The digital divide in Cote d'Ivoire: The impact of information and communication technologies (ICTS) on education

In the 21st century, many people in the world are experiencing a growing international and social crisis due to inequities between nations in accessing and using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The common term for this phenomenon is the digital divide, a concept describing the division of the world into people who have access and the capability to use Information Technology (IT) and people who do not. The world's decision makers and experts are working to close this technological gap through growth in computer-based systems implementation and training. The 1980s and 1990s experienced a proliferation of schools implementing Computer-Based Learning (CBL) and/or Computer-Based Training (CBT) because of this technological growth. As Technology Education (TE) continues to receive significant attention, institutions attempt to better reach the critical goal of quality education by establishing the value that needs to be added to workers and students' learning and achievement with technology. The purpose of this study was to assess the major issues that impede the progress of education and to explore the impact of ICTs on the education system in Cote d'Ivoire. A case study approach of the qualitative research method was selected for the study. Through 25 face-to-face interviews with 11 students, 8 faculty members and 6 Ivorian authorities, the study explored the effectiveness of using ICTs to improve the education system and the quality of knowledge, management, and leadership in Cote d'Ivoire. The NVivoRTM 9 software package was used for data analysis, from which 5 overarching themes and 23 key findings emerged. This study concludes that ICTs would effectively contribute to improving education and the quality of knowledge, management, and leadership in Cote d'Ivoire.