PHD-Department of Library & Information Science

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Browsing PHD-Department of Library & Information Science by Subject "Kenya"

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    Relationship between Use of Extension Information Services and Agricultural Productivity among Smallholder Farmers in Tana River County, Kenya
    (kenyatta University, 2021) Gwademba, Goudian Kilemba; Daniel Wambiri Muthee; Peter Wamae Wahome
    Food security assessments reports have demonstrated that, most food insecure people stay in remote areas, with limited access to information and technology geared towards enhancing agricultural productivity. This foregoing suggests that agricultural information is relevant to agricultural productivity, particularly for smallholder farmers, who remain the foundation of agricultural production in emerging economies. Literature review of the study established that agricultural information is prerequisite to farming as it enables proper utilization of limited production resources and therefore regarded as a significant factor in enhancing productivity, but disclosed that while considerable efforts have been made by the Kenyan government to improve agricultural extension information services for smallholder farmers, low agricultural productivity has continued to be experienced in Tana River County, Kenya. It was in recognition of this value that this research was carried out with a purpose of evaluating the relationship between use of extension information services and agricultural productivity among smallholder farmers in Tana River County, Kenya. The main objective of the study was to ascertain whether increased use of extension information services correlated with increased agricultural productivity. The study adopted the Information Search Process (ISP) theory by Caroline Kuhlthau. The location of the study was Tana River County where a sample of 382 farming households was chosen from a population of 68,242 and 79 public extension information service providers selected from a total population of 85 through stratified sampling. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview schedules and both qualitative and quantitative data was captured. The research took a correlational study design and through statistical analysis using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient, Simple Linear Regression and Paired Samples T-Test, evaluated the relationship between the use of extension information services and agricultural productivity among smallholder farmers in Tana River County. A piloting of data collection instruments was undertaken in Kilifi County to test their reliability and validity. Data analysis focused on responding to research hypothesis and considering appropriate level of interpretation for each situation. The research findings revealed that, there was a moderately strong correlation coefficient averaging r=0.6 between use of extension information services and agricultural productivity in Tana River County. The study also underscored the role of ICT in improving the usefulness of agricultural extension information services and recommended the need to streamline extension information service delivery in order to ensure smallholder farmers had seamless access to agricultural information. The study was significant in that its findings are expected to benefit all agricultural stakeholders by enabling them appreciate the role of extension information services in enhancing agricultural productivity. It is expected that this study will add credibility to the agricultural extension information policy agenda for smallholder farmers all over the world.
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    Usability of Digital Libraries during Information Retrieval by Persons With Visual Impairment in Selected Public Universities in Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2021) Kiambati, Fridah Gatwiri; Caroline Mutwiri; Rose Njoroge
    Usability studies play a key role in advancing best practices in the design of usable digital libraries. Users with visual impairment have been excluded in design of digital libraries due to unintentional biasness towards the sighted majority. As a result, these users experience difficulties when using the digital libraries to retrieve information. The purpose of this study was to evaluate five usability attributes of digital libraries from the perspective of a user with visual impairment regarding information retrieval. The study sought to determine the level of user friendliness, efficiency, user satisfaction, learnability, and the level of accessibility of digital libraries by persons with visual impairment when retrieving information. Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology was adopted for the study. The study used a cross-sectional survey design in which 126 students with visual impairment and 12 special needs librarians were targeted. Complete enumeration technique was used to select all for the study. Questionnaire, interview guide and focus group discussion guide were used to collect data from the students and special needs librarians. A pilot study was conducted at the University of Nairobi to improve the reliability and validity of the data collection instruments and enhance data collection logistics. A mixed method approach to data analysis was used, where descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used in the analysis and presentation of quantitative data while thematic approach was used to analyse qualitative data. The study findings revealed that digital libraries were not friendly to use by students with visual impairment. On efficiency of digital libraries, slightly more than half of students with visual impairment reported that digital libraries are efficient. On user satisfaction with digital libraries, it was found that a bigger percentage of students with visual impairment were dissatisfied. The findings further revealed that user’s level of satisfaction was independent of their gender and age. Research findings also established that majority of students with visual impairment found the digital libraries not easy to learn. Further, the study findings revealed that digital libraries were not accessible to persons with visual impairment and that some of them lacked the basic accessibility requirements for the visually impaired as guided by the World Wide Web Consortium standards. This study established that there is a close interrelation among four of usability attributes; friendliness, efficiency, learnability, and accessibility as they all correlated positively to user satisfaction. The study concludes that prior training of students with visual impairments in assistive technology improves overall user experience with digital libraries. Thus, the study recommends institutionalization of assistive technology training as a strategy to enhance the use of digital library resources among users with visual impairment. The study also recommends involvement of persons with visual impairment in usability testing of information retrieval (IR) systems such as digital library to facilitate design of friendly, efficient, easy to use, easy to learn and accessible systems.