Project in Vietnam uses Open Data Kit (ODK) for data collection

April 17, 2014

We recently launched a project that is looking at public internet access and use in Vietnam. One of the main objectives of the study is to understand the role library-like institutions, such as cultural post offices in Vietnam, play in providing public access to information and communication technologies (ICTs). Surveying public access venues, users, and non-users to gather data about public access in Vietnam is a critical component of the study. While critical to answering our research questions, collecting data on a large scale like in this project can be challenging. As such, we are excited to employ a different method of data collection in this study, using the Open Data Kit (ODK), developed here at the University of Washington’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Using Android-based tablets, researchers in the field will implement the surveys and collect data through ODK.

Global Impact Study at World Summit of Information Society (WSIS)

February 22, 2013

TASCHA Director, Chris Coward, will be participating on a panel organized by IFLA during the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) +10 review Meeting in Paris, France, February 25-27, 2013. The panel, Supporting Knowledge Societies through Public Access to the Internet, will cover various issues related to public access to technology. This is a great opportunity for Chris to present the findings of the Global Impact Study, the largest, most comprehensive study on public access centers to date.

April 12: From co-working to hackerspaces: An introduction to innovation spaces

April 3, 2012

TASCHA Talk: Chris Coward April 12, 2012 We all know what the typical telecenter or library computer space looks like—people sitting behind monitors along rows of desks, working away on whatever it is they are doing. This model serves a purpose, and as our research indicates, people can benefit greatly from the sort of access…

Crisis informatics project featured in Chilean press

April 18, 2011

Adding to Melody and Maria’s update on our crisis informatics project in Chile, I wanted to share this newspaper clip from La Prensa, the local newspaper for the Maule region. The article highlights our local partner, ATACH, and provides a nice overview of the project, how the research will be conducted, and why it matters.

January 20: Public access ICT in disaster management

January 15, 2011

TASCHA Talk: Maria Garrido and Beth Patin will discuss the role of telecenters and libraries in the context of crisis informatics, an emerging field of inquiry. Crisis informatics reframes the role of public access to ICT in emergency response as a socially distributed information system that leverages citizen-to-citizen communication in the lifecycle of a disaster. Public access to computers and internet, particularly telecenters and libraries, can play an important role in preventing and responding to disasters or emergency situations.

December 1: Public access technology in Colombia — Emergent findings

December 2, 2010

TASCHA Talk: Building on the results of the Landscape of Public Access Technology in Developing Countries — which examined 25 countries — Ricardo Gomez (Assistant Professor, iSchool) and Fernando Baron (Ph.D. student, iSchool) did an in-depth study in a single country: Colombia. Using a refined research methodology, they validated trends from the Landscape study (ie., types of users and main uses of public access computing, role of infomediaries, and issues of trust, fees, and education. Gomez and Baron will also explore new topics — ICTs and violence, the relationship between mobile phones and community radio, and users perceptions of impact.

Landscape study: 2009 research outputs

January 26, 2010

The Landscape Study closed 2009 with an impressive collection of papers published, presented, or accepted for presentation in community informatics, ICTD, and information science journals and conferences.

Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore

March 31, 2009

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go to Baltimore for our first case study site, Enoch Pratt Libraries. I learned so many things about research, library systems, public access computing, and — most importantly — I was reminded how lucky I am, and most who read this, are. When I wake up in the morning, I do one of two things that, while it has become a chore, I do compulsively: Check my iPhone or power up my MacBook.

TASCHA to examine the impact of public access technology around the world

November 7, 2007

TASCHA is proud to announce the launch of the Global Impact Study of Public Access to Information & Communication Technologies — a five-year project (2007-2012) to generate evidence about the scale, character, and impacts of public access to information and communication technologies. Looking at libraries, telecenters, and cybercafes, the study will investigate impact in a number of areas, including communication and leisure, culture and language, education, employment and income, governance, and health.