Multi perspective integrations Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in higher education in developing countries: case study Thailand.

For several years, academics have debated the extent to which Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can help poor people in a developing country. Most Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in developing countries attempt to implement ICT for all aspects of their activities such as teaching, learning, research and administration systems. This research, using Linstone's Multi Perspectives Model, examines ICT implementation at local universities in the Rajabhat group found in forty one provinces out of seventy eight in Thailand. These universities were commissioned by the King of Thailand to provide education for families who could not otherwise afford it. The Multiple Perspectives Model provided a framework for data collection and the organisation of results in a qualitative study. Data from interviews, observations and documents was analysed using a template analysis approach. The findings of this study were interpreted in three dimensions: technical (T), organisation (O) and personal (P) in order to underline the importance of understanding the concepts and categories associated with ICT sustainability in a developing country. The outcome of this study is a framework that clarifies the process of effective ICT implementation in the universities context, which provides an additional valuable source of knowledge for higher education policy makers in Thailand and other developing countries. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.