Search Results (77)

The Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) provides a European framework for assessing the capacity of buildings to optimise operation, respond to occupants and interact with energy grids. Its current catalogue covers nine domains: heating, cooling, domestic hot water, ventilation, lighting, dynamic envelope, electricity, electric vehicle charging, and monitoring and control. This Perspective argues that this boundary is too narrow for complex buildings, where services such as lifts, security, fire safety, swimming pools, irrigation, outdoor lighting, kitchens, laundries, refrigeration, laboratories, and information and communication technology (ICT) rooms may significantly affect energy use, water use, safety, resilience, maintenance and user experience. The paper proposes five additional service families for SRI 2.0: mobility and accessibility; safety and security; water and outdoor environmental services; outdoor and site infrastructure; and special energy-intensive and facility services. These should be introduced as optional, building-type-specific modules assessed through familiar SRI functionality levels. This would make the SRI more realistic, actionable and relevant. Full article

Smallholder farmers in South Africa face increasing climate variability, yet their agronomic decision-making depends on timely and reliable climate information. Although digital ICT platforms are expanding, limited evidence exists on how their effectiveness compares to human-based advisory systems. The study addresses this gap by examining the determinants of ICT-based climate information adoption using logistic regression and assessing its influence on agronomic decisions through propensity score matching (PSM). A cross-sectional survey and multistage sampling were used to collect data from 217 smallholder crop farmers in the Eastern Cape. The results indicate that 65% of farmers accessed climate information through ICT platforms, while 35% relied on human-based sources. The adoption of ICT-based information is driven by education, digital literacy, mobile network reliability, the perceived value of real-time updates, and smartphone ownership, whereas habitual dependence on traditional channels hinders digital uptake. PSM estimates show that ICT-based climate information is 10–15% less effective than human-based sources in shaping planting decisions, input use, and the timing of farm operations, likely due to digital literacy and infrastructure constraints. The study demonstrates that access to digital tools does not automatically translate into effective use and recommends a hybrid information model integrating digital platforms with trusted human intermediaries to strengthen climate resilience and agronomic decision-making. Full article

The integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) into face-to-face compulsory education has accelerated globally, but the conceptual definition and pedagogical application of Digital Education (DE) remain unclear. This systematic review explores how DE is defined, implemented, and assessed in in-person primary and secondary school settings. Guided by PRISMA methodology, 33 peer-reviewed empirical studies published between January 2012 and June 2025 were selected from Scopus and Web of Science, and through reference checking. Methodological quality and potential sources of bias were appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), and that appraisal informed the interpretation of the evidence. The results indicate significant ambiguity surrounding the term DE, which is often conflated with ICT use or digital competence. While many studies report positive outcomes in student engagement and basic skill acquisition, few articulate clear operational frameworks or pedagogical strategies for effective implementation. DE is predominantly applied to low-cognitive-demand tasks and is underused in promoting deeper learning. Key barriers include insufficient teacher training, fragmented educational policies, and infrastructural limitations. Nonetheless, when digital tools are intentionally combined with pedagogical goals—such as personalized instruction, learner autonomy, and content creation—DE demonstrates potential to improve motivation and support achievement. The findings suggest that well-designed DE can contribute to educational sustainability by strengthening learning opportunities, supporting equity and inclusion, and advancing Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), but they also highlight the need for coherent policies, teacher training, and equitable access to digital resources. Full article

