Softbridge : a socially aware framework for communication bridges over digital divides

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dc.contributor.advisorBlake, Edwin Hen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorMarsden, Garyen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorTucker, William Daviden_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-08-13T19:25:54Z
dc.date.available2014-08-13T19:25:54Z
dc.date.issued2009en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes abstract.en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (p. 203-219).en_ZA
dc.description.abstractComputer scientists must align social and technical factors for communication technologies in developing regions yet lack a framework to do so. The novel Softbridge framework comprises several components to address this gap. The Softbridge stack abstraction supplements the established Open Systems Interconnect model with a collection of technical layers clustered around 'people' issues. The Softbridge stack aligns the technological design of communication systems with awareness of social factors characteristic of developing regions. In a similar fashion, a new evaluation abstraction called Quality of Communication augments traditional Quality of Service by considering socio-cultural factors of a user's perception of system performance. The conceptualisation of these new abstractions was driven by long-term experimental interventions within two South African digital divides. One field study concerned communication bridges for socio-economically disadvantaged Deaf users. The second field study concerned a wireless telehealth system between rural nurses and doctors.The application domains were quite different yet yielded similarities that informed the Softbridge and Quality of Communication abstractions. The third Softbridge component is an iterative socially aware software engineering method that includes action research. This method was used to guide cyclical interventions with target communities to solve community problems with communication technologies. The Softbridge framework components are recursive products of this iterative approach, emerging via critical reflection on the design, evaluation and methodological processes of the respective field studies. Quantitative and qualitative data were triangulated on a series of communication prototypes for each field study with usage metrics, semi-structured interviews, focus groups and observation in the field. Action research journals documented the overall process to achieve post-positivist recoverability rather than positivistic replicability. Analysis of the results from both field studies was iteratively synthesised to develop the Softbridge framework and consider its implications.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationTucker, W. D. (2009). <i>Softbridge : a socially aware framework for communication bridges over digital divides</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Computer Science. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6375en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationTucker, William David. <i>"Softbridge : a socially aware framework for communication bridges over digital divides."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Computer Science, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6375en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationTucker, W. 2009. Softbridge : a socially aware framework for communication bridges over digital divides. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Tucker, William David AB - Computer scientists must align social and technical factors for communication technologies in developing regions yet lack a framework to do so. The novel Softbridge framework comprises several components to address this gap. The Softbridge stack abstraction supplements the established Open Systems Interconnect model with a collection of technical layers clustered around 'people' issues. The Softbridge stack aligns the technological design of communication systems with awareness of social factors characteristic of developing regions. In a similar fashion, a new evaluation abstraction called Quality of Communication augments traditional Quality of Service by considering socio-cultural factors of a user's perception of system performance. The conceptualisation of these new abstractions was driven by long-term experimental interventions within two South African digital divides. One field study concerned communication bridges for socio-economically disadvantaged Deaf users. The second field study concerned a wireless telehealth system between rural nurses and doctors.The application domains were quite different yet yielded similarities that informed the Softbridge and Quality of Communication abstractions. The third Softbridge component is an iterative socially aware software engineering method that includes action research. This method was used to guide cyclical interventions with target communities to solve community problems with communication technologies. The Softbridge framework components are recursive products of this iterative approach, emerging via critical reflection on the design, evaluation and methodological processes of the respective field studies. Quantitative and qualitative data were triangulated on a series of communication prototypes for each field study with usage metrics, semi-structured interviews, focus groups and observation in the field. Action research journals documented the overall process to achieve post-positivist recoverability rather than positivistic replicability. Analysis of the results from both field studies was iteratively synthesised to develop the Softbridge framework and consider its implications. DA - 2009 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2009 T1 - Softbridge : a socially aware framework for communication bridges over digital divides TI - Softbridge : a socially aware framework for communication bridges over digital divides UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6375 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/6375
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationTucker WD. Softbridge : a socially aware framework for communication bridges over digital divides. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Computer Science, 2009 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6375en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Computer Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherComputer Scienceen_ZA
dc.titleSoftbridge : a socially aware framework for communication bridges over digital dividesen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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