Importance of Internet in Development

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Chea Seila on March 29, 2011 at 10:58

1- Most of people in city know how to use internet but less of people in remote areas are not able use computer and do not understand about internet benifits or how to use it. There are a lot of purposes to use internet for instances: chatting, search informations, dessiminate information, promotion their products...

 

2- It is very slow sometimes at remote work place.

 

3- Yes, it is. Internet is very important for research and development in Cambodia. Internet likes a tank contain a lot of stories, information and very fast way to dessimate news. For example: if all people people are able to use internet, they seem as travel or understand any stories all over the world.

 

4- It is very important for working or learning or sharing sth with internet. It spends less time to get feed back for receivers. Sometimes i use internet at my work place if for my own purpose i spends time at internet shop. But now it is very good that there has modem that can use anywhere and non stop.

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Permalink Reply by Malis Uon Men on March 29, 2011 at 11:00

In my work place, we have got reasonable hi speed Net connection. I am impressed with the Net use in Cambodia considering available net connections for mobiles and wi-fi at most public places. Especially, it has significant change when we can use USB modem for laptop though the prices range badly. During my academic years, I believe the Net is an essential tool for research and learning improvement overtaking traditional tools such as books and library. I remember during my post grad overseas, I often log on to online library more than sitting at the library and reading books. However, much more important and interesting information related to my research is deep inside the book than the Net. 

 

When I was at the Uni, I wish I could ever access to the Net for my study and fun time. Yet, when I am now at work, I wish I could one day take my day off from checking pile of mails and the Net for news. I wish I could be of peace one day. Possibly, it is never that easy to detach from the Net these days. I am addicted to you, my Net.

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Permalink Reply by Samnang DITH on March 29, 2011 at 15:33

1. Generally speaking, the situation of Internet usage in Cambodia is growing fast. We could access internet via different networks (yahoo, hotline, google)  places (uni, workplace, shop, cafe, home). From experiences at workplace I use Internet to send/receive documents to/from other colleagues, sometimes we provide additional information, such as, modifying policy, staff promotion, social works, et. Outside of working place, we do not have any place provides free access internet to access information or study yet. Furthermore, we do not know how to connect with other website sources that provided free learning yet.

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Permalink Reply by Moderator on May 5, 2011 at 10:35

Dear Online DRF members,

 

Online DRF team would like to thank you for your contribution to the discussion topic. As you know the participation from members to the discussion forum is very limited. Since we announced this topic forum over one month ago, we could get only three members logging in to share their idea to this basic discussion topic. However Online DRF team still hope to get participation from other members to make this forum vibrant and resourceful.

 

Best Regards,

Online DRF Moderator Team

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Permalink Reply by Dr Karen Walker on June 25, 2011 at 17:14

Whilst the quantity of people who may be using the inetrnet in Cambodia is one focus in this discussion I am wondering if there is also a need to discuss the Information Literacy Skills needed for effective use o the internet - whether for personal, study or professional use? Are people generally aware of Information Literacy Skills and that they include more than knowing HOW to use a computer? They also include skills in knowing how to use search engines, make decisions about the quality of material being accessed as well as make ethical use of material collected from internet sites. Does anyone know where such skills are being taught? Whether (and hopefully) to young users in schools, or at university or technical college level? 

 

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Permalink Reply by Thol Buntha on July 5, 2011 at 15:58

Response to Dr Karen's doubt I also would like to share some idea.  I think you can also touch on the literacy skills in using computer/internet among Cambodians in this discussion. In my experience I find that number of internet users in both school and work is on a rising trend but most of them are not really aware much of reliable or qualified tools to access the search engine. Im also interested the points you raised about ethics in collecting resources from the online site. I see these specific skills of both identifying safe tools in online search and ethical collection are being instructed at university level but not in a clear instruction. As a university graduate, I was taught how to searchand notice on a reliable website and how to quote a source properly. This was because of the requirement of my subject related to research. However for the clear instruction of these online skills are only delivered to those who are taking skill courses relating to information technology (IT).

 

I hope to see idea of other members. Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Dr Karen Walker on July 5, 2011 at 16:57

hi Bunutha

 

Thanks for your thoughts. I would compare the way some people drive a brand new and very powerful car to the way many people use the internet - they have little experience, understanding or teaching in how to make use of it wisely and safely. Having the internet and access to it is the same as having a kitchen and the ingredients to cook a meal. Until someone has been taught how to cook and how to include the right and needed ingredients as for a specific dish they make they will probably make very poor tasting meals.  I am interested to read that you were taught Information Literacy Skills for your studies and you pointed out that such learning was only offered to very specific groups of students. I wonder if many people who sue the internet are even aware that there might be useful strategies to learn to make the tool (the internet) work better for them. I ercently read an interesting article by a ersearcher in Malaysia who compared the Info Literacy skills of a small group of students studying in an English as a Second Language university class. He found that those with better English skills were better able to make sure of the internet for their studies - that's an interesting finding considering that much of what is on the web is in English. (Article is in the ASEAN Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education for anyone  interested in looking at) .

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Permalink Reply by Thol Buntha on July 7, 2011 at 10:40

Thank you for your share of the research finding. That is right because like it says almost information on webs is English so anyone with high knowledge of English, they will be certainly easy to define qualified tools for the online network.

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Permalink Reply by Thol Buntha on July 5, 2011 at 14:37

Firstly, I think this topic is quite interesting for Online DRF member to share their view on situation of internet usage in Cambodia. I also agree with Mr Seila that internet connection is limited in rural areas in both service and user.

 

However I observe that Cambodian recently is getting easier to access internet in both urban and rural. Like Mr. Malis said that now we can us USB modem anywhere any times though the speed is not really convenient, but we can access it to some extent while some internet companies are spreading their cable beyond town. People are now popular to use the internet for online communication (email, social network), information, entertainment, study, work and other purposes.

 

Regarding internet access at my work, yes i can be online with an acceptable speed as i sometimes can use portable modem at home. Going to the third question, absolutely internet is very important for research and development in both cambodia and around the world. The online network is an unlimited source of information as its a channel to share, react and communicate in a fast speed. For example, internet is regarded as an important means in communicating and sharing at my working organization. if there was no internet, the working process would have not moved forward as quick as like existence of it.

 

I hope to see contribution from other DRF members.

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Permalink Reply by Chivoin Peou on July 12, 2011 at 10:59

I hope the following resources can be interesting to those interested in the field of ICT4D in Cambodia and Asia:

 

1. A link to the SIRCA program (a program focusing on ICT4D research in Asia, including Cambodia; a list of relevant journals for the field are also provided): http://sirca.org.sg/current-projects/

 

2. A publication on Internet-related issues in Cambodia by the Department of Media and Communication: http://dmc-cci.edu.kh/userfiles/Cambodian%20Comm%20Review%202010%20...

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Permalink Reply by Dr Karen Walker on July 12, 2011 at 11:10

thanks for those links Chivoin Peou - I will look at them. I am interested in the debate that is occuring in international circles about HOW people use the internet.  There is a rising concern that people use the internet for collecting information but they are doing so uncritically and are forming opinions and making decisions on (many) important issues on the basis of uncritical acceptance of information they retrieve. Do you know of anyone doing work in Cambodia on the level of Information literacy skills amongst Cambodian users of the internet?

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Permalink Reply by Chivoin Peou on July 12, 2011 at 11:47

Hi Dr. Walker,

1. The broad debates over the use of the internet and its applications have been rampant over the last 15 years or so, with an immense number of books and journals. They can be found in fields ranging from political science to sociology, from business to anthropology, from informatics to development, from psychology to education. Literature on Internet and Internet-related literacy is also huge. Names such as Tsai C.C. in Taiwan, Hargittai in the U.S., those associated with the 'digital natives', etc. are worth checking out.

2. Literature on Internet and Internet-related literacy in Cambodia is scarce. The free open-source International Journal of Emerging Technologies & Society has a research article on Cambodia (compared with Japan) by Elwood & MacLean (2009). This journal is also publishing another research article on the usage and perceptions of Internet among Cambodian students later this year, expected in October 2011 (by myself). A book chapter on a related topic (by myself and two other collaborators) is also being prepared, hopefully for publication next year.

3. The Open Institute has been very active in promoting ICTs in education. They have done survey(s) on ICT infrastructure, but I'm not sure if they have looked into the literacy aspects.

4. The Department of Media and Communication, RUPP, is launching next month a study on computer and Internet uses and perceptions among high school students.'ICT literacy skills' will be somehow touched upon in the study.

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