Evaluating Users’ Perceptions of the Digital Doorway: A Narrative Analysis

Abstract

This paper contains a report on the uses, expectations and gratifications experienced by the users of digital doorways. The researchers adopted a grounded theory approach in their analysis of 200 narratives collected from the users. The stories and the comments in the narratives were categorized according to the macro domain to which they pertained as well as the uses, expectations and gratifications of the users. Once the categories had been saturated, the researchers conducted a quantitative analysis of the findings. It showed clearly that the majority of the respondents reported usage that pertains to learning and school work. This need proved to be stronger than the need for game playing. The short-term dimension of the required educational support eclipses the more future-oriented/idealistic responses. The study postulates the theory that in access-deprived and information-poor communities the need for short-term educational solutions over-rides any other informational need.

Keywords:

• ICT
• education
• evaluation
• narratives
• grounded theory

Acknowledgements

The Digital Doorway initiative and the evaluation thereof have been funded by the Department of Science and Technology of South Africa. The dedication and hard work of the core Digital Doorway team of Ronel Smith, Grant Cambridge and Kim Gush over a period of more than 10 years is celebrated.

Funding

This work was supported by the South African Department of Science and Technology.

Notes on contributors

Abraham Gert van der Vyver is a senior lecturer in IT at Monash South Africa. He holds multiple degrees in law, marketing, communications and information systems. His research interests include public ITD access facilities, e-government, and the social media. He obtained his PhD in political communication from UNISA in 1998.

Mario Alphonso Marais does research in ICT for Development, with focus areas that include social capital, entrepreneurship, sustainable development and Monitoring and Evaluation. He holds Masters degrees in Physical Chemistry and Systematic Theology and is enrolled as a PhD student in Informatics at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.