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

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Technological Infrastructure and Use of ICT in Education in Africa: an overview 61 31.6% of people have access to a radio (and this does not take shared use into account). These comparisons highlight the importance of using the most appropriate ICT for a given environment rather than making the focus of ICT and education efforts on computers, specifically. As will be further highlighted below, when discussing access to ICTs, the physical infrastructure is but one aspect to be considered. The same applies in the context of education. Physical access to computers is a fundamental starting point, but alone will not lead to computer use or enhanced learning outcomes. Teacher training is one essential requirement for successful use of ICT in education (Haddad & Draxler, 2002; Lundell & Howell, 2000; Khanya Evaluation Report, 2002; SchoolNet South Africa, 2002). Lundell & Howell (2000) note the following factors in the South African context (but relevant more generally too) that prevent schools from using computers for teaching and learning: • Insufficient funds; • Insufficient numbers of computers; • Lack of computer literacy among teachers; • Lack of subject teachers trained to integrate computers into learning areas; and • The absence of properly developed curricula for teaching computer skills. In addition, many of those schools that do have computers still do not have access to the Internet, which is an important requirement for supporting networking for learners and teachers, as well as for collaborative learning. The Internet can provide a wealth of learning resources, access to which is, at present, very limited for many African education institutions. In Ethiopia, for example, only nine of the 12,000 primary schools had Internet access at the end of 2001, and ten of the 424 secondary schools (Jensen & Sarroco, 2002). Further, the costs of Internet access can be prohibitively high for many schools, both in Africa and elsewhere. In a study conducted in the US, it was shown that subsidies to schools for Internet access (which ranged from 20-90% of costs depending on school characteristics) led to 66% more classrooms with Internet (Goolsbee & Guryan, 2002). According to Isaacs (2002), the main obstacles faced by African schools (and tertiary institutions too) with respect to Internet access specifically are: 5. Socio-Economic Context of Sub-Saharan Africa
62 Working Group on Distance Education and Open Learning • Lack of infrastructure generally, and network infrastructure in particular; • High telephone and Internet costs; • Limited expertise and ICT skills levels; and • Lack of an enabling policy environment. Given the constraints on widespread computer and Internet access, it is essential that other technologies and resources, such as radio, television, and print media, should not come to be seen as less important than computers and the Internet. These media will continue to play a fundamental role in provision of educational resources to learners. Although the situation may appear bleak, senior leaders across the continent have recognized many of the education issues highlighted above, and have committed themselves to tackling them. The Sub-Saharan Africa Education for All Framework for Action (1999) explicitly states that the participants (Education Ministers, representatives of civil society, and international development agencies) ‘recognize the necessity of educational systems to provide all African people with the opportunity to acquire the skills and knowledge essential for access and use of information and communication technology’. However, questions are raised by some about the value of focusing on ICT for education, given the many other and often-times competing needs in African educational systems and societies more generally (for example see Lelliott, Pendlebury, & Enslin, 2001). The importance of ICT for education in Africa therefore justifies further consideration. This will begin with some reflection on the link between use of ICT for education and the role of ICT in Africa’s development more broadly. 5. Socio-Economic Context of Sub-Saharan Africa
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