This study investigates the long-run relationship between socio-economic inequality, public service provision, infrastructure development, structural transformation, and quality of life in Central Asia, focusing on Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan over the 2000–2024 period. Using panel data from the World Development Indicators, the analysis applies a comprehensive econometric strategy including panel unit root tests, Pedroni cointegration tests, FMOLS, DOLS, CCR estimators, and a Panel ARDL-PMG framework for robustness. The study examines how inequality, education and health expenditure, ICT development, electricity access, economic growth, and urbanization jointly shape quality-of-life outcomes measured by life expectancy. The empirical results confirm the existence of a stable long-run equilibrium relationship among the variables. Urbanization emerges as the most powerful determinant of quality of life, indicating a highly elastic welfare response to spatial structural transformation. ICT development and education expenditure consistently exert positive effects, highlighting the importance of digital connectivity and human capital accumulation in improving welfare outcomes. In contrast, health expenditure, electricity access, and economic growth display negative long-run relationships, suggesting that these variables often reflect structural inefficiencies, transitional dynamics, or non-inclusive growth patterns in the region. The Gini coefficient shows a positive association with quality of life, which is interpreted in the context of structural transformation and sectoral reallocation processes in transition economies. Robustness checks using Panel ARDL-PMG confirm both long-run equilibrium relationships and heterogeneous short-run dynamics, with evidence of adjustment processes toward equilibrium. The findings suggest that improvements in quality of life in Central Asia are driven primarily by structural transformation, digital development, and education investment rather than aggregate economic growth alone. The study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive multi-country panel analysis of Central Asia, integrating infrastructure, inequality, and structural change within a unified framework. The results offer important insights into the mechanisms through which development processes translate into welfare outcomes in transition economies. Full article

This study examines how the strategic integration of digital transformation and national innovation capacity contributes to accelerating sustainable development in Saudi Arabia by focusing on six Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 4—Quality Education, SDG 7—Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 8—Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 9—Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, SDG 12—Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 13—Climate Action. Using annual data on ICT use, ICT access, R&D expenditure, and patent applications, the analysis evaluates both the direct and joint relationships between these indicators and SDG performance. Digital transformation is captured through ICT use and ICT access, while national innovation capacity is represented by R&D expenditure and patent applications, reflecting the input and output dimensions of formal innovation activity. The findings indicate that the direct long-run effects of digital transformation and national innovation capacity on the six SDGs are not statistically significant, suggesting that these domains have not yet become standalone drivers of educational advancement, clean-energy adoption, economic performance, industrial upgrading, sustainable resource management, or emissions reduction. In contrast, their interaction produces substantial positive effects on SDG 4, SDG 7, SDG 8, and SDG 9, highlighting improvements in educational quality, renewable energy transition, productivity, and industrial innovation. The interaction also has significant negative effects on SDG 12 and SDG 13, as reflected by reductions in CO₂ intensity and environmental pressures. These results indicate that meaningful progress toward the SDGs emerges when digital capabilities and national innovation capacity evolve jointly, rather than through isolated improvements in ICT infrastructure or innovation inputs. Robustness checks using a composite SDG index confirm the stability of these complementary effects. These findings suggest that Saudi Arabia can accelerate progress toward the SDGs by adopting integrated policies that link ICT expansion with stronger R&D systems, patent commercialization, technological innovation, and sustainability-oriented industrial transformation across education, energy, industry, resource efficiency, and climate action. Full article

This study examines patterns of digital inclusion in Ziguinchor, Senegal, using household survey data combined with spatial indicators of infrastructure and access. We construct a Digital Inclusion Index (DII) capturing realized digital practices and a Composite Digital Access Score (CDAS) reflecting enabling conditions across six domains, including technological equipment, electricity, affordability, and spatial access. The results reveal substantial variation in digital inclusion across quartiers, with strong associations between inclusion outcomes and infrastructural and socioeconomic conditions, particularly electricity reliability, device quality, and mobility constraints. A key finding is the coexistence of near-universal smartphone ownership with relatively low levels of internet use, indicating a pronounced gap between access and effective engagement. This divergence suggests that device ownership alone is insufficient to ensure meaningful digital participation. A typology combining DII and CDAS further highlights mismatches between realized use and enabling conditions, identifying groups of “under-utilizers” and “over-achievers.” The findings are consistent with multidimensional digital divide frameworks and point to the importance of both structural conditions and user capabilities. Given the cross-sectional design, results should be interpreted as conditional associations rather than causal effects. The study contributes a place-based analytical framework for diagnosing digital inclusion gaps in secondary cities and provides evidence to inform targeted, context-specific policy interventions. Full article

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) represent a growing global health burden, affecting nearly one in ten adults worldwide. CKD is associated with high morbidity, premature mortality, reduced quality of life and enormous healthcare costs, and is primarily driven by dialysis and kidney transplantation. The silent and progressive nature of CKD means that most patients are diagnosed late, when irreversible damage has already occurred and costly kidney replacement therapies (KRT) become necessary. Dialysis services are resource-intensive, requiring significant infrastructure, specialized staff, and consumables, which makes them especially challenging to sustain in low- and middle-income countries. Traditional models of nephrology, care center-based dialysis and fragmented follow-up are increasingly inadequate in meeting the demands of a rising CKD population. These challenges highlight the urgent need for innovative approaches that enhance efficiency, improve patient outcomes, and expand access. Objective: This review aims to analyze the current landscape of information and communication technology (ICT) applications in nephrology and to evaluate how digital innovations are reconfiguring kidney therapy. Specifically, it seeks to identify the major ICT tools that are currently in use, assess their clinical and operational impact, and discuss their role in creating more sustainable, patient-centered kidney care models. This study reviews and analyzes ICT tools that are reconfiguring nephrology, including remote monitoring, AI, wearables, patient engagement apps and data dashboards. Methods: Narrative and scoping review of recent innovations in nephrology, including remote patient monitoring (RPM), telehealth, artificial intelligence (AI) analytics, wearable sensors, and clinical decision support platforms. Results: ICT tools such as Sharesource, Versia, telenephrology platforms, medical assistant for Chronic Care Service (MACCS), AI-based predictive analytics, wearable devices and patient engagement apps have improved patient outcomes, adherence, and early detection of complications. Key metrics include technique survival, hospitalization rate, patient-reported outcomes, workflow efficiency, and prediction accuracy. The relevant literature describing the potential of digital health technologies, including ICT platforms, artificial intelligence tools, and remote monitoring systems, to transform nephrology care was retrieved and screened for inclusion in this narrative review. Conclusions: ICT has shifted nephrology from reactive to proactive care, enhancing accessibility, patient empowerment and clinical efficiency. Future directions include precision nephrology, fully wearable kidneys, AI integration and large language models for education and triage. Challenges include digital divide, regulatory heterogeneity, cost and the need for long-term evidence. Full article

There is increasing pressure on South African Universities of Technology (UoTs) to incorporate cutting-edge Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to enhance teaching and learning. Adopting Learning Management Systems (LMSs), which offer adaptable, easily accessible, and data-driven education, is essential to this change. Nevertheless, many UoT lecturers still struggle to successfully adopt and use LMS platforms, even with investments in digital infrastructure and policy development. This study presents the equity-sensitive Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework as a conceptual addition to inclusive digital pedagogy and investigates lecturers’ experiences with LMS integration at South African UoTs. This study aimed to explore how lecturers at South African UoT experience the adoption and integration of LMSs and to examine how institutional support, digital literacy, and infrastructural factors shape inclusive digital pedagogy. The results of an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of six interviews with academic staff were structured into three thematic subsections (i.e., (1) lecturers’ experiences of LMS adoption, (2) institutional, infrastructural and personal factors and (3) institutional support, training and inclusivity) that directly align with the three study’s research questions. Rethinking TPACK from an equity-sensitive perspective advances theory by establishing access and equity as central mediating conditions of technology integration, especially in Global South higher education contexts with limited resources. In practical terms, the findings show that to promote inclusive and sustainable LMS adoption, specific capacity building, policy alignment, and institutional investment are required. The paper is relevant to policymakers, academic developers, and institutional leaders because of these implications, which align with the National Digital and Future Skills Strategy, the National Research Foundation (NRF) priorities, and the Department of Higher Education and Training’s (DHET) White Paper on Post-School Education. Full article

The agricultural sector in the world and Sub-Saharan Africa faces the pressing challenge of meeting the growing food demand driven by the exponential population growth. With smallholder poultry farming playing a critical role in food and nutritional security, this systematic review synthesizes literature from the past two decades to assess the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) among smallholder poultry farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The review focuses on the benefits and barriers impacting this adoption. Following the PRISMA methodology, 19 peer-reviewed studies were analyzed to explore how ICT facilitates market participation, enhances information exchange, and improves producer livelihoods. The included studies in this review were sourced from four major academic databases: Science Direct, Web of Science, Wiley online library, and EBSCOhost. The findings reveal that ICT adoption significantly reduces information asymmetry, enables farmers to access market and production knowledge, and thus improves their profitability and inclusion in informal and formal market platforms. The review underscores the potential of targeted policy interventions and digital platforms to empower smallholder poultry farmers, enhance their commercialization, and contribute towards agricultural sustainability in the region. This study highlights the critical need for increased ICT accessibility, capacity building, and infrastructural improvements to support the digital transformation of smallholder poultry farming in Sub-Saharan Africa. Full article

This study analyzes the ICT infrastructure in teaching practice centers from the perspective of students enrolled in early childhood and primary education degree programs at a Spanish university during the 2024–2025 academic year. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed. A questionnaire was distributed to all first- to fourth-year students via the university platform, with a sample of 556 participants. The data collection instrument consisted of an ad hoc adaptation and extension of the validated EdSocEval_V2 questionnaire, ensuring factorial validity. It was used to examine the availability of technological resources for communication and digital management, together with personal and contextual variables to support data classification. Results indicate high availability of basic digital resources, including projectors, Wi-Fi, interactive whiteboards, printers, alongside limited access to robotics, digital tablets, and classrooms of the future. High homogeneity was observed in communication and digital management resources, such as websites, virtual learning environments and corporate email. MANOVA analyses revealed that students perceive ICT infrastructure to be more integrated at higher levels of primary education, with no significant differences based on school ownership. Binary logistic regressions showed that school ownership predicts the availability of certain ICT resources, with private schools exhibiting lower network presence. Full article

This study develops and validates a three-level model of digital learning conditions that reflects the progression from ICT accessibility (“access”) to pedagogical use (“use”) and their influence on student learning outcomes (“impact”). Drawing on secondary analysis of the PISA 2022 ICT Familiarity Questionnaire and applying complex-sample regression together with the logic of structural equation modelling (SEM), the study examines how ICT resources, usage practices, and digital feedback (ICTFEED) interact and how they are associated with Lithuanian fifteen-year-olds’ achievement in mathematics, reading, and science. The three-level model includes: (1) ICT infrastructure—access to technology at home and at school and students’ perceived quality of technological resources; (2) ICT learning practices—use of digital tools in subject lessons, inquiry-based activities, and school-related work outside the classroom; and (3) digital feedback and its relationship with academic achievement. Results show that neither home nor school ICT availability predicts students’ experience of receiving digital feedback. The only significant infrastructure-level predictor is the perceived quality of school ICT resources (ICTQUAL). Digital feedback is most strongly predicted by ICT use in inquiry-based learning and by ICT-supported schoolwork outside the classroom, whereas ICT use in subject lessons has only a minimal effect. Across all domains, digital feedback is negatively associated with student achievement, even when ICT access, resource quality, learning-use variables, and digital leisure are controlled for. This pattern suggests that ICTFEED functions primarily as a compensatory mechanism, being more frequently used with lower-achieving students rather than serving as a direct enhancer of academic performance. The proposed three-level model offers a structured framework for interpreting students’ digital learning experiences and highlights the key components of school ICT ecosystems that shape digital assessment practices and learning outcomes. Full article

The creative economy includes the processes involved in producing, sharing, and using goods and services that depend on creativity, cultural understanding, entrepreneurship, and intellectual property as essential factors for economic value. This study examines the impact of digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI), and innovation capabilities on the performance of South Africa’s creative economy from 1999 to 2023. It uses the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model and incorporates patent activity, ICT-related trade, and creative sector variables to analyse the short-term and long-term relationships. The findings suggest that digital trade and sector maturity significantly increase intellectual property revenues, while patent activities show minimal effect, and funding factors face measurement challenges. Persistent digital divides, reflected in uneven ICT adoption, limit equitable participation and business prospects. These results highlight the challenges and systemic obstacles faced by creative entrepreneurs. Policy suggestions emphasise targeted support for commercialising intellectual property, wider access to affordable digital infrastructure, and creating AI-focused creative hubs to strengthen South Africa’s role in the global creative economy. Full article

In the 21st century, rapid urbanisation has brought both challenges and opportunities. Smart cities have emerged as innovative solutions to meet the complex demands of urban life. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) serves as the backbone of this transformation, integrating infrastructure, public services, and environmental sustainability. Within ICT, the computing continuum has become a key paradigm for efficient resource management, while Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) enhance urban planning, optimise resource use, and strengthen governance. This paper systematically reviews smart city developments from January 2020 to June 2025, focusing on technological advances and sustainability goals in databases such as Scopus, IEEE Xplore, and Web of Science. By synthesising the literature, it identifies common challenges, implementation strategies, and future directions. The review highlights the central role of the computing continuum and AI, covering enabling technologies, applications, case studies, and deployment challenges. Our findings indicate that the IoT, AI, and data analytics are currently dominant approaches, yet significant gaps remain in citizen participation, equitable access, and long-term governance. Overall, smart cities aim to integrate data, digital technologies, and intelligent infrastructure to improve the quality of life while promoting sustainable, resilient, and inclusive services. Full article

This systematic review investigates the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and information and communication technologies (ICT) in physical education across all educational levels. Physical education is uniquely centered on motor skill development, physical activity engagement, and health promotion—outcomes that require tailored technological approaches. Through the analysis of recent empirical studies, the main areas where digital technologies contribute to pedagogical innovation are highlighted—such as personalized learning, real-time feedback, student motivation, and educational inclusion. The findings show that AI-assisted tools facilitate differentiated instruction and self-regulated learning by adapting to students’ individual performance levels. Technologies such as wearables and augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) systems increase engagement and support the participation of students with special educational needs. Furthermore, AI contributes to more efficient and objective assessment of motor performance, coordination, and movement quality. However, significant structural and ethical challenges persist, such as unequal access to digital infrastructure, lack of teacher training, and concerns related to personal data protection. Teachers’ perceptions reflect both openness to the educational potential of AI and caution regarding its practical implementation. The review concludes that AI and ICT can substantially transform physical education, provided that coherent policies, clear ethical frameworks, and investments in teachers’ professional development are in place. Full article

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are becoming increasingly important for sustainable rural development through the smart village concept. This study aims to model ICT’s potential for public services management in European rural areas. It identifies ICT applications across rural service domains, analyzes how these technologies address specific rural challenges, and evaluates their benefits, implementation barriers, and future prospects for sustainable rural development. A qualitative content analysis method was applied using purposive sampling to analyze 79 peer-reviewed articles from EBSCO and Elsevier databases (2000–2024). A deductive approach employed predefined categories to systematically classify ICT applications across rural public service domains, with data coded according to technology scope, problems addressed, and implementation challenges. The analysis identified 15 ICT application domains (agriculture, healthcare, education, governance, energy, transport, etc.) and 42 key technology categories (Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, digital platforms, mobile applications, etc.). These technologies address four fundamental rural challenges: limited service accessibility, inefficient resource management, demographic pressures, and social exclusion. This study provides the first comprehensive systematic categorization of ICT applications in smart villages, establishing a theoretical framework connecting technology deployment with sustainable development dimensions. Findings demonstrate that successful ICT implementation requires integrated urban–rural cooperation, community-centered approaches, and balanced attention to economic, social, and environmental sustainability. The research identifies persistent challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, limited digital competencies, and high implementation costs, providing actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners developing ICT-enabled rural development strategies. Full article