Technology assessment as a form of inclusive communication approach to access information from village web in central java, Indonesia

Social change in rural communities can occur due to innovation and utilisation of new technology. The village web is an innovation and new technology that has a strategic role to facilitate the community in receiving and utilising various information related to community empowerment. The purpose of the study is to assess how the villagers can access the information from the village web despite their lack of ability to use new technology. The study used a qualitative method through participatory action research (PAR) techniques. The phase in the PAR approach as described by Coghland and Brannick (2001) includes diagnosing, planning action, taking action and evaluating action. The informants in this study were village officials and community leaders who knew of the existence of the village web that was used as a new media tool to disseminate information to the community. The results show that the inclusive communication approach fits the technology assessment with the condition of the Susukan Village community, Banyumas, Central Java by making use of intermediary media so that the new technology can be used according to their abilities in the diagnosing phase. The form of technology assessment that is in accordance with the demand of Susukan residents is to provide information boards as an intermediary media platform to access information from the village web in the planning phase. The mechanism of the inclusive communication approach through technology assessment is by installing information boards in each resident's group in the action phase. More residents have started being empowered after reading information from the village web in their daily routines, using technology assessment as an inclusive communication approach in the evaluation phase. © 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.