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

124 Working Group on Distance Education and Open Learning
13.2....Cost Considerations for Different Types of ICTs
Having understood the concepts important for evaluating the cost-effectiveness
of educational technology (and how these are connected to
considerations about distance education), it is relevant to apply some of
these concepts to different types of ICTs, most significantly three primary
technologies that are incorporated in the definition of ICT used in this
document, namely radio, television, and computers and Internet.
Unfortunately, there is little detailed information available about radio in
terms of issues such as costs and effectiveness. Nonetheless, most would
agree that use of radio has been a low-cost and consistently effective
means to improve access and quality in subjects taught at many educational
levels. Usually developing IRI programmes comes at a relatively
high cost at the outset (Murphy, et al. 2002). This is because the fixed cost
of radio is more than just the cost of the receiver. It includes costs associated
with developing programmes, broadcasting programmes, training
educators in how to use programmes, and assisting with maintenance
(Puryear, 2002). In some countries, adapting radio programmes that
have been developed elsewhere can considerably reduce these set-up
costs (Murphy, et al. 2002). Also significant when considering radio is
the cost of ensuring a regular power supply, a particularly critical issue
where electricity is costly and in rural areas that do not have electricity
(of which there are many) (Murphy, et al. 2002). The variable cost of radio
is low, since radios are generally already fairly widely available and can
be run on batteries if necessary (Puryear, 2002).
13. Financial Implications
Pilot projects and initial phases of IRI programmes have often been
financed by external funding agencies, most often USAID and more recently
NORAD, UNICEF, and others. However, even if external investment
covers initial costs, many countries will need help meeting the ongoing
costs of programme delivery and maintenance (which although not high
by some standards still pose a challenge for many sub-Saharan African
countries). Fortunately, there is an increasing number of technological
possibilities to reduce recurrent costs, particularly those associated with
poor infrastructure. The wind-up radio, which is now being used widely
in Africa, removes the need for batteries. Unfortunately, however, some
countries using wind-up radios have reported a high rate of breakage of
the wind-up mechanism. In the informal sector, power for radio is also
generated using car batteries (Murphy, et al. 2002).
In the case of television, fixed costs tend to be high as they are costs