Dr. Shawky Mansour([1])

Vol (7), No. (2), 1436 / 2014

p.p. 65 – 92 

Abstract:

Knowledge on computer operations and accessibility to internet has become a basic necessity in the developed world. In contrast, population in most of developing countries exhibit high rate of computer illiteracy. Many demographic and socioeconomic indicators have direct impacts on computer illiteracy rates. In this research, Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) liner regression was applied to model spatial variation of computer illiteracy in Al Riyadh Administrative Region (RAR), Saudi Arabia. Using data from 2004 Saudi census, different statistical variables were identified to describe demographic and socioeconomic variables such as population, unemployment and education qualifications. Population living circumstances particularly, housing types, access to portable water, electricity, and public sewage also have potential impact on computer knowledge. These variables are hypothesized to influence spatial variation of computer illiteracy rate in the study area. The power of explanatory variables of OLS model was 0.97% as a result of the relationships between computer illiteracy and underlying explanatory variables. The findings revealed that spatial variation of computer usage and ownership rate among Al Riyadh governorates have a strong relationship with set of socioeconomic, demographic, infrastructure variables.

Keywords: Computer illiteracy, Spatial modelling, Al Riyadh governorates, OLS Regression, Socioeconomic effects.

• Assistant professor of GIS&RS, Geography and GIS department, Alexandria University, Egypt drshawkygis@yahoo.com – gisshawky@yahoo.com