Understanding User Engagement in Information and Communications Technology for Development: An Exploratory Study

Tochukwu Ikwunne, Lucy Hederman, P. J. Wall

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

User engagement is often associated with successful information systems implementation, with this being particularly true in developing countries in the Global South. However, the term remains poorly understood with many seemingly conflicting definitions and the term “user engagement” has come to mean a variety of things in the literature. Also, it is unclear at what stage(s) of the design, development, implementation and use phase(s) that user engagement should apply to. This research examines the meaning of user engagement with the objective of bringing some level of clarity to suit the information communication technology for development (ICT4D) context. To this end, we propose an expanded definition of the term user engagement. The research also suggests what stages of the design, development, implementation and use phase of the technology this expanded definition of user engagement most usefully applies to by drawing lessons on user engagement in a variety of mobile health projects from the Global South. Qualitative methods of data analysis were used in collecting data which show that user engagement as applied to a specific phase of each of the projects was essential for the ongoing success of each project.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationHCI International 2020 - Late Breaking Papers
Subtitle of host publicationUser Experience Design and Case Studies - 22nd HCI International Conference, HCII 2020, Proceedings
EditorsConstantine Stephanidis, Aaron Marcus, Elizabeth Rosenzweig, Pei-Luen Patrick Rau, Abbas Moallem, Matthias Rauterberg
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages710-721
Number of pages12
ISBN (Print)9783030601133
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020
Event22nd International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction,HCII 2020 - Copenhagen, Denmark
Duration: 19 Jul 202024 Jul 2020

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume12423 LNCS
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Conference

Conference22nd International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction,HCII 2020
Country/TerritoryDenmark
CityCopenhagen
Period19/07/2024/07/20

Keywords

  • Global South
  • ICT for development
  • ICT4D
  • mHealth
  • Mobile health
  • Mobile-health applications
  • User engagement

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