Abstract:Understanding contextual variance of the social meaning of ICTs for development is essential; technology is much more likely to substantively contribute to development if we understand how technologies are likely to diffuse and be adopted – and those patterns of diffusion and usage hinge on the social meaning of those technologies and how they inhabit a larger technological ecology. In this article we focus on the Internet as a series of technologies with widely varying meanings for users around the globe. We have found that while people who use the Internet tend to share characteristics across nations, what people do with the Internet, once available, differsin some surprising ways. In this article we compare users in two disparate regions –the United States and two countries of Central Asia - in order to demonstrate that "The Internet" is not only a series of technologies rather than one technical innovation, but the utility of that series of innovations differs across contexts.

Putnam, C. and Kolko B. (2010). The Social Meaning of ICTs: Patterns of Technology Adoption and Usage in Context. In Proceedings of International Conference on Information and Commiunication Technologies and Development, ICTD 2010, London, UK, December 13-16.(Paper was accepted for an oral presentation).

Abstract:We present our experiences with an SMS-based system for providing transit information based solely on existing cellular and GPS networks. The aim is to permit the development of information services that do not rely on a central authority or complex web hosting. We developed and applied our system to the network of privately-run marshrutka buses in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. However, our goal is to more broadly address issues of ad-hoc shared transportation systems in the developing world. A custom designed GPS-GSM unit is placed on a vehicle, and users can query our server over SMS with their own non-GPS- enabled cell phones. We report on the accuracy of our location naming approach and estimates of bus arrival times. In addition, we summarize interviews with bus drivers and bus riders relating their views of the system and outline directions for future work. Our system is a grassroots solution to the persistent lack of transport information in developing countries.

Reference: Anderson, R.E., Brunette, W., Johnson, E., Lustig, C., Poon, A., Putnam, C., Salihbaeva, O., Kolko, B.E., & Borrielllo,G. (2010). Experiences with a Transportation Information System that Uses Only GPS and SMS. In Proceedings of International Conference on Information and Commiunication Technologies and Development, ICTD 2010, London, UK, December 13-16.(Paper was accepted for a poster presentation).

Design for Inclusion: Lessons learned in Central Asia. We are currently re-writing this paper per reviewer comments.

Abstract:As the user base for ubiquitous technology expands to developing regions the likelihood of disparity between the lived experience of design team members (developers, designers, researchers, etc.) and end users has increased. Human-centered design (HCD) provides a toolkit of research methods aimed to help bridge the distance between technology design teams and end users. However, we have found that traditional approaches to HCD research methods are difficult to deploy in developing regions. In this paper we share our experiences of adapting HCD research methodologies to the Central Asia context and some lessons we have learned. While our lessons are many, reconsidering the unit of analysis from the individual to larger social units was an early discovery that provided a frame for later research activities that focused on ubicomp development. We argue that lessons and challenges derived from our experience will generalize to other research investigations in which researchers are trying to adapt common HCD data collection methods to create ubiquitous technologies for and/or with distant audiences in developing regions.

Reference: Putnam, C., Johnson, E. Rose, E.& Kolko, B. (2010). Design for Inclusion: Lessons learned in Central Asia. Special Issue of Personal and Ubiquitous Computing. In Press.

Abstract: User-centered design methods such as personas and scenarios are useful tools for communicating extensive user research to designers. However, intensive data collection and onsite fieldwork required for personas and scenarios development can present a barrier for user researchers and designers working on technology innovations for diverse populations, including those in developing regions. This paper presents a model that demonstrates how user researchers and designers can use data collected for other purposes to source personas and scenarios and substantively adopt user-centered design approaches. We demonstrate our methods through a case study based on research in Kyrgyzstan.

Reference: Putnam, C., Johnson, E. Rose, E.& Kolko, B. (2009).Adapting User-Centered Design Methods to Design for Diverse Populations. In Special HCI4D Issue of Information Technologies and International Development(ITID),5 (4), 51-73.

Getting online but still living offline: the complex relationship of technology adoption and in-person social networks

Abstract: Previous research in Kyrgyzstan has demonstrated the importance of close social networks as avenues for gathering and sharing information, assistance and goods in the country. However, the relationship between technology use and social network use has not been investigated; understanding this relationship is important when considering the design of technology applications that support existing social networks. Contrary to Robert Putnam’s hypothesis that technologies have an ”individualizing” force on populations, we have found that social network patterns do not appear to be negatively associated with higher technology use. In fact, the higher the level of technology use, the more face-to-face social networks were used for multiple types of information seeking.

Reference: Putnam, C. & Kolko, B.(2009). Getting online but still living offline: the complex relationship of technology adoption and in-person social networks. In Proceedings of ASONAM 2009, Athens, Greece, July 20-23, 2009, 33-40.

Mobile phone users in Kyrgyzstan: A case study of identifying user requirements for diverse users

Abstract: Mobile phones are widely recognized as a potentially transformative technology platform for developing nations. However, for designers and programmers in the developed world to create viable applications for mobile phones involves first identifying and communicating user requirements for diverse users. We define diverse users as those from a substantively different cultural context than that in which the technology design occurs, including developing regions. This paper presents a case study outlining our process of using data from prior research to (1) identify a tenable mobile phone product concept for mobile phone users in Kyrgyzstan; (2) detect and communicate user requirements for that product concept to a design team; and (3) develop a working prototype of the concept for usability testing. Our resulting concept meets important user needs and goals for mobile phone users in Kyrgyzstan. We believe the process by which we developed and discussed these user requirements and the subsequent prototype can serve as an example to others concerned with creating user-centered products and services for diverse users including those in developing countries.

Reference: Putnam, C., Rose, E.,Walton, R. & Kolko, B. (2009). Mobile phone users in Kyrgyzstan: A case study of identifying user requirements for diverse users. In Proceedings of IPCC 2009, Honolulu, Hawaii, July 20-23, 2009.

Abstract: In regions with developing or transitioning economies, information and communication technology (ICT) skills are expected to provide potential employees a signifcant edge in securing comparatively high-paying jobs. However, ICT skills are not binary (i.e., there are ranges and levels of ICT skills), nor are the effects of ICT skills common across all contexts. To plan international development efforts that have the most impact on improving people’s employability, we need more information about the relationship between ICT skills and employment, such as which ICT skills and what level of skill are sufficient for improving employability. In this article, we examine ICT skills and employment in the context of a transitioning economy, using the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan as a case study. Findings indicate that, while ICT skills can be a predictor of employment and are associated with higher income, the level of ICT skill required to attain these jobs is not as high as one might expect. Skills that are considered basic computer literacy in the Western world are, in many developing and transitioning countries, considered sophisticated skill sets held by small segments of the population. In a developing world context, these skill sets are associated with high prestige jobs, especially when they are combined with other factors, such as higher education. This fnding has interesting implications for designing development programs to improve employability, suggesting that training efforts should focus on what are considered advanced ICT skills in the local context.

Reference: Walton, R., Putnam, C., Johnson, E.& Kolko, B. (2009). Skills Are Not Binary: Nuances in the Relationship Between ICT Skills and Employability. Special ICT Skills and Employability Issue of Information Technologies and International Development (ITID), 5,(2), 1-18.

Computer Games in the Developing World: The Value of Non-Instrumental Engagement with ICTs, or Taking Play Seriously. In Proceedings of International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development

Abstract: This paper argues that it is important to study non-instrumental uses of ICT, including computer games. Specifically, the article presents the results of qualitative and quantitative work spanning eight years of investigation in Central Asia focused on computer gaming in public Internet cafes as well as private spaces. The results presented demonstrate that people do indeed play games in resource constrained environments. The paper demonstrates that games constitute a significant portion of the ICT ecology in developing regions and provide a pathway to people’s “first touch” of a computer, that gamers have more frequent interaction with technology than basic Internet users, that games bring more diverse users to computers by providing a pathway to ICT use for people with lower levels of education, and that games can motivate innovation in the technology space. Additionally, our findings indicate that both genders engage in game playing. The article makes the case that games can be a source of informal learning about ICT, and as such, games and gaming culture in the developing world merit further study.

Reference: Kolko, B. & Putnam, C.(2009). Computer Games in the Developing World: The Value of Non-Instrumental Engagement with ICTs, or Taking Play Seriously. In Proceedings of International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and DevelopmentICTD ‘09, Doha.Qatar, April 17-19, 2009, 46-55.