Semantics in the wild : a digital assistant for Flemish citizens

Public service fragmentation across more than 800 digital channels of government administrations in the region of Flanders (Belgium), causes administrative burden and frustrations, as citizens expect a coherent service. Given the autonomy of the various entities, the fragmentation of information and budget constraints, it is not feasible to rewire the entire e-gov ecosystem to a single portal. Therefore, the Flemish Government is building a smart digital assistant, which supports citizens on the governmental portals, by integrating status information of various transactions. This paper outlines our ongoing research on a method for raising semantic interoperability between different information systems and actors. In this approach, semantic agreements are maintained and implemented end-to-end using the design principles of Linked Data. The lessons learned can speed-up the process in other countries that face the complexity of integrating e-government portals

Real-Time, Real World Learning—Capitalising on Mobile Technology

This chapter explores the adoption of Web 2.0 technologies to promote active learning by students and to both mediate and enhance classroom instruction. Web 2.0 refers to open source, web-enabled applications (apps) that are driven by user-manipulated and user-generated content (Kassens-Noor, 2012). These apps are often rich in user participation, have dynamic content, and harness the collective intelligence of users (Chen, Hwang, & Wang, 2012). As such, these processes create “active, context based, personalised learning experiences” (Kaldoudi, Konstantinidis, & Bamidis, 2010, p. 130) that prioritise learning ahead of teaching. By putting the learner at the centre of the education process educators can provide environments that enhance employability prospects and spark a passion for learning that, hopefully, lasts a lifetime. As such, we critique an active learning approach that makes use of technology such as mobile applications (apps), Twitter, and augmented reality to enhance students’ real world learning. Dunlap and Lowenthal (2009) argue that social media can facilitate active learning as they recreate informal, free-flowing communications that allow students and academics to connect on a more emotional level. Furthermore, their use upskills students in the technical complexities of the digital world and also the specialised discourses that are associated with online participation, suitable for real world learning and working (Fig. 16.1). Three case studies explore the benefits of Web 2.0 processes. The first details the use of Twitter chats to connect students, academics, and industry professionals via online synchronous discussions that offer a number of benefits such as encouraging concise writing from students and maintaining on-going relationships between staff, students, and industry contacts. The second details a location-based mobile app that delivers content to students when they enter a defined geographical boundary linked to an area of a sports precinct. Finally, we explore the use of augmented reality apps to enhance teaching in Human Geography and Urban Studies

Editorial to the EGOV-CeDEM-part 2024 CEUR proceedings

GOV-CeDEM-ePart-Ongoing 2024 Ongoing Research, Practitioners, Posters, Workshops, and Projects at EGOV-CeDEM-ePart 2024 Proceedings of Ongoing Research, Practitioners, Posters, Workshops, and Projects of the International Conference EGOV-CeDEM-ePart 2024 Ghent University and KU Leuven, Ghent/Leuven, Belgium, September 1-5, 2024.Summary: There were 83 papers submitted for peer-review to this workshop. Out of these, 56 papers were accepted for this volume, 34 as regular papers, 9 as short papers, 10 as posters and 3 as an extended abstract

E-consultation and the quest for inclusive governance in Nigeria

Inclusive governance through public consultation is fundamental to sustainable development as reiterated in the SDG16. Citizens’ consultation in the policy planning and determination enhances the quality of policy outcomes and help to build public trust in political institutions. Traditional institutions for public consultation are however, often limited thus, policy decisions are in most cases, at variance with public aspirations. The consequence is a growing public cynicism of governmental institutions. To address this democratic decline, governments across the world are now utilizing ICT tools to better consult with citizens in the public policy process. This paper which adopts a mixture of descriptive and analytical research designs engages a systematic literature review for collecting and analysing data. The aim is to investigate the adoption of ICTs as tools for public consultation to enhance inclusive governance in Nigeria. Findings reveal among others that the increase in acceptance and usage of mobile technologies in the face of the challenges of infrastructure, energy instability and low level of ICT literacy among others, provide veritable platform for e-consultation. E-consultation brings to bear the equally important bottom-up approach in policy making by providing additional channel for greater public voice in the policy-making process. E-consultation thus poses to be cardinal to achieving sustainable development goal of just, peaceful and inclusive societies in Nigeria