Server. The context information is used for pattern analysis. A pattern analysis algorithm is designed and used to observe patterns throughout the data set. It shows patterns that are similar within the dataset. In the case that the pattern observed has no similar pattern or few similar patterns this behaviour can be stated as emergent in the dataset. Further study of this emergent behaviour can be performed were a classifier can be used to give the exact activities that were being performed at that time. The research found this was possible and has many uses. One of these is in disaster prevention were the behaviour of a group of individuals may be monitored to observe any random changes such as masses running at the same time. This could be used as a first warning to natural disasters.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
The investigation of the role and the efficacy of learning technologies towards community skill development
- Authors: Masikisiki, Baphumelele
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Web-based instruction Computer-assisted instruction
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5972 , vital:29460
- Description: Research has revealed that during systems design and development of e-learning technologies there is a tendency of neglecting the needs of end users and focus on the design process and the technology factors, and this has traditionally been the reason for poor usability of otherwise well conceptualized systems, as a result a number of IT-based learning tools ended up not being usable and not being utilized effectively. This study aims to investigate the impact of e-learning technologies, how people perceive the usage of e-learning technologies towards community skill development. An evaluation of four different e-learning technologies was conducted to investigate the role and efficacy of e-learning technologies within the surrounding communities. Data was analyzed as nominal data using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software 24. Descriptive analysis, frequency, reliability and correctional analysis and also measures of central tendency were computed. Reliability was evaluated for assessing the internal consistency of the items using Cronbach’s alpha. To analyze the relationship between variables matrices of Pearson’s correlation was used. Pearson’s correlation can only be accepted when the significant effect (P>.05), this indicates that there is a positive or a negative relationship between two variables, if these conditions are not met then the proposed correlation or hypothesis can be rejected. Results indicate a poor perception and poor acceptance of e-learning technologies due to a number of factors, these factors include lack of computer-self efficacy which leads to computer anxiety, affordability of internet connectivity which leads to inaccessible of e-learning technologies. The findings also indicated that LAMS was found to be less useable and less useful by a number of students. However, students who enjoy working in groups found LAMS to be useable because it was supporting their preferred learning style, whereas individualistic students preferred Moodle and Dokeos because it was supporting their personal preferences and assessment styles. Having understood all the characteristics of learning tools, relevant learning technologies that are suitable for students can then be recommended.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Masikisiki, Baphumelele
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Web-based instruction Computer-assisted instruction
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5972 , vital:29460
- Description: Research has revealed that during systems design and development of e-learning technologies there is a tendency of neglecting the needs of end users and focus on the design process and the technology factors, and this has traditionally been the reason for poor usability of otherwise well conceptualized systems, as a result a number of IT-based learning tools ended up not being usable and not being utilized effectively. This study aims to investigate the impact of e-learning technologies, how people perceive the usage of e-learning technologies towards community skill development. An evaluation of four different e-learning technologies was conducted to investigate the role and efficacy of e-learning technologies within the surrounding communities. Data was analyzed as nominal data using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software 24. Descriptive analysis, frequency, reliability and correctional analysis and also measures of central tendency were computed. Reliability was evaluated for assessing the internal consistency of the items using Cronbach’s alpha. To analyze the relationship between variables matrices of Pearson’s correlation was used. Pearson’s correlation can only be accepted when the significant effect (P>.05), this indicates that there is a positive or a negative relationship between two variables, if these conditions are not met then the proposed correlation or hypothesis can be rejected. Results indicate a poor perception and poor acceptance of e-learning technologies due to a number of factors, these factors include lack of computer-self efficacy which leads to computer anxiety, affordability of internet connectivity which leads to inaccessible of e-learning technologies. The findings also indicated that LAMS was found to be less useable and less useful by a number of students. However, students who enjoy working in groups found LAMS to be useable because it was supporting their preferred learning style, whereas individualistic students preferred Moodle and Dokeos because it was supporting their personal preferences and assessment styles. Having understood all the characteristics of learning tools, relevant learning technologies that are suitable for students can then be recommended.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Dynamic service orchestration in heterogeneous internet of things environments
- Authors: Chindenga, Edmore
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Internet of things
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/8001 , vital:31457
- Description: Internet of Things (IoT) presents a dynamic global revolution in the Internet where physical and virtual “things” will communicate and share information. As the number of devices increases, there is a need for a plug-and–interoperate approach of deploying “things” to the existing network with less or no human need for configuration. The plug-and-interoperate approach allows heterogeneous “things” to seamlessly interoperate, interact and exchange information and subsequently share services. Services are represented as functionalities that are offered by the “things”. Service orchestration provides an approach to integration and interoperability that decouples applications from each other, enhancing capabilities to centrally manage and monitor components. This work investigated requirements for semantic interoperability and exposed current challenges in IoT interoperability as a means of facilitating services orchestration in IoT. The research proposes a platform that allows heterogeneous devices to collaborate thereby enabling dynamic service orchestration. The platform provides a common framework for representing semantics allowing for a consistent information exchange format. The information is stored and presented in an ontology thereby preserving semantics and making the information comprehensible to machines allowing for automated addressing, tracking and discovery as well as information representation, storage, and exchange. Process mining techniques were used to discover service orchestrations. Process mining techniques enabled the analysis of runtime behavior of service orchestrations and the semantic breakdown of the service request and creation in real time. This enabled the research to draw observations that led to conclusions presented in this work. The research noted that the use of semantic technologies facilitates interoperability in heterogeneous devices and can be implemented as a means to bypass challenges presented by differences in IoT “things”.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Chindenga, Edmore
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Internet of things
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/8001 , vital:31457
- Description: Internet of Things (IoT) presents a dynamic global revolution in the Internet where physical and virtual “things” will communicate and share information. As the number of devices increases, there is a need for a plug-and–interoperate approach of deploying “things” to the existing network with less or no human need for configuration. The plug-and-interoperate approach allows heterogeneous “things” to seamlessly interoperate, interact and exchange information and subsequently share services. Services are represented as functionalities that are offered by the “things”. Service orchestration provides an approach to integration and interoperability that decouples applications from each other, enhancing capabilities to centrally manage and monitor components. This work investigated requirements for semantic interoperability and exposed current challenges in IoT interoperability as a means of facilitating services orchestration in IoT. The research proposes a platform that allows heterogeneous devices to collaborate thereby enabling dynamic service orchestration. The platform provides a common framework for representing semantics allowing for a consistent information exchange format. The information is stored and presented in an ontology thereby preserving semantics and making the information comprehensible to machines allowing for automated addressing, tracking and discovery as well as information representation, storage, and exchange. Process mining techniques were used to discover service orchestrations. Process mining techniques enabled the analysis of runtime behavior of service orchestrations and the semantic breakdown of the service request and creation in real time. This enabled the research to draw observations that led to conclusions presented in this work. The research noted that the use of semantic technologies facilitates interoperability in heterogeneous devices and can be implemented as a means to bypass challenges presented by differences in IoT “things”.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
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