[bestbits] Fwd: FW: new DIRSI report on Internet and poverty

Tue Sep 23 08:56:19 EDT 2014

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Hernan Galperin" <hgalperin at udesa.edu.ar>
Date: Sep 23, 2014 8:34 AM
Subject: FW: new DIRSI report on Internet and poverty
To: "Hernan Galperin" <hgalperin at udesa.edu.ar>
Cc:

Dear colleagues,

We have recently launched a major research report examining the links
between broadband adoption and poverty in Latin America. The summary and
links are below. Please disseminate among other colleagues who might also
be interested.

Best,

Hernan Galperin

DIRSI/Universidad de San Andrés

The Internet and Poverty:
*Opening the Black Box*

Study in Latin America shows that Internet connectivity can help alleviate
poverty, but that complementary investments in human capital are needed to
realize the full potential of broadband

A study undertaken by Diálogo Regional sobre la Sociedad de la Información
(DIRSI), a regional ICT policy network funded by the International
Development Research Centre (IDRC-Canada), found that that the impact of
broadband access on economic development is positive but more modest than
previously estimated – as much as five times lower than the more optimistic
estimations. Further, the study found that connecting schools to the
Internet has a very modest impact on student performance in the short-term.
According to the study’s conclusions, “the Internet, like other ICTs, can
be a powerful tool to achieve many development goals, including poverty
alleviation, but this potential will not be realized unless human capital
investments are properly articulated with connectivity initiatives”. The
study used large household and school-based surveys as well as personal
interviews to explore the links between broadband adoption and income,
employment and educational achievement in Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, Brazil,
Peru and Mexico.

*READ MORE HERE >>
<http://www2.smartmail.com.ar/tl.php?p=hqf/f94/rs/1fp/4c0/rs//http%3A%2F%2Fdirsi.net%2Fweb%2Ffiles%2Ffiles%2FOpening_the_Black_Box.pdf>*

The Internet and Poverty: Opening the Black Box summarizes the findings
from a set of case studies, offering new research directions as well as
policy recommendations. Full-length versions of the individual case studies
containing detailed discussions about methodology and results can be found
in the following links:

*Economic Impact of broadband deployment in EcuadorREAD MORE HERE >>
<http://dirsi.net/web/web/en/publicaciones/detalle/economic-impact-of-broadband-deployment-in-ecuador>Internet
and economic activity in Colombia, 2007-2011: an analysis of municipalities
and 23 main citiesREAD MORE HERE >>
<http://dirsi.net/web/web/en/publicaciones/detalle/internet-and-economic-activity-in-colombia--2007-2011--an-analysis-of-municipalities-and-23-main-cities>Do
broadband and information and communication technologies (ICTS) have a
positive impact on school performance? Evidence for ChileREAD MORE HERE >>
<http://dirsi.net/web/web/en/publicaciones/detalle/do-broadband-and-information-and-communication-technologies--icts--have-a-positive-impact-on-school-performances-evidence-for-chile>Internet
in schools. The effect on educational performance in Peru: 2007-2011READ
MORE HERE >>
<http://dirsi.net/web/web/en/publicaciones/detalle/internet-in-schools--the-effect-on-educational-performance-peru--2007-2011>The
informational life of the marginalized: a study of digital access in three
Mexican townsREAD MORE HERE >>
<http://dirsi.net/web/web/en/publicaciones/detalle/the-informational-life-of-the-marginalized--a-study-of-digital-access-in-three-mexican-towns>*

Other highlights of the study are:

In Ecuador, broadband availability is associated with a rise in labor
incomes of up to 7.5% over a two-year period, though men appear to benefit
more than women.
In Colombia, broadband appears to have a positive impact on
entrepreneurship, with a 10% increase in broadband associated with a 4%
increase in the number of firms (though only a 0.4% increase in tax
revenues).

In Brazil, Chile and Peru, broadband in schools appears to have a mixed
effect, with a positive impact on drop-out rates but a null or negative
effect on test scores. Lack of adequate teacher training is linked to a
negative impact on student achievement by diverting the use of broadband to
non-educational activities. Yet students from lower-income households tend
to benefit relatively more from broadband in schools programs.

In Mexico, in-depth interviews in low-income communities corroborate the
key role of infomediaries, particularly school-age children, in promoting
adoption among other household members. Such spillover effects should also
be considered in the planning and evaluation of ICT-in-schools programs.

Overall, the study calls for caution in undertaking large public
investments in broadband connectivity. Any such initiatives must go
hand-in-hand with investments in human capital, such as teacher training
and digital literacy programs for women, in order to maximize impact and
promote equity in the appropriation of benefits.

Learn more about

DIRSI
<http://www2.smartmail.com.ar/tl.php?p=hqf/f94/rs/1fp/4c0/rs//http%3A%2F%2Fdirsi.net%2Fweb%2F>

The book The Information Lives of the Poor: Fighting Poverty with Technology
<http://www2.smartmail.com.ar/tl.php?p=hqf/f94/rs/1fp/4c0/rs//http%3A%2F%2Fwww.idrc.ca%2FEN%2FResources%2FPublications%2FPages%2FArticleDetails.aspx%3FPublicationID%3D1250>
which contains some ground-breaking research findings on how technologies
like broadband are transforming the lives of the poor in Latin America,
Africa, and Asia. IDRC’s Information and Networks program

IDRC’s Information and Networks
<http://www2.smartmail.com.ar/tl.php?p=hqf/f94/rs/1fp/4c0/rs//http%3A%2F%2Fwww.idrc.ca%2FEN%2FPrograms%2FScience_and_Innovation%2FInformation_and_Networks%2FPages%2Fdefault.aspx>
program

 <http://www.udesa.edu.ar/Graduados/Eventos?eid=6639&er=1>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.igcaucus.org/pipermail/bestbits/attachments/20140923/6bda46fe/attachment.htm>