Digital Scholarship in Africa, mirage or reality.docVIP

An analysis of information technology adoption situation in Botswana secondary schools and its impact on digital scholarship initiatives in institutions of learning Dr. Angelina Totolo, Department of Library and Information Studies University of Botswana Abstract Sub Saharan Africa is both technologically and economically less developed, and this has led to the slow adoption of information technology. The use of Information Technology (IT) has led to major changes in the information era, one of which is known as digital scholarship, a term associated with the application of modern technology to teaching, learning and research activities. Governments in Africa invested in Information Technology and Botswana is among the countries that are currently attempting to promote Information Technology use in schools. Botswana has developed a Vision 2016, which aims at turning the country into an information society or an informed nation by the year 2016 (Long Term Vision 2016). The achievement of this goal of an informed nation implies the adoption, diffusion and use of information technology. This paper assessed the digital scholarship environment in educational institutions by analyzing the ramification of computer technology acceptance and use by school principals in Botswana secondary schools. Preliminary findings point to barriers to information technology adoption due to computer anxiety, digital literacy and lack of ease of use of the computer among some school principals. Key words Digital scholarship, computer acceptance, and information technology diffusion Introduction The Botswana government has recently equipped all secondary schools with computer laboratories (Revised National Policy on Education, 1994). This paper aimed at finding out if computers were adopted in schools and what implications that would have on digital scholarship. The readiness to adopt technology is indicative of the success of digital scholarship in institutions of learning. This paper ass