Information Technology and Development: Making the Connections

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Information Technology and Development Making
the Connections

• Dr. William Bertrand

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Why Information Technology (IT) in Africa?

• Fills a Need Too many students and too few
  teachers technology can help
• Provides OpportunitiesTechnology-based Training
  gives students opportunities to learn they may
  not have had otherwise
• Helps TeachersComputers can help professors to
  manage large classes and automate grading,
  letting them focuses on whats important
  teaching content

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What is Information Technology?

• ANY tool that helps us to share information with
  one another
• Not just computers, also
• Radio
• Television
• VCR/DVD Player
• Satellite and wireless technologies
• Tele-centers
• Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs, Palm Pilot)
• Pen and Paper!

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The Bottom Line

• Enabling people to better communicate and share
  information

Thats actually what we geeks find so cool about
it!
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IT Can Help African Countries

• Improve communication
• World Wide Web (News and Information)
• Email
• Radio
• Television
• Improve Access to Education and Training
• Computer and Web-Based Training (CBT/WBT)
• Distance Learning

Note The TEACH CD-ROM contains a number of case
studies and papers discussing how IT has been
used in various African countries. Be sure to
research your country!
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The Role of Information Technologies in
Development
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Personal Computers

• Uses
• Provide Access to Internet and World Wide Web
  (International News, Research, etc.)
• Automate Course Management
• Facilitate distance learning
• Provide Access to CD-based Digital Libraries
• Availability
• Sparse, but slowly growing
• Costs
• 1000-1200 per machine (shipping included)
• Internet access??

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Radio

• Uses
• Distribute information
• Provide education and training (i.e. language
  classes)
• Availability
• Available in most locations (?)
• Costs
• 30-50 per radio (?)

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Television

• Uses
• Provide information and training
• Availability
• ???
• Costs
• 100-200 per TV ??

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VCR / DVD Player

• Uses
• Disseminate information
• Provide visual tutorials and instruction
• Availability
• Sparse to moderate??
• Cost
• 100-300 per unit

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Satellite

• Uses
• Voice Communications
• Teleconferences
• Internet Access
• Videoconferencing
• Availability
• Service is available in much of Africa, but costs
  can be extremely expensive and monopolies
  restrict distribution
• Costs
• ???/month Voice
• 5,000/month Internet

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Telecenters

• Uses
• Give rural communities an access point for
  Internet
• Local Library! (Digital)
• Training Center
• Availability
• Sparse
• Costs
• 10000-40000 setup
• 1000-2000/yr maintenance

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Personal Digital Assistants Palm Pilot,
PocketPC, eBook

• Uses
• Organizer
• Calendar
• Address Book
• Notepad
• Portable Data Entry
• Info. Storage
• eBooks
• Articles
• Availability
• Sparse
• Cost
• 200-400 per unit

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Integrating Information Technologies into
Education
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Innovative Approaches Using Radio to Connect a
Village

• Mahaweli Community Radio, in Sri Lanka
• Listeners write or call in with questions
• Mahaweli researches the answer online
• Mahaweli broadcasts the results via radio so that
  the whole community benefits
• Essentially, the whole village has access to the
  Internet!
• Farmers get better prices on crops

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Insert IT In Africa Case Study (Failure) Here
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Lessons Learned
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Caveat Emptor Be Careful!

• Technology is a tool for solving problems, not a
  solution to problems
• Some people will fight technology
• Resistant to change
• Fear extinction see technology as replacing
  them, not empowering them
• Be informed about a technology before using it
• How stable is it?
• Is it cost-effective?
• Is anyone else using this technology, and if so
  did it help them meet their goals?

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That said

• IT can, and has, brought revolutionary advances
  to education and training in Africa (African
  Virtual University, etc.)

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The End!