GeSCI Blog
PanAf newsletter indispensable to ICT4E researchers and practitioners
In PanAf’s latest insightful newsletter on ICTs in education Thierry Karsenti reveals how the physical integration of ICTs in Education in Africa has few role models on the continent, with ICTs largely remaining an occasional support for teachers. At ELA 2010 Mr Karsenti will outline a model for successful integration of ICT in African schools in order that schools across the Continent may benefit from the experience of others who have successfully overcome the same difficulties and challenges. In ‘The Content Divide’: A Call for Relevance, Mandi Maodzwa-Taruvinga warns that African educators are becoming mere vessels for western content, perpetuating ‘structures of domination of western modes of knowing and being’...... continue reading >
Comprehensive ICT Bill under review by Rwanda
The bill which will provide the legislative framework for ICT in Rwanda, aims to to establish the country as a major global centre and hub for communications and multimedia information and content services. It also endeavors to promote a civil information-based society and to grow and nurture local information resources and cultural representation that facilitates the national identity of Rwanda. In addition, the new legislation will go some way to regulating the sectors for the long-term benefits of the consumers and investors and promote a high level of consumer awareness and confidence in service delivery from industry. continue reading >
GeSCI to release new e-Content TCO calculator
GesCI will release its e-Content Total Cost of Development Calculator later this week. The model underlying the e-content TCO tool is the ADDIE model which considers Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation of new e-content. The costing parameters that have been taken into consideration include piloting and evaluation of the product during development stage. While e-content is becoming available at a prolific rate, educators are becoming more aware of the fact that e-content must be tailored to address the specific learning objectives as laid out in their curriculums. continue reading >
Digital Divide shows little sign of narrowing
ITU’s, Measuring the Information Society 2009 Report, reveals that despite unprecedented ICT levels worldwide the digital divide shows little sign of narrowing. While ICT access in developing countries is improving, ICT use, according to the report, is not gaining much ground with broadband internet prices remaining ‘clearly outside the reach of the majority of people in the developing world’. The report notes the disparity in the price of ICT services as a percentage of GNI per capita, with high income countries tending to have lower relative prices for ICT services, whereas low-income, developing economies tend to have higher prices. continue reading >
Creating a user-friendly TCO app
Total-cost-of-ownership is a powerful tool for ministries of education and even for individual schools. GeSCI's TCO has helped governments to make informed decisions about large scale-deployments of ICTs. The tool, which is a little cumbersome for the novice to use, is undergoing a major face lift. We're working with Trinity College Dublin's School of Computer Science to develop a user-friendly TCO application that will run on any local machine and which we hope can be used by just about anyone..... continue reading >