Technological Infrastructure and Use of ICT in Education in ... - ADEA

118 Working Group on Distance Education and Open Learning
such programmes is involvement of government agencies or departments,
as well as of local communities (Siaciwena, 2000).
In addition to radio programmes, cassettes can also be useful. They can
more easily be coordinated with ABE courses and can be used as direct
tools in, for example, teaching basic literacy. Cassettes require fairly
simple technology for use but need a system of making and distributing
recordings, which adds costs and complexity to the process (Lauglo,
2001).
In South Africa, as companies learn to adapt to the pressures resulting
from re-entry into the international economic and business arena, human
resource development in the area of ABE is being seen increasingly as a
strategic intervention to facilitate the broad skills development required
for capacity building (Hunter, 1988). South Africa is also one of the very
few African countries able to cope with the high costs and logistical
requirements of computers. Various computer programmes, with backup
from a teacher, have been used to teach literacy and for various other
skills development programmes within both industry and educational
settings (Lauglo, 2001).
Carney and Firpo (2002) stress the importance of demystifying technology,
the Internet in particular, in order to open doors for economic
development as a goal of adult education. This goal is being pursued
in Senegal as is described in Box 16 below.
12. ICT and Adult/Basic Education
Box 16: Senegal:
Internet training
for illiterate
populations
Senegal is one of the first
sub-Saharan African countries
to make significant
investments in technology,
and is currently benefiting
from a relatively high rate
of penetration and growth
of technology-related services.
Joko is an organization that
aims to make the opportunities
of the Internet accessible
and relevant to Africans.
In August 2001, the
Joko pilot was launched:
two cyber cafes, called
JokoClubs, were opened,
and additional venues
are being planned and
launched in 2002, the aim
being to have 50 JokoClubs
across the country by the
end of that year. The Joko-
Clubs have successfully introduced
more than 3,000