Designing a digital educational library in a West-African context: With a special focus on Ghana

Abstract

This research aims to address the challenges and opportunities of integrating Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) into education, particularly within Education for Development (EDU4D) in developing countries, with a specific focus on West Africa. By developing design knowledge of digital educational libraries within the context of EDU4D and the unique challenges of West Africa, this study aims to enhance the learning outcomes and experiences of students in underprivileged communities. Through providing a comprehensive overview of the contextual landscape, which includes the quality of education, limitations in ICT implementation, and the impact of innovative technologies, the research aims to formulate design principles tailored to the specific needs of digital and physical library implementations in West African. By developing design knowledge tailored to this specific context, the ultimate goal is to contribute to the enhancement of career opportunities for young Africans and catalyze economic growth in West African regions by leveraging ICT across all aspects of education. Approach – This research utilizes the Design Science Research (DSR) approach by following the three DSR cycles, including problem statement, design, and validation. The basis of the digital library design in a West African context is formed through deriving User Stories from user, expert, and researcher input. These User Stories are formed through various sources. Subsequently, design requirements and principles are developed and validated through scientific literature and expert interviews. The research phases follow the design cycle of Wieringa by encompassing the problem investigation, treatment design, implementation, validation, and evaluation. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was performed to inform the design process, which is strengthened by the results of the case study research in Ghana in collaboration with the NGO Maxim Nyansa Foundation. The Community Needs Tech Assessment (CNTA) validates the design requirements, involving user and expert interviews. The study utilizes evidence-based software engineering (EBSE) principles, the SLR and interviews to inform the design process. The multiple-case study employs a qualitative and quantitative data collection strategies to ensure validity and reliability for the design process of digital educational libraries in a West African context. Findings – This research developed design principles for digital libraries in the educational domain within the context of West Africa, with a specific focus on Ghana, by addressing six subresearch questions. It investigated the educational landscape in Ghana and West Africa, by involving the factors of availability, accessibility, acceptability, and adaptability. The study explored the potential of various innovative technologies, such as cloud computing, AI, gamification, and mobile learning, to enhance the usability and knowledge building of educational resources, particularly in regions with limited internet connectivity. The research identified the components of a digital library with features like content management, user management, workflow management, and the publication process to ensure the quality and usability of educational resources. Through requirements engineering, the research identified 55 User Stories and 36 design requirements, categorized into functional and non-functional requirements. Subsequently, the requirements are translated into 11 design principles and 5 local design principles. Subsequently, the design principles are validated by cross-referencing with three scientific papers and four expert interviews. Overall, the research provided a structured framework for designing digital educational libraries in West Africa, aiming to enhance accessibility, usability and knowledge building